Fides | Faith

"... Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."— Mat 17:20 (NIV) 

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Reflecting on the beautiful response of our Lord to the disciples' queries about why they couldn't cast out the demon, He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." When I reflected on my own prayer journey, I realised that many a times I pray for Jesus to do something great in my life, such as the salvation of my pre-believing family members, yet just like the disciples, my faith was little, because I realised there were little seeds of doubts that I had allowed to linger in my heart even after praying. 

It's clear from this passage that the power of our prayers does not lie in the size of mine or your faith, but my view of God. Is the God in my heart greater than any obstacles or earthly trials? Or do I allow the problems and trials in life obscure my view of an Almighty God who declares that nothing is impossible with Him on our side. How can I cultivate the faith of a young shepherd boy David? 1 Samuel 17:45-47 tells us how he boldly declared to a battle-hardened Goliath, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands." and slayed the proud giant with a smooth pebble from a well-aimed slingshot. The rest is Biblical history on the exploits of King David (a shepherd boy and God's anointed subsequently shepherd king) who led God's nation into countless victories against enemies that had larger armies and more powerful weapons. But God was fighting alongside Israel and His anointed king and gave His nation the military successes and victories. 

In the New Testament book of Romans, St. Paul reminds with these powerful reminders of our identity in Christ Jesus, that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39).

Reflection on Matthew 17:14-27 by Chris Tan