No.43 The Mark of Faith

...and you will be hated because of Christ but endure in the faith to the end.

When Peter walked on the water for a moment and suddenly started to sink,

Jesus admonished him saying, "you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Jesus said, "truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt... You will say to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea, it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer and faith, you will receive.

You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? (Jesus was frustrated because they couldn't heal a  boy possessed.) Matthew 10:22, Matthew 14:31, Matthew 21:21-22, Mark 9:19-23, Mark 11:22-25, Luke 18:1-8

What we think of as miracles, are not abracadabra magic acts. They are the effects of faith; the result of trusting God. Jesus trusted so well that He expected to receive whatever He requested, and He did.

The Mark of faith lies deep within a forest of doubt, of cynicism and skepticism. To hit this Mark requires the ability to maneuver your arrow through many obstacles. We must learn to think wisely with the heart, to willfully diminish the value of sight and reason, and venture beyond frivolous imagination, fear, and intellect.

It may seem difficult if not impossible to hit this Mark the way Christ expects us to, but that’s what separates the Gold medalists from the audience. We need self denial.

It did not take faith to see luminous Jesus on Mount Tabor, with Moses and Elijah by His side. The disciples saw Him with their very own eyes.

What took faith was for Jesus to ask His Father to reveal His sonship to the disciples, and He did. That was the kind of faith He wants us to demonstrate. Saints become light-filled too.

Jesus expects us to have such faith; nothing less will do.