Last week, we looked at the "Great Cloud of Witnesses" that encourages us to "run with perseverence the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1). This week, we take a closer look at faith. What is faith? Can it make a real difference in our lives?
Jesus had much to say about faith. While He commended some for their great faith, Matthew also records five separate times in which Jesus spoke to individuals, the disciples, or the multitudes about their lack of faith (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, 17:20). It was in one such situation that Jesus said some surprising things on the subject:
When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him." "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:14-20)
Faith as small as a mustard seed. For the disciples, the impact of these words must have been tremendous. While we have since discovered smaller seeds, the mustard seed was the smallest of seeds used in that day. This was not the first time the disciples had been exposed to the simile of a mustard seed. Jesus had earlier made mention of it in the context of the kingdom of God when speaking to the multitudes (Matthew 13:31-32, cf. Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-19). Here, with reference to faith, Jesus makes a powerful statement emphasizing that the smallest amount of faith would be sufficient to move a mountain.
Though it seems clear that Jesus was using a hyperbole in His words to the disciples, I can't help but recall a story that a missionary serving in Asia once told of a group of children who were exposed to a similar passage of scripture found in Matthew 21:
Early in the morning, as he [Jesus] was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked. Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:18-22)
As the teacher dutifully read this passage to the children, their eyes immediately began to light up. For them, the thought of moving a mountain into the sea was too great a power to be left untested. Much to the chagrin of their teacher, the children quickly chose a nearby mountain and began to pray that God would move it. Their teacher, wary of allowing the children to test God in this seemingly capricious manner, nevertheless allowed them to do so lest he undermine his own lesson on faith and prayer. He silently wondered how he was going to explain to the children that God doesn't really move mountains--that it was all just a figure of speech. But the teacher never had the opportunity to do so. A short time later, the government made a startling announcement. The very mountain that the children had chosen was to be leveled as part of a redevelopment effort. Heavy equipment was to be sent in to bulldoze the area, mountain and all. The news came as a shock to all who heard it--everyone was astounded! Everyone, that is, except for the children who had prayed for it!
Simple faith. That's what it's all about. Simply believing that God will do what He said. When Jesus made the statement, "He who believes has everlasting life" (John 6:47, cf. 3:13-18, 3:35-36, 5:24, 6:40), this forces us to make a decision. Either these words are true and they apply to us, or they are not true and they apply to no one. If we believe that they are true, and further, choose to believe they are true for us, we receive (John 1:12) the gift of eternal life. It doesn't take the faith of an Abraham or Noah to enter the kingdom of God--it takes only the faith of a child:
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:13-15)
At its most basic level, faith provides a means by which we can receive the gift of eternal life. But beyond that, faith serves a crucial role in the life of believers. Paul includes it as part of the "full armor of God" in his writings to the Ephesians:
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:11-18)
Paul writes of faith as a shield, serving to protect us from the flaming arrows of the evil one. The author of Hebrews writes also of what faith does:
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. (Hebrews 11:1-2)
When things are going well for us, faith comes easy. But when times grow tough, our faith is tested (James 1:2-3). Are you going through a time of trouble? Are you worried or depressed? Ask yourself these questions:
If you can answer "yes" to these questions, you have all the faith you need. If you are going through a difficult time in your life, know that through faith you can "cast all your anxieties on him [God] because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
The faith of a mustard seed. It's a simple, but powerful image. In our trials and tribulations, faith draws us closer to God. When we go through the valley of depression and despair, faith leads us back to the mountaintop. And when we find ourselves facing an insurmountable obstacle, faith moves the mountain. Not the faith of the mighty--not the faith of a saint--merely the faith of a mustard seed.
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Copyright © 1998 Tim A. Krell. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV), Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.