Matthew 17
Faith. It’s a funny thing, isn’t it? It’s easy for us to have faith that the plane we’re about to board is going to get us where we’re going. It’s easy for us to have faith that the sun’s going to rise in the morning and set at night. Here in North Carolina, we have faith that in the springtime it’ll be 30 degrees outside when we wake up and pushing 80 by lunch.
With all the mundane things in life that we invest our faith in, why is it so hard to keep an abiding faith in Jesus Christ? Some days that can be a minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day battle at times, can’t it. The author of the Book of Hebrews has this to say about Christian faith.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
As believers, we have faith that there’s a Heaven. We have faith that Jesus really did forgive us from the cross. But then there’s earthy truth. The demands of our flesh. We doubt. Heaven doesn’t have a website we can check out. And yes, many people have made the claim through books and movies that they’ve been to Heaven. And if you’re ready to plunk down some money they will happily give you detailed descriptions of what it’s like, even though there is zero consistency between those accounts. Scripture tells how the apostle Paul, who God did let have a look at Heaven, took in all that he saw and wrote that there are no words to describe what’s there. Real Truth.
The key to growing hope-based faith is God’s Word. It’s understanding that Jesus is alive and that He loves you and wants the best for you and that even when life gets hard, He’s with you, and one way or another He will see you through the trials that, by the way, happen because of sin. Not because Jesus delights in your suffering.
Chapter 17 of Matthew’s Gospel is interesting. Jesus challenges His apostles and you and me over our inability to maintain faith in Him. Jesus takes 3 of His friends, Peter, James, and John high on a mountain. There, He’s transfigured, shining brighter that anything the three men have ever seen. And, oh yeah, they also see Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah. And then – the cherry on top – God Himself gives an audible shout-down that this is His Son who He loves. And that we should listen to Him.
Jesus, Peter, John, and James then come down the mountain and meet a huge crowd. And in that crowd is a father with a young son possessed by a demon that afflicts him with violent seizures. The dad had already taken the boy to some of the other disciples, and they were unable to send the demon packing. Hearing this, Jesus is frustrated.
He says, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.
Why was Jesus annoyed? People weren’t listening. Many of the people gathered there were there because they heard Jesus healed folks. But they had no faith in Him as Messiah. Then you have these disciples, who’ve heard every teaching and been present for every miracle. Peter, John, and James have just witnessed Jesus chatting with Moses and Elijah! They heard the audible voice of God speak to them! And still…their faith wavers.
The disciples ask Jesus why they couldn’t cure the boy and Jesus tells them point blank. Because of your little faith. He goes on to explain in parable-like fashion that if they had faith in Him the size of a mustard seed, it would be all they would need to move mountains. Meaning that abiding faith in Him empowers us to accomplish things that we could not without that faith in Him. And we either take that to heart or…we wrestle with it. Every day.
But the good news that comes to us amid that battle is the Good News that comes to us through scripture and the realization that the death Jesus endured on the cross and the resurrection that followed three days later should be, needs to be enough.His Word will nurture your faith and your faith will be the thing that not only allows you to navigate the challenges of this life but to also know that no matter what Heaven is yours too. But… We need that mustard seed faith, and we need to listen to Him…