At one point in Luke’s Gospel, after Jesus asks the disciples to do yet one more seemingly impossible thing—to forgive someone seven times—the disciples cry out, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). This kind of discipleship seemed to require more faith than they possessed.
Perhaps we also wonder whether we have “enough faith” to face the challenges of discipleship in today’s world. We may wonder if our faith is too small and fragile amid the anxieties we are experiencing during a global pandemic.
If we could find a way to increase our faith, then we would be able to live out our discipleship boldly and faithfully, to stand against the injustice in our world. Jesus does not think that “more faith” is what the disciples need. Instead, he tells the disciples that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, that would be enough (Luke 17:6).
It is the presence—not the quantity—of faith that matters. If one has even the tiniest amount, it is enough. Jesus trusted that the fragile faith of his disciples would be enough for God to work through. It is still enough.
This message is an excerpt from “Weight-lifting and the mustard seed” by Cheryl M. Peterson in the January/February 2021 issue of Gather magazine.
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