Do you really need more faith?

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, 'Why couldn't we drive it out?'

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." - Matt 17:19-21

That desire echoed from centuries into our present souls as preachers often exhort us to have more faith.

Did Jesus give his disciples more faith?

Well not exactly. Jesus gave the example of faith liken to a mustard seed.

The bible says about the mustard seed :

"It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground." - Mark 4:31

Now isn't an irony that Jesus admonished his disciples for having too little faith only to compare effective faith with a mustard seed?? The word little faith here is "apistis" which meant "no faith" or "unbelief". It wasn't just little faith, it was NO faith. Jesus was saying, "because you do not even have a single ounce of faith in you! However, if you do have a little faith just like a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for you."

Why is that so? Because miracle happens not because of our faith. Miracle happens because of Jesus's power resident in His word. It is God's word that brings the healing and God's word that moves the mountain. Until we understand this truth, we will lack power.

Our duty is to obey even with the slightest faith that God has planted in us and He WILL do it. Everyone of us has the slightest faith, because at the very least we have the faith that brought us to salvation. So let us not look upon our faith, but upon the Author and Perfecter of our faith - the LORD Jesus Christ