Early in our marriage, Connie and I purchased an elegant teak wood table that had an ideal history. Thirty-plus years later, when attempting to refinish it, we discovered it only had a thin teakwood veneer and couldn’t be refinished.
Could it be one’s perception of their faith is only a ‘veneer finish?’ It’s commonly thought Peter had great faith when he walked a short distance on the stormy water to Jesus. Jesus called that faith “little faith”. (Mt. 14:21) Yet, after testing a gentile woman, He said she had “great faith”. (Mt. 15:28) The difference lay in the conviction, or lack thereof, focused on who He was.
At a Passover, John 2:23 reads “many believed in his name,” when they saw the miracles He did. Yet the next verses reads, “But Jesus on his part did not entrust [same Greek word as above] himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” John 2:24-25 (ESV) Peter used the same Greek word in his impromptu sermon that produced 3,000 converts. My point is ‘all faith or belief is not equal.’ Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” 2 Corinthians 13:5a (NIV)
How might Jesus define our faith or belief? Jesus gave this clue as to what He is looking for. “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” Matthew 11:12 (NIV) Could it be this gentile woman epitomized such inner forcefulness or conviction by pursuing Jesus even after He had insulted her?
The faith Jesus calls great a deep resolute conviction that refuses to be distracted. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he had a vision of God, regardless of the circumstances. He “endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible.” Anything less than that would be using, not worshipping Him. The kingdom of God is all about humility, not presumption, or selfishness. When we are humble, we will be grateful for whatever He does because we know He works all things together for the good of those “called according to His purpose”. (Rom. 8:28) Is your faith in what He can do or who He is? If it is the latter, if He is silent, we will know His character will always be stunningly good after all the dust settles.
We must Trust in Who He Is!