Matthew 17 - Part 2

 

Read Matthew 17

The disciples did a great job feeding the multitudes at the direction of Jesus.   They had witnessed many miracles.  Peter had professed Jesus as the Christ and yet, they could not cast out a demon.  Jesus took care of the matter.

Later, the disciples wanted to know why they couldn’t do this.  Jesus said it was their lack of faith.  After all this time, they didn’t have enough faith.  Bummer.

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, 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.”

But surely, they had some faith.  Surely, they had a mustard seed’s worth of faith, didn’t they?

Perhaps the lesson is in the storm and the weeds.  Peter walked on top of the water until he noticed the storm.  In the Parable of the Sower, the weeds—the cares of the world—choke out some of the wheat. 

Perhaps, the disciples had a mustard seed’s worth of faith, then became consumed by how big the obstacles were.  What if having a mustard seed’s worth of faith meant having it, not occasionally dabbling in it.

Is this not our modern-day dilemma? We trust, obey, live by faith and then we don’t.  Something, anything, maybe nothing at all manages to trip us up and we are back to square one.

What if having a mustard seed’s worth of faith was a chronic condition.  We just can’t seem to shake it.  If that’s the case, we should expect God to do the impossible in our lives time and time again.

Amen.