Mountain Size Faith

“Faithfulness is the capacity of Gods reliability..In You!”

When I was in my early thirties, a good friend of my wife introduced me to mountain climbing. What was the most amazing thing to see was the ways in which people had discovered how to overcome one of Gods oldest creations. When you climb you are looking for ledges, rocks imbedded into the mountain that you can grab onto, or even the slightest crack where you can place your hand to grab a hold of. Seeing yourself hang from the ledge of a cliff, and slowly pulling yourself up is amazing.

You take your time, look at your options, observe your terrain, and slowly inch by inch, climb to the top. I can tell you that there is no words to truly describe the feeling you have once you reach the top. When I made my first real climb, I was told not to look down, to look back on what you just climbed. Instead, the instructor told me to look out across the horizon, seeing where I had arrived. I later asked the instructor why I shouldn't look back on what I climbed? Doesn't that show what I accomplished?

My instructor told me, "When you were climbing, did you observe and look at every angle and direction you could take why you were climbing? I responded with a firm "Yes." He then asked me, "Did you eve look down why you where climbing, to see where you were at? Or did you only look upward toward what you were trying to reach?" I answered, "I only looked upward."

His explanation has become an image for my personal growth and success with living. He said, "You never looked back during the climb, only upward toward what you were trying to reach. Who said you had reached the top yet. There is always another mountain to climb and top for you to reach."

There is a well-known passage in the book of Matthew, where Jesus heals a young boy. It describes Jesus casting out a demon, and the boy being healed. Then, His disciples comes to him asking Jesus why they couldn't heal the boy. He is his reply to them,

"Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [Matthew 17:20]

Now here is an interesting statement by Jesus. All we have to do is say to the mountain "Move?" What is going on here? Growing up in a Christian home, I remember so many times hearing this passage used as a means to instruct people on what Faith is. That it is simply us saying to the mountain move, and it will move. If that's true, then why doesn't the partner in an abusive marriage simply say in faith Stop! And the abuser will stop.

Why doesn't the person with severe depression say "Feel happy," and they do? Why doesn't the minister just say to their congregation, in faith, "Understand Gods Word and they suddenly do?" Because it doesn't work this way. Let's be honest with ourselves for once. If faith was nothing more than us saying to something or someone, do this or that, life would have no purpose to it then. Faith is not some credit card we can simply swipe expecting something to just happen.

Now is faith something we have to earn. Now, you're probably wondering at this point, alright, what was it then that Christ meant when he told his disciples to have faith that moves mountains? Good question, let's see if we can find out...

Let's first look at the word "Mountain." In Greek it's "Oros" ὄρος, ους, τό which simply means "a mountain." However, this Greek word originated from the Hebrew word "Har" הַר that has a little more meaning to it. In Rabbinical Writings, the term mountain was used as a proverb, or phrase, to describe accomplishing something difficult, astonishing, or incredible things.

There is another famous story of one ascending a mountain. His name was Moses. God invites Moses to "ascend to God." [Exodus 24:1] And yet. After the communal vision of God, Moses continued up the mountain. He went up into a place not about visions, but about commandments, into a place not about experiences, but about covenant. Religious practice is meant to transform who we are and how we live in relation to the world. So why then does Christ talk about "Moving Mountains" and not ascending them. The answer here is when he speaks about having Faith like a mustard seed.

Jesus uses the image of Mustard Seed in a parable. In Matthew 13:31-32 He shares this parable, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.32Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

You see the mustard seed is a very tiny seed. However, when it grows, the plant becomes very large, and can take over a large portion of your garden.

Jesus used the Mustard Seed parable to demonstrate that the Kingdom of Heaven is a living and active presence that is increasing within the realm of human experience. First, we must realize that the Kingdom of Heaven is not a place to live, but a purpose in life. That it is when God becomes the King over our lives, His ruling and reigning empowerment in our lives.

So, Jesus is teaching us the when we have Faith the size of a Mustard Seed, that when God is ruling and reigning over our lives, even in the smallest way, those mountains that we come across in life can be overcome. When God is the King of our life, we will in fact accomplish amazing things. If you were to go to Israel you would see that there are several mountainous terrains throughout it. And in Jesus' day, they would have to walk this terrains many times over and over again.

Sometimes, these mountainous terrains would have seemed like something that went on forever and you would feel like you just couldn't make it. That you would never be able to reach the top, let alone walk over it to reach the other side. There are these mountains that we come in contact with in our lives today. It may be a mountain of stress, depression, or even physical illness. It may be a mountain of unhealthy relationships, doubt, or even one that is affecting our walk with God.

But, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, if God is ruling and reigning in your life, even in the smallest way. You will overcome, you will be able to climb and reach the top of that mountain! God will empower you to climb to the top of it...

So my question for you this week is, "What is the mountain in your life?" If you will be faithful to listening to God, to doing His teachings within His Word, in even the littlest way, you will be able to overcome and climb over that mountain in your life. Take just one simply teaching of God's and begin to practice it, make it a part of yourself. Allow God to be the King over your life.

Then will you begin to experience His empowerment in your life! You will then be living an Empowered Life!

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