It was almost pageant like as he would magically wave his hands as if trying to levitate something. First he would wave at the mound; and with excruciating facial expressions, he would command the grassy mound to move to the corner of the lot. Holding this position for awhile as if lifting an impossible weight, he would finally drop his arms and slump to the ground. “We will try it again later!”
The show would continue as quick as he could regain posture and catch his breath. Then he would brush himself off and start the process again, but this time aim the waving hands at the scraggly tree and command it to uproot and fly into the sea. The same excruciating look enveloped his face as he shook and trembled until finally he would surrender to the obvious, drop his arms, slump to the ground, … nothing had happened. “One of these days you will see!” “My mustard seed faith shall grow.”
Deep inside you this pageant can play out if you measure your faith against your ability to move mountains, or gauge your faith potential based on the flight of trees into the sea via the command of your voice. There are other options that partner with the superficial study of the Word. One is the ability to ignore scripture that seems impossible... “Just don't go there” … rather than asking, seeking and knocking. Another option is to find some theologian's thoughts from the past to plug into our cranium. Not that this is bad, but it could keep us from having to use our own brain cells to seek out an answer. The problem is that rarely will we truly study through passages that could potentially allow the miraculous to become part of our lives. (“Study to shew thyself approved unto God” … Study, study, study to place yourself beside the valued of God. … Why would we want to have Heavenly value in this God Needy World?)
Flying Trees into the sea at a command? Let's start there to begin the process of “letting the words of our mouths and the meditations of hearts being acceptable in God's sight”. (Psalm 19:14) Could the real mountains of vision and rooted “medicinal trees” be connected more to our ability to display eternity than to put on a good show? Let's start … “Hey, throw me a tree!” “Sorry … detach it from the roots first.” Now into the sea … the salt, the unknown, the turbulence, the fear, the uncontrollable need to TRUST.
Luke 17:5 - “Lord, increase our faith.” Was this request urged on because of an amazing miracle that the disciples saw Jesus perform? “Lord, firmly establish our faith.” Was this request prompted by an amazing revelation of the Kingdom? Both questions could be answered affirmative because of the sum total of events they had experienced to date, but the genesis of this question was more challenging than what we might think. It was in response to the challenge to Forgive! If offended … forgive!
After learning that scandals are guaranteed to come, and that people focused on scandalizing others would be better deep-sea diving with a millstone; the disciples are given a peek into kingdom forgiveness. What … forgive those offending them? Forgive even if they produce SEVEN offenses a day? Doesn't appear to be a big deal to us, but the disciples are increasingly being offended as the group of them move closer to the Cross, closer to the ultimate scandal.
As the character of Christ is beginning to truly challenge their roots and their foundational vision (trees and mountains --- Luke 17 and Matthew 17), they see Him … they see real faith … they want to be established in what is at the core of this Jesus. They realize that a change is needed, and want to know what can be done to increase or establish a change that may take them from coddled faith to a“moving mountain” and “uprooted tree” challenging faith.
Our voices need to heard with His voice … “ Up-root us, disconnect us from the old ways, and replant us in the uncontrollable sea of trusting Thee with the outcome … miraculously forgiving those who often offend us”. Our faith is increased when we truly forgive our offenders. Forgiving the way Christ forgives is the grain of mustard seed faith that uproots the tree of traditional command and control forgiveness, and moves it into the sea of His trust.
What about salt spray and saline contamination of the tree? The Husbandman knows whats best for His planting.
“Throw me … a tree!”
HLFA,
Jeff