Redeemer Lutheran Church

One of the popular songs I listened to while growing up was a song titled “Under the Influence,” sung by a British gospel singer, Cliff Richard. The idea presented in this song is that we do not live in a vacuum, and no one is truly free; we all live under the influence of the things and people around us. The refrain sings:

Cause we’re under the influence, under the influence
You can try to deny it and call it a lie
But we’re under the influence, under the influence
Under the influence of somebody all of the time

The influence around us can positively or negatively affect and shape us. It is important that we recognize negative influences around us and not fall victim to them. At the same time, allow positive influence to shape us and mould us. Since influence is contagious, we must remain people of godly influence to those around us.

Today’s Old Testament reading talks about the Prophet Habakkuk, who was troubled and disturbed by the wicked and immoral society around him. King Josiah led a major spiritual and religious reformation during his reign, drawing people to Yahweh. However, things went badly when the wicked king Jehoiakim, appointed by the Egyptians, ruled Israel.

Habakkuk observed that his society was overwhelmed by destruction, violence, legal failure, and moral decline. The wicked distort justice and prosper. They silence the righteous, and respect for the law has vanished. Everywhere, there is despair, anguish, and confusion. He lived in a toxic society that exuded an atmosphere of despair, where evil seems to dominate and God remains silent. This prompted Habakkuk to cry out, O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?

Today’s society is no different. Someone has rightly said our children are growing up in a society where falsehood and lies are seen as truth, and sin is celebrated as right. Those who stand for truth are mocked or silenced.

If Habakkuk lived during a time of toxic societal influence, the Psalmist describes another kind of troubling influence. He speaks of deceitful and harmful individuals he encountered in his life who had a profoundly disturbing impact on him. David describes these individuals as two-faced: they speak kindly to you face-to-face but curse you behind your back. They are relentless and aggressive; they want to see you bleed and suffer. They are envious and deceptive—all they want is to see your downfall from your high position. We don’t know who these people were in David’s life, but a close reading suggests they could be someone who knew him well, perhaps a close associate or political rival.

Thus goes the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, this may not always be true. “The deepest wounds come not from enemies at the gate, but from friends at the table. Sometimes, a toxic influence wears a familiar face, and sometimes it comes from within our circles.

In our Gospel lesson, Jesus said, ‘Pay attention to yourself.’ “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.” Jesus’s warning is that in this fallen world, negative influences leading to sin and despair are a reality. However, you should be careful not to be the one spreading that negative influence on others.

If Jesus doesn’t want you to cause hindrance to others, then what kind of influence does he want us to spread? In our epistle lesson, we read about a quiet yet powerful, godly influence of two ordinary people on a young lad. They were Lois and her daughter Eunice, Timothy’s grandmother and mother. Paul tells us that they were people of profound and genuine faith. Faith is contagious. So Timothy caught their faith. They not only provided a godly influence but also taught him scripture. This made Paul say, I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. So, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom[a] you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Eunice and Lois were not apostles or celebrity believers. They were Jewish converts, and Eunice’s husband, who is Timothy’s father, was a Greek who followed paganism. Yet, these simple women loved God and lead quiet and godly lives which nurtured young Timothy to love God and hear His call. Jesus, in today’s gospel lesson, taught his disciples about faith like a mustard seed that can do wonders. A mustard seed, from the outside, looks small, tiny and unimpressive. There is nothing spectacular and glamorous about it. Yet it grows into a large tree (8-15 feet tall), providing shelter for the birds.

Faith, from the outside, appears unimpressive and weak. Yet it is powerful things which help you rise above the tide of toxic influence around you to be a blessing to others.

When people during Habakkuk’s time struggled in the face of a toxic and ungodly society, God reminded them that “the righteous will live by faith.”

Faith in itself is nothing, but as a gift of God, the faith God provided you connects you to God. Faith is a relationship and trust in God. Faith is an open arm and instrument through which you receive God’s strength and blessings in your life.

Faith in God sustained Habakkuk as he lived in a toxic society that ridiculed and celebrated error, and he prophesied, “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” The message is that God will correct injustice and act in His time, and that we can trust Him and put our hope in Him.

When David faced adversaries, faith and trust in God sustained him.

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
We should note that it is not David’s faith or its quality that is in focus. But it is God, because He alone is the rock. He is a God of steadfast love and power, and He will sustain his faithful and provide David salvation.

Paul reminds young Timothy of the same thing. Be strong and courageous, because God saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Paul, in our Epistle lesson, reminds him of at least two things. Firstly, when the world fell into sin, and under the influence of the devil, death and wickedness, he sent his son into this world not just as a positive influence but as its saviour, and he abolished death and brought life and immortality. Through Him, we have salvation, forgiveness of sin, and hope. He claimed us as His own, so we can trust in Him, amid this wicked world, without conforming to this world yet standing strong, truthful and with hope.

Secondly, God has not only saved you and given you the gift of life but also a holy calling. Timothy was the first Bishop in Ephesus. He was tasked with being a positive influence on others through his life, teaching and ministry. For that purpose, God has given him the Holy Spirit and His gifts. So, in carrying on the legacy of his mother and his grandmother on a similar yet entirely different and higher level, Paul writes, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” God has given you unique gifts to fulfill your calling to be a godly influence through your office. And you are not alone in this task; along with His gifts, God has given you His Holy Spirit. And the Spirit, he gave you, is a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

We do not live in a Vacuum, and we are always under the influence. And some of it is and will be positive and godly, and we embrace those, thank God for it. We thank God for the presence of Lois and Eunice in our lives. But we also live in a fallen world, a society and people tainted by sin and used by the devil. It can be toxic and hinder our faith. How, then, are we to live when faced with toxicity in people and society? Habakkuk reminds us that “righteous will live by faith.” God claimed us through His word and his waters of baptism. He has given us His gift of Faith. Faith connects us with God and his promises. God sustains us, strengthens us, forgives us and comforts us. He can be trusted in our struggles and trials. He feeds us and nourishes us through the Word, prayer, and sacraments, and reminds us that we are not alone.

Today’s lessons also remind us that we do have a call, a holy calling to be a godly influence in our generation. For that, God has given us gifts and talents and His Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of power and love, enabling us to be an influence around us like a mustard seed.

“Even the tiniest mustard seed can grow into a mighty tree. Our faith may seem small, but God uses it—helping us stand firm, shine brightly, and quietly bring comfort and hope to others in our generation.”
May the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.