…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 17:20b
Statements such as, “Nothing will be impossible for you” are not easy to understand. We would certainly say that nothing is impossible for God. But you and I?
In fact, when Jesus says, “Nothing will be impossible for you,” He is not talking about us as individuals. Jesus is speaking about the manifestation of the power of God. In this episode (and others) in the life of Jesus, the key factor that unleashed the power of God was faith.
Although we, like the disciples, can have too little faith, “faith as small as a mustard seed” can move a mountain. It is the object of our faith that does the impossible, not the power we bring to it. The object of our faith is God Himself, who characteristically manifests His redemptive power in our problems and trials.
Where were the disciples placing their faith as they sought to heal this boy? Were they depending on themselves or on their past experiences of healing? Where do you place your faith when confronted with a situation beyond your control? Do you place it in your own ability, in your education and background, in your resources and skills—or in the Lord Himself?
Questions for reflection and discussion: When faced with a situation beyond your control, where do you turn? What would be an instance when you placed your faith in the invisible God alone, to do the impossible?
Church Bible Reading Plan: Exodus 18; Luke 21