How Much Faith?

If you think this is a worn-out repeat of the "small as a mustard seed" devotion, you're only half right. Read on and see for yourself.

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. (Luke 17:5-6)

I've met with several people who struggled to make a faith-based decision because they imagined it as leaping across the Grand Canyon.

Our imagination is powerful, and often wrong. We tend to amplify our problems and challenges and focus on unrealistic worst-case scenarios. Jesus helps us here with a visual. Just a little faith, a tiny amount is enough, because God is so Big and Powerful and Sovereign. Not a walnut, nor even an acorn, but a mustard seed-sized faith is sufficient on our part.








We follow the disciples in praying, "Lord, Increase our faith!" Fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (Heb 12:2) is important.

Now here is comes the twist.

Check out the context of Jesus' lesson on faith. It's about relationships and how to handle the serious issue of sin in relationships.


Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' " (Luke 17:1-10)

There is another passage (Matthew 17:1-20) where Jesus tells his disciples that if they have faith the size of a mustard seed, they can move mountains. The context there is the story of driving out the demon from a boy.

Key lesson: Our mustard-seed-sized faith moves mountains in relationships. It links up with God's power to deal appropriately with sin through repentance and forgiveness. And we don't deserve a lot of credit in all this, because it's our duty to operate this way.

For most of us, our most challenging day-to-day issues are rooted in relationships. They're wearying and worrying. God's power is available (and so necessary!) as we exercise our tiny amounts of faith. Seeing God's power does not require huge reservoirs of faith, according to this promise, but just a little bit of faith.

Transformed relationships testify powerfully to the world about our great and awesome God!