A different view of faith

There is a lot said about faith in the Christian world today.  It's a topic of much discussion and conflict.


Some say, "If you have enough faith you would never get sick, never be poor."  


Some would tell you that you can get more faith.  They then quote Jesus' words about a faith the size of a mustard seed and moving mountains.


Faith is a hot topic.


But how did Jesus view it?  What was his perspective on faith?  How would he define it for our culture today?  As you might guess my questions are all a setup for a passage of scripture in the book of Luke.  This is a different view of faith from what you hear in our culture today.  Read this passage and let's talk about it.


Luke 17:⁵  The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶ And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you. ⁷ “Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? ⁸ But will he not say to him, ‘ Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? ⁹ He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?¹⁰ So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”


So many focus their attention on the "faith like a mustard seed" passage, but what follows tells us that few of us have faith even that big!  Faith, pure and simple, is described by Jesus in verses 7-10.  It's simply this- obey the master.  That is faith in the purest most refined state.  There is no purer definition of biblical faith than this simple statement- obey the master.


We make faith about believing, about confessing, about saying the right words, praying the right prayers.  If only I could have enough faith....  But it's not that hard.  Really.  It's pure, simple, easy to do, no magic tricks needed, no special words to say, no strange confessions to make.  It's easy- obey the master.


Now, that is a different view of faith than anything you hear in our culture today, but it's the right definition.  What is faith? Obedience to God and his word.  How do I get more?  Obey what you know now.  What do I have to say? Nothing.  It's not about what you think in your head, what you say with your mouth, it's what you do in response to what the master says.  That is pure and simple faith.  No parlor tricks needed, no mind games to play, no magic phrases to say, just obey.


There's an old hymn that described this better than I'm able to do with my many words.  Here is the chorus and the key to faith as Jesus described it,


Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.