City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

The Word

Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” So the Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

“Would any one of you say to your slave who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’? Won’t the master instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready to serve me while I eat and drink. Then you may eat and drink’? He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, will he? So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Luke 17:4-10 (NET)

Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.

Mark 11:23 (NASB)

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Matthew 8:26 (NKJV)

Reflection

• Faith is not measurable. If Jesus says we can levitate a large fruit tree or an entire mountain with faith the size of a small seed, then we only need to have the correct faith for the task. Measure is meaningless. We have it or we don’t.
• Without faith, we can do nothing (Hebrews 11:6). Put another way, we don’t do anything without faith. When you illuminate a dark room by flipping a switch on the wall, you have proven your faith in the power of electricity. Everything we do is a demonstration of faith in something.
• Faith can not be conjured. What Jesus did to the wind and waves was not magic. His faith on that boat was based in reality. He spoke to the wind and waves knowing that His Word would be honored. If we seek to have faith, we will find it in knowledge of Truth. This is no different in the physical world than in the spiritual realm.
• The apostles thought it would take heroic faith to forgive someone seven times a day. Jesus’ parable reveals that faith is never heroic. Citizens and heirs of the kingdom of God are duty-bound to forgive. They are also empowered to forgive. If we truly understand this, then we will forgive without any conscious effort, as mindless as turning on the light when we enter a dark room.
• It does not take any virtue or character to exercise faith, even to the point of moving mountains. Faith is trust in what is known to be reliable. What is done with that knowledge is what reflects character. This is why Paul elevates love above faith.

Application

Take a few moments to reflect on what truths you find most reliable. Do your words and actions back up these truths? What is something you can do to build trust in God and His Word?

Prayer

Father, give us understanding of the reality of Your Kingdom so that we can walk in the power of Grace. Let our faith in this be demonstrated according to Your marvelous desire and for Your glory. Amen