“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 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
When I read this passage and think about Jesus’ promise to us, I can’t help but think of Jedi mind tricks from Star Wars. Those ancient defenders of the faith who could move objects with their minds. (Is this where George Lucas got the idea?!) But seriously, they learned to move objects, enemies, or even ships with nothing more than a focused mind and a simple hand gesture. The stronger their faith in the Force, the larger the object they could move.
Jesus, however, isn’t talking about mind tricks—He’s speaking about heart matters. If we have faith as small as a mustard seed—which is tiny—He said we can move mulberry trees (or mountains in another passage). “You can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you,” Jesus declared. And yet, I have never seen it happen! Do we have so little faith?
The disciples were onto something when they pleaded with Jesus, “Increase our faith!” They knew, as we do, that our faith often feels so small. How do we measure faith? How can we measure something that is invisible, spiritual, and resides in the heart? Yet if we could measure it, and if we had even a tiny amount—say, the size of a penny—we could literally move mountains.
So I ask you: How do we get this kind of faith? I have known Jesus for forty years, and I still do not have this kind of faith. For example, this week at the ranch I prayed that I might find my daughter’s sunglasses. I was walking and praying, talking with the Lord. Did I find them? No. Was I surprised that God did not make them magically appear? A little! I really hoped He would. But is hoping the same thing as having faith?
To have something means we hold it, contain it, and keep it. I imagine holding a ball in my hands—is that what holding faith is like? But it’s not simply having faith for faith’s sake. Faith is rooted in a Person—Jesus Himself. If we have faith in Him, that is what counts. Jesus said it often: “Believe in me.” Consider these passages:
John 11:25-26 (to Martha, before raising Lazarus):
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
John 12:44 (Jesus cried out):
“Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.”
John 14:12 (immediately after 14:1):
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
John 6:35, 47 (bread of life discourse):
“I am the bread of life; whoever believes in me shall never hunger… Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”
John 3:16, 18, 36 (conversation with Nicodemus) also emphasize belief in the Son, though these focus more on the consequences of believing rather than Jesus directly commanding, “Believe in me.”
So have faith—but have it in Jesus. Allow His Spirit to fill you. Believe in the One who healed the sick, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, spoke to the mute, released those under oppression, and overcame death itself. He is the One who holds our faith and the only One who can increase it to a measure worthy of the calling.
“O Lord God, You are good and faithful. Thank You for loving us. Thank You for allowing me to come to You by grace through faith. Fill me up, Lord—make my cup run over. Pour Your Spirit into my heart that I might know Your power and love, both today and in the life to come. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.