Little Faith!

Charles Blondin—born Jean François Gravelet in Hesdin, Pas-de-Calais, France—was the first man in history to walk on a tightrope across Niagara Falls from the United States into Canada. The tightrope was suspended 160 feet on one end and 270 feet on the other over the raging waters of the falls. He had no safety harness or net. He walked nearly 1,100 feet across the falls. In the subsequent years, he walked 17 more times, sometimes on stilts, riding a bicycle, blindfolded, and stopping in the center to do tricks like cooking omelets with a small stove he carried on his back. Most impressively, he carried people on his back to walk this treacherous journey.

I know I wouldn’t want to be one on his back. I am not afraid of heights but not comfortable with water, being a poor swimmer. I wouldn’t want to fall into those rushing waters.

After spending a few Passovers, walking with Jesus, seeing his miracles, and hearing his teachings, the disciples (whom he named “the apostles”) knew they needed faith. They asked him,

“Give [or increase] us faith.” (Luke 17:5)

Instead of saying that he would give them faith, the Lord tossed the ball back into their court, so to speak:

 “If you have faith as a mustard grain and say to a mulberry tree, ‘Uproot yourself and replant in the sea,’ it will obey you.” (17:6)

That wasn’t an answer to their question but something far-fetched and nonsensical (why would anyone want a mulberry tree in a sea?). But I think the Lord was trying to teach the disciples/apostles that one didn’t need a mountain of faith; instead, all one needed was a simple faith in God.

The verb they used, prostithemi, had two meanings: “give” or “increase.” Perhaps the disciples thought they had some faith and they wanted more. The Lord told them their little faith was enough; they didn’t need a humongous amount of faith to do amazing work.

The scriptures were full of women and men with simple faith: Rahab, Abraham, Abigail, Moses, Naaman’s servant, and Naaman. My favorite was the little boy with a few small loaves of barley bread and a few fish (John 6:9). Whereas the disciples debated how much money they needed to feed nearly 10,000 people or where they would get the required bread, that little boy said, “Here, I have some small loaves of bread and fish.” That was all the Lord needed to feed all those people and have baskets of leftovers.

Faith doesn’t have to be mighty for God to work. Simple faith—small as a mustard seed— was enough!