What's Faith Got To Do With It?
(Believing in Miracles of God --Today)

by Michael Aprile

Jesus listened to the appeal of a father in desperation to find someone who would show that they were truly under the authority that he had witnessed in Christ.  He saw the miracles that Jesus had performed and truly had the understanding that miracles could happen (even healing).  This man seemed to understand that there was a demonic spirit life that had control of his son, an epileptic by terms even in those times.

This man came to appeal to the Lord, explaining that he had already been to His disciples and was now "going directly to the manager" as we say today.  This man was appealing to a "higher authority."  The use of the term "authority" here is not far fetched, when speaking of both Jesus and His disciples.  Jesus had given His authority (which He received from the Father) to the disciples to cast out demons.  This hierarchy is analogous to a store.  The owner of a store (God in this case or life situation) gives His authority to the manager of the store (Jesus in this case or life situation).  Continuing the analogy, the manager, whose job it is to disseminate the work, gives his authority to his workers (the disciples in this case or life situation).

When the man in the account of Matthew 17:16 explained to Jesus (the manager) that the disciples (the workers) could not help him, in his desperation, he was simply and appropriately going to the next higher authority to get something done about it.  Now, in Matthew 17:17, Jesus (just like any good manager who was not only looking to satisfy the customer but also to grow his employees) turned to his disciples and rebuked them.  We read that he said, "Faithless and perverse generation!," however, the underlying meaning was, "Why didn't you go ahead and do what I gave you the authority to do in Me?"  The real problem revealed was not whether or not they had the authority to cast out the demons in the man's son.  The truth revealed is the disciples did not have the faith (belief) that the authority that they had strongly witnessed in Jesus had been given over to them.  Mostly, this occurs in Christians today who get caught up in their humanity and fail to believe in the Power of Christ that was conferred upon them at the time of their rebirth.

Neither did the disciples believe that they had received the Power to "do all these things and more" that Jesus did.  In a crude analogy, let's say that a well-known, wealthy tycoon walked up to you and said, "I have authorized any amount you draw on your bank account up to one million dollars.  Just write the checks for what you desire."  Now you were told that the money was really authorized for your account, but you thought to yourself, "What if I write a check for a new $200,000 home today and the money isn't there?"  If you did not go ahead and write the check, what would be the reason?  It would not be that you did not think he was good for it (you knew who he was and that he had the wealth).  No.  The real reason you would not write the check is that you were unsure about the fact that the tycoon had authorized payment of the amount that he told you he would.  It would be much easier, after all, to trust in only the amount you knew you had put in the account yourself. That is to have faith in only yourself.

When it comes to God, this is "perverse" thinking.  He encountered this lack of trust in Israel as far back as the time just after their return from exile (see Deuteronomy 32:5).  As with Israel, the only thing that kept you from buying your new home was your lack of trust (or faith) in the authority of one who tells you that he has given you authority.  God tested this trust in Abraham with Isaac and in many others.  Does not God tell us to trust in His authority and the authority He puts in others?  Whether His authority is in Him, in others over us, or in us, He expects us to trust in it the same.

In Matthew 17:19-20, the disciples took Jesus aside and asked Him why they could not cast the demons out of the man's son.  Jesus told them, in no uncertain terms, it was because they lack faith (trust).  They could have done it, he told them, but they did not have an ounce or even a speck of faith in the matter.  So what is this faith and what does it have to do with it?

The pure fact is that most of God's children (Israel) did not and do not have faith (see Matthew 8:10).  At least not the type of faith that moves mountains and accomplishes His work.  The type of faith Jesus spoke of was and is requisite to achieve God's purpose.  It is required not only for miracles, but also for salvation and entrance into heaven.  Apparently, not even the ones God chose will be allowed into the Kingdom without this type of faith (Matthew 8:11-12).  That is why it is so important that we examine the substance of this faith.

The faith Jesus asks for (from His disciples, and from us) is that act of trust and of self-abandonment by which people no longer rely on their own strength and policies but commit themselves to the power and guiding Word of Him in whom they believe (Matthew 21:25-27,32; Luke 1:20,45).  Jesus asks for this faith especially when He works His miracles.  We see this when Jesus tells the faithful Centurion who told Him that he knew Jesus had the authority to give the command and his servant will be healed, "Let this be done for you, as your faith demands" (Matthew 8:13).  Again, when the friends of a paralytic brought him to Jesus on a stretcher (Matthew 9:2), Jesus saw their faith and forgave the man's sins that lead to his affliction.  And again, when Jesus saw the woman who was hemorrhaging, he said to her, "Your faith has saved you," and she was healed (Matthew 9:22).  Finally, in Matthew 9:28-29, we read where Jesus asked the two blind men, "Do you believe I can do this?" and when they replied that they did, He said, "According to your faith, let it be done to you."  Faith was always a prerequisite both in healing from sickness and healing from death (salvation).

Faith was and is instrumental in healing the spiritual and the physical.  In fact, it is so instrumental that Jesus went to lengths to make sure it was present (Mark 5:39-40).  Other instances we see that He always made it clear that faith was instrumental in healing (Mark 10:52; Luke 17:19).  While it is good to attest to Jesus' kindness and mercy in these rewards, it is important that we recognize that the main purpose of these cures was attestation to His mission and a witness to the Kingdom.  These miracles attested to a Power of the Kingdom over sickness and disease (Matthew 8:1-4,5-13,14-15; 9:1-8,20-22,27-31; 14:14,36; 15:30; 20:29-34; Mark 7:32-37; 8:22-26; Luke 14:1-6; 17:11-19; John 5:1-16; 9:1-41).  Miracles also attested to the Power over death (Matthew 9:23-26; Luke 7:11-17; John 11:1-44) and over devils (Matthew 8:29), but they are directed principally to the rousing and strengthening of faith (Matthew 8:10; John 2:11).  Therefore, we find that Jesus could not (or would not) work miracles unless He found the faith without which miracles lose their true significance (Matthew 12:38-39; 13:58; 16:1-4).

The kind of faith Jesus demands is not an easy faith.  It requires the sacrifice of the whole person: both mind and heart (Matthew 15:21-28).  Many decline to have this faith for that very reason (Matthew 27:42; Luke 18:8).  I think here of the rich young man who could not relinquish the one factor in his life that stood between him and the salvation of his soul (his riches).  His was not a matter of merely riches, but rather the lack of faith that Jesus could sustain him as well as those riches had. There are also those who are simply half-hearted about their faith (Mark 9:24; Luke 8:13).  Even Jesus' disciples were slow to believe, as we see when they had Jesus right with them as the storm arose , in Matthew 8:26 (see also Matthew 14:31; 16:8; 17:20).  They are even reluctant after Jesus is resurrected (Matthew 28:17; Mark 16:11-14; Luke 24:11,25,41).

When faith is strong, it works wonders (Matthew 17:20; 21:21; Mark 16:17).  Its appeal is never refused (Matthew 21:22; Mark 9:23).  And, probably most of all, it is a necessary condition of salvation (Luke 8:12) and it is required before invoking the Name of Jesus (Acts 3:16).  If you do not believe the latter, dear reader, just ask the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-17).

Trust in the authority of the One who gave you authority to do greater things than even He has done.  Stop doubting that miracles still happen today.  Don't buy-in to that lie.  In Christ, and we are in Christ, all things are possible!