After failing to heal a young boy and drive out those demons, the disciples came to Jesus with a question: "Why couldn't we do it?" They may have failed, but they wanted to grow. Their faith would grow. And it wouldn’t be long before the demons were running from them!
It was at this point that Jesus explained faith in comparison to a mustard seed. It was easy to have faith when Jesus was around – that’s their mustard seed faith. Problems didn’t seem as big when Jesus was around. Jesus had no shortage of power and every day seemed like a growing experience. What Jesus wanted them to learn was how to have faith when he wasn’t nearby. That’s mountain-moving faith and the faith they would need to change the world.
They had faith. It was just that their faith needed to grow and strengthen. And, of course, the same applies to us. We need a strong faith even on days when it seems Jesus is not close by. We need to remember the promises of God. We need to practice the presence of God. We need to spend time with the people of God. And when we do, our faith will grow, even from the size of a mustard seed.
“The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.” Hebrews 11:1 (MSG)
Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God. We need faith to enter the Kingdom, and indeed, every transaction requires faith. How Firm a Foundation is a series of sermons which examines tales of faith in the New Testament. These are real stories, with elements to emulate and mistakes to learn from. You will walk away with a realistic view of faith and practical principles for everyday life.
