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.
Here Jesus teaches that even the smallest amount of faith can accomplish miraculous things. I do not know about any of you out there but I certainly desire this faith! I am reminded of the healing of the boy with the evil spirit:
17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." 19 "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." 20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. 22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." 23 "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:17-24 (NIV)
Jesus has already bestowed achieving power to His disciples regarding demonic activity. This is perhaps why He is put out with them calling them an “unbelieving generation”. We find earlier in Mark:
7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Mark 6:7-13 (NIV)
It is interesting to me that Jesus does not immediately heal this lad but rather asks the father two questions: “How long has he been like this?” and “If you can?” Perhaps this is to get the father to see and state the hopelessness of his situation apart from Christ and conversely the ultimate hope that is found in Christ alone. Friends, we are all in the exact same boat! We are all helpless apart from Jesus. Just like the man with the demon possessed son, we often come to Jesus bringing our most hopeless situations mistakenly stating: “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." I believe Jesus has a word for us today as well: "Everything is possible for him who believes." Many passages of Scripture flood my mind right now confirming this statement from our Saviors lips. Below a few are listed:
In Genesis, when God tells Abraham that he and Sarah will have a child at the appointed time next year and she laughs as they are far past child bearing years but guess what God states:
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." Gen 18:14 (NIV)
When Joshua is taking over Moses’ shoes and leading the Israelites into the Promised Land replete, I might add, with giant enemies:
5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Josh 1:5-9 (NIV)
Paul’s wonderful affirmation to the Philippians regarding God’s faithfulness in his life:
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phil 4:13 (NIV)
“The only fear a Christian should entertain is the fear of sin. All other fears are from Satan sent to confuse and weaken us. How often the Lord reiterated to His disciples, ‘Be not afraid!’” Isobel Kuhn
“No sea is deeper than the ocean of His love. There is no army stronger than His hosts, no force greater than His throne of grace, no enemy who can overcome His direct and indirect work in our lives.” Robert J. Morgan
“Faith,” wrote C.H. Mackintosh, “raises the soul above the difficulty, straight to God Himself, and enables one to stand still. We gain nothing by our restless and anxious efforts...It is therefore true wisdom, in all times of difficulty and perplexity, to stand still - to wait only upon God, and He will assuredly open a way for us.”