Christians live in a different world from many others.
It is the world of the mustard seed...rather than the world of the Apple or the hamburger
So we read today
Luke 17:5-6 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Interesting words.. One of the commentaries I was reading, is reminding us that Greek has two type of "If" clause...one (we so often use it this way in English) is really negative...we second guess ourselves
"If only I was good enough then: we would win, I would be successful, people would like me...."
The implication is that it really isn't like this in the world I inhabit
But there is a second type of way of using "if"...perhaps we would more naturally say "if we could just....". This is a positive challenge.
When we read this passage today...it is this second type of "if" that we encountering.
It is as if Jesus is saying...."You already have faith, and that is all you need...because if you have the tiniest amount of faith then I can use that to work through you."
The world (what the picture above calls the 'mcworld') is different from this. The world of faith is certain that what is hoped for can and will be achieved....
What, you might ask, is this hope....well I would name certain things like a world in which people can know and experience Love and Forgiveness. Where the blessing of God in our life is powerful, tangible and transforming.
Powerful...people are experiencing the genuine power of being able to forgive and to be forgiven.
Tangible...it makes a difference. I live my life differently because of the way I hear the Holy Spirit of Jesus speak into my life.
Transforming I really wonder why we (as Christians) bother if this doesn't make a difference. I DON'T want my life to remain the same. I detest the McWorld...I want tangible, transforming change.
Jesus offers us this through the dynamic of faith!
What is the challenge in our life that we can and want to respond to?
I want to be more loving!
I want to express forgiveness!
I want to be a genuine source of God's healing!
If you have mustard-seed faith...and of course you do!...........then just let God work this through you!
THIS WEEK
Where is God calling you to real love?
Where can you express forgiveness that really hits home?
You are a person who has faith...of course you are...what is God asking you to be?
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