Is Your Faith The Mountain-Moving Kind?

If there's one thing about Jesus we can rely on, it's that He'll tell it like it is. 

In Matthew 17, a father brings his demon-possessed son to the disciples for an exorcism, but they fail. Falling at Jesus' feet, the desperate father begs Him for mercy on his son's behalf.

Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Matthew 17:15-16

I often wonder about Jesus' tone of voice when He says certain things. While I certainly believe He never would have been disrespectful or short-tempered, I think we can agree that there were times when He was frustrated and concerned.

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. Matthew 17:17

The man is not an unbeliever, but Jesus tells him that his belief needs some work, some growth. He needs to have his thinking and his faith grown and expanded, and Jesus takes full advantage of this face-to-face opportunity to correct and guide this concerned father.

But Jesus' teaching moment doesn't end there. When the disciples pull Him aside and ask for His advice and help, He lays it out in plain language that even they can comprehend. Hopefully.

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:20-21

Again, the disciples aren't unbelievers. They have been given the power and authority over devils, so they should be able to handle this situation. Instead, the intensity of this particular demon seems higher than "normal," they distrust their own power, and they fail.

Jesus reminds them, in no uncertain terms, that they have been given the very power of the Lord to fulfill His calling on their lives. They were specifically sent to cast out unclean spirits and heal all manner of disease and illness (Matthew 10), so the power is not in question. What is in question their own faith in that power and their ability to use it.

If the situation called for it, a tiny dollop of their faith would have been enough to move a mountain from place to place. But Jesus points out that their faith isn't active and growing and ready to move mountains. Yet. 

The blessing of this story is that Jesus would continue to mold them, grow them, and change them for more and better things. This moment of unbelief didn't count them out for any future ministry or ambassadorship for Him. Instead, it was a wake-up call that they would think back to for the rest of their lives.

If there are situations today that you could use a better perspective, talk to the Lord about it now. Right this minute. Let Him renew your faith, give you a fresh dose of belief, and a rock-solid foundation in Him. Then go out into the world with Him at your side and tackle whatever He places in your path with mustard seed-sized, mountain-moving faith.