Then came the disciples unto Jesus apart, and said, Why couldnt we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, “Because of your unbelief: for verily i say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you”
The first time I looked critically at the above portion of scripture, it was in NIV translation and verse 20 was precisely written this way “Because you have so little faith. Truly i tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed…..
I wonder if you were struck by anything in that particular verse as I was. First thing for me is the fact that Jesus stated that his disciples couldn’t cast out a demon because of their little faith and in the same breath, said they could have done a better job, if only their faith was as small as a mustard seed.
Second thing for me is that He didn’t seem to acknowledge the fact that they tried. Their efforts seemed to mean nothing to him without the right kind of faith and he promptly addressed their unfruitful attempt as ‘unbelief’ or ‘small faith’.
Apparently, the difference between the little faith that couldn’t cast out the devil and the little faith that can tackle anything must be huge…Jesus says it could even be as tiny as a mustard seed! A seed that’s just about one-tenth of an inch!
Also, considering the fact that the mustard seed is a proverbial representation of the smallest of things, it is clear that faith is not really about enormity! Its more about its quality and focus.
We will never be able to achieve divine results with our own abilities as humans. And no matter how zealous we are, we cannot afford to shift our focus from God. It has to be faith in him and a huge focus on His Power.
I have a feeling the disciples of Jesus got things twisted just like a lot of Christians these days. They assumed they had gotten some power of their own because they had been with Jesus. They were not absolutely focusing on the power of God to deliver the oppressed. They had seen Jesus perform miracles without understanding that his faith was totally in God the Father.
Another thing I think may have been a problem with the disciples is their faith muscle. It wasn’t built. And how many times have we as Christians taken on things that we are not yet spiritually mature to handle?. Just as a toddler will not sleep and wake up as an adult overnight, faith also does not grow suddenly!. Faith has to be nurtured with the word of God and regular fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Your mustard seed faith can grow to become a tree that produces all sorts for the benefit of mankind.
One more interesting thing to me is the fact that they desired to know why their faith did not work! How many times, have you asked God why things didn’t turn out the way you ‘believed’ they should? You probably left the matter hanging with a quiet conclusion that it might not just be His perfect will….
Faith may be as small as a mustard seed, yet it is a strong assurance of what is expected. A quiet and firm evidence of things not seen. An inner conviction that God is willing and ready to do what we ask of Him.
The major mark of difference amongst believers therefore is not the levels of anointing, eloquence or opportunities. It is faith in God.
My mustard-seed faith is a strong belief in God’s power which moves me to take little steps to birth the dreams He has placed in my heart.
Faith without works is dead, just like works without faith will eventually lead to frustration. Some Christians believe that God’s blessings will not come until they do certain major things. So they put a lot of energy into activities that would amount to ‘qualifications for the blessing’.
Yes, self-inspired faith can produce some results. It looks at ephemeral qualities and takes steps only to achieve results that will not stand the test of time. The slightest or toughest life’s challenges will subtly poke its results and create self-doubt, feelings of inadequacy, depression or even suicidal thoughts.
If it is not focused on God and His ability to bring about manifestation, then it is not faith..
Luck. Maybe….