Elemental: S2 - Day 17

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…” Luke 17:6

I’m amused by passages of scripture that contain an apparent contradiction. In the eighth chapter of his book, John told the story of a woman entrapped in a compromising sexual encounter and brought as a case study to Jesus. The religious leaders and legal experts hoped to catch Him being more gracious than the law permitted. Side note: I love that what Jesus’ enemies know of Him suggests that He will heal when He shouldn’t, love whom He mustn’t, and flatly extend way more grace than their sensibilities would allow.

So, when Jesus flips the script, writes in the sand, and sends the accusers scurrying for cover, He carries on a private conversation with the petrified woman. He asks her about her abusers, and she looks up to see they have all gone. And then He says, “Neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more.” (v11) How does He say He doesn’t condemn her and call her a sinner in the space of two sentences? No conflict. It must be that her actions don’t define her. Jesus sees identity in terms other than behavior. With Jesus, we can fail and not be failures. We struggle with sin and are still sons and daughters.

Then in Mark 9, Jesus encounters a demon-possessed boy’s father, desperate for rescue. The horrors of watching the battle raging in his little one had taken a toll. Shaken, the father asks if Jesus can help. And Jesus wonders back, “Do you believe in me?” The father responds, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” (v24) So, which is it? Belief? Unbelief?

Something about that statement is at once confusing and relatable. If there were a belief Richter scale, I doubt I would shake the earth the same way every day. In fact, for any of us who have encountered pain and disappointment, isn’t it likely that our belief always feels mixed with qualifiers? Beautifully, this is ok with Jesus. He is always interested in growing our faith. But He doesn’t turn it into another way for our behavior to earn His love.

Jesus’ disciples come to Him in Luke 17 and ask for more faith. Jesus responds that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, it would be enough to cause trees to walk into the sea. In other words, it's not about the size of your faith. It is where your faith is actively placed that makes all the difference.  

Once again, the answer is Jesus.

1. Has someone tried to embarrass you publicly?  What did you do?
2. Have you had someone speak up for you at a pivotal moment?
3. In what area of your life do you think Jesus is anxious to see faith?