I have a similar reaction to the "kernel of faith" passage in this chapter. It usually irritates me to read that if I just had an itty-bitty, tiny, little faith I could move a mountain. I've never seen anyone move a mountain. And I know it's a metaphor for doing the impossible, ("...moving mountains was a typical Jewish teacher's image for doing what was virtually imposible." -- IVP Commentary), but I've still been up against many impossible situations in which God didn't answer with the solution I requested. He didn't heal my sister's brain cancer. He didn't provide enough money for us to stay out of debt during grad school. He didn't keep my brother from going to prison. He didn't protect our reputations by stopping the spread of slander about us at church. I prayed. I fasted. I confessed my unbelief. Why didn't the impossible become possible? I think I've misunderstood what Jesus is saying.
[Jesus] ordered the afflicting demon out - and it was out, gone.... When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, 'Why couldn't we throw it out?' 'Because you're not yet taking God seriously,' said Jesus. 'The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle.' (17:19-20)
Jesus said, 'If? there are no 'ifs' among believers. Anything can happen.' No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, 'Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!' Seeing that the crowd was forming fast, Jesus gave the spirit its marching orders.... After arriving back home, his disciples cornered Jesus and asked, 'Why couldn't we throw the demon out?' He answered, 'There is no way to get rid of this kind of demon except by prayer.' (Mark 9:23-29)
The apostles came up and said to the Master, 'Give us more faith.' But the Master said, 'You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore treee, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it. (Luke 17:5-6)What is becoming clearer is that it's not about the quantity of my faith. It is about my relating to God through prayer. It's not just about my belief. It's also about my dependence on God's grace in my unbelief. It's not about moving the mountain. It's about the Creator of the mountain and His power over all things created.
...the crucial issue in accomplishing great things to advance the kingdom of God is not the quantity of our faith, but the power of God.... God moves mulberry trees. And it does not depend decisively on the quantity of our faith, but on his power and wisdom and love. In knowing this we are helped not to worry about our faith and are inspired to trust God's free initiative and power....
We never move beyond the need for grace. Therefore let us trust God for great things in our little faith, and let us not be paralyzed by what is left to be done in our lives and in our church. (John Piper, Taste and See Articles)Father, help me to take You seriously. I confess my need for Your grace in my unbelief. I confess that I've made it more about my mustard seed than about Your greatness, Your might, Your power.
4 comments:
Thanks Stacy. Your comments have me really thinking about what Jesus was saying, "You are not yet taking God seriously". What does He mean here? I guess I'm missing it. Please help me out if you have time.
Lisa, great question that I don't have a complete answer for! I think that God is asking me if I'm taking Him seriously by living like He is the sovereign, good God that I profess He is. Am I taking Him seriously by throwing myself into dependence on His grace by moving to love people even when it feels risky? Am I willing to believe that He wants a relationship with me, even when I'm questioning and wrestling with Him and I don't have all my boxes checked?
Not a clear-cut answer, but it's a little bit of what's on my heart today.
Anyone else have thoughts on what taking God seriously means in your life?
I just had a friend explain it to me this way:
Say there is a pond frozen over with ice. At one section, the pond has a half inch of ice over it. At another section, the pond has 6 inches of ice over it (but unknown to the people who are going to cross). One person is going to cross at each section of the pond and they are told to "have faith" to get them across. The one crossing at the half inch section has a LOT of faith that he will cross and be okay, while the one crossing at the 6 inches of ice section steps out with a very tiny bit of faith that he will make it across. Who makes it across? The one with a LOT of faith? Nope.
The point of the story is that it is not so much just about "having faith" as our culture so easily encourages - "whatever you believe is great for you, as long as you have faith." but rather...it is the OBJECT of our faith that matters. The 6 inches of ice proves trustworthy, proves stable, proves strong and able to hold up, while the person crossing at the half inch of ice, even if he had a lot of faith, didn't have his faith in a trustworthy source. The ice was thin and unstable and couldn't hold up under pressure.
To me, taking God seriously means REALLY believing He is Trustworthy, He is able to hold me up under pressure, so that when I walk out in ice I can't see below me...I know that He has me, He is in control and He is good.
So refreshing to think of the mustard seed faith that Jesus talks about in this way! It's not the size of my faith that matters but the object of my faith. God. It's not about my faith but it's about who HE is.
Lately i've been crying out for more faith but i've missed that it's not about the quantity of my faith. But the God I believe in that holds me, that is in control, trustworthy, stable and good. Thanks for this reminder! As I've been traveling around overseas to start the year and will continue to for a few weeks, i'm reminded how important it is to have a community to help point me to Jesus. Missing having access to this blog and you women because of limited access but thankful for this morning and this free wifi!
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