The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). Christians have wanted that ever since – Faith in bulk! So what is the reply of Jesus? “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6).
That must have puzzled the apostles. They wanted big faith, but He spoke of the smallest thing they knew. By the way, He did not refer to the mustard seed because it was very small! The issue was the contrast between massive faith and small (but living) seed. He wanted to hammer home that faith is never a matter of size. Size is the wrong word.
Faith has neither bulk nor weight. What shape is a thought? ‘Believing’ is what you DO, not a substance. Perhaps the apostles wanted faith to tackle bigger tasks. But it does not come beforehand. Scripture speaks of the proportion of faith (Romans 12:6) – it is proportionate to the job at hand, index‑linked to the need. Like running and needing more air, your intake increases automatically.
Size loses its meaning even for the task when it is a faith-task. The bigness of a hill, a house, and a molehill is all one to a bird flying over them. By faith we shall mount up with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31), and nothing is insurmountable.
Active faith needs impossibilities. Religious faith, (that is, faith just in church), does not have enough impossibility. Robust faith grows in the outside weather, or it will be a sickly plant. Let's learn to trust the Lord in tough and rough weather. It will affect your life and ministry lifelong. Agreed?
That must have puzzled the apostles. They wanted big faith, but He spoke of the smallest thing they knew. By the way, He did not refer to the mustard seed because it was very small! The issue was the contrast between massive faith and small (but living) seed. He wanted to hammer home that faith is never a matter of size. Size is the wrong word.
Faith has neither bulk nor weight. What shape is a thought? ‘Believing’ is what you DO, not a substance. Perhaps the apostles wanted faith to tackle bigger tasks. But it does not come beforehand. Scripture speaks of the proportion of faith (Romans 12:6) – it is proportionate to the job at hand, index‑linked to the need. Like running and needing more air, your intake increases automatically.
Size loses its meaning even for the task when it is a faith-task. The bigness of a hill, a house, and a molehill is all one to a bird flying over them. By faith we shall mount up with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31), and nothing is insurmountable.
Active faith needs impossibilities. Religious faith, (that is, faith just in church), does not have enough impossibility. Robust faith grows in the outside weather, or it will be a sickly plant. Let's learn to trust the Lord in tough and rough weather. It will affect your life and ministry lifelong. Agreed?
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