{"id":2530,"date":"2017-08-06T02:06:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-06T02:06:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/?p=2530"},"modified":"2017-08-06T02:06:18","modified_gmt":"2017-08-06T02:06:18","slug":"living-with-little-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/living-with-little-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"Living with Little Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\"lilies<\/a><\/p>\n

In chapter 6 the structure of the Sermon on the Mount becomes elusive. Matthew is drawing sayings from Q which are only loosely linked together. Nevertheless, there is a theme which connects most of them: trust in God above all else.<\/p>\n

Matthew recognizes the strain that disciples will feel in making the right choices in life. He insists that there must be a priority and that God must be first. He asserts that heavenly treasure is superior to earthly treasure (verses 19-21). He warns that a person can only serve one master (verse 24). He advises that those who would be free from worry must put the kingdom of God first (verse 33).<\/p>\n

The tone in these verses is not harsh but encouraging. Examples are used to lead the reader to recognize the wisdom of trusting in God. Matthew argues from the lesser to the greater: if God cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, how much more will God care for you (verse 30)? Here Matthew uses one of his favorite phrases, \u201cyou of little faith.\u201d Occurring five times in the gospel, this gentle rebuke is directed to disciples whose faith is real but faltering. It is Matthew\u2019s way of saying, \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid. Don\u2019t pull back. Don\u2019t believe less\u2014believe more! Doing so will provide you with a richer life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matthew frequently describes Jesus\u2019 disciples as those of \u201clittle faith.\u201d Their faith is little when Jesus teaches them about the lilies of the field (6:30) and the mustard seed (17:20), when they cannot understand the miracle of the loaves and fishes (16:8), and when Jesus calms the sea (8:26). The gospel does not suggests that this incomplete faith will be overcome. In Matthew disciples never arrive at \u201cgreat faith\u201d or \u201cperfect faith.\u201d Doubts and imperfections continue to characterize the life of every believer.<\/p>\n

Peter displays little faith dramatically. In Matthew 16:13-20 Jesus will describe Peter\u2019s faith as a solid rock foundation which will serve the community. In Greek, Peter\u2019s name is the same word as \u201crock.\u201d Matthew\u2019s readers would hear the connection: \u201cYou are Peter [Petros<\/i>], and on this rock [petra<\/i>] I will build my church\u201d (16:18). But such solid faith does not fully describe Peter. In 16:21-27 Jesus will rebuke Peter for not accepting the message of the cross saying, \u201cyou are a stumbling block to me\u201d (16:23). This image reflects a passage of Isaiah which describes a rock or stone over which the inhabitants of Jerusalem will stumble and fall (Isa 8:14-15). The \u201crock\u201d Peter is both a firm foundation and a stumbling stone. in 14:22-33 when Peter tries to walk on the water, doubts, and then begins to sink. As Jesus pulls him up out of the waves, he says, \u201cYou of little faith, why did you doubt?\u201d (14:31).\u00a0 Describing Peter\u2019s situation as one of \u201clittle faith\u201d is certainly a rebuke, but it is a gentle one. It describes a situation in which real faith is present, but doubt is as well\u2014a mixed condition in which belief and weakness coincide.\u00a0Like the rest of the disciples who are \u201cof little faith,\u201d Peter is both a real believer and also one prone to weakness and doubt.<\/p>\n

Matthew is suggesting that our faith is much like Peter\u2019s. We really believe, but we never believe completely. Although our flaws like Peter\u2019s can cause others to stumble and fall, our faith, if it is real, can provide a foundation upon which the belief of others can stand. Our faith is seldom great and never perfect, but God still calls us to change the world. In that mission, our little faith will have to do.<\/p>\n

Faith, for Matthew, is very practical. In these verses he argues that trusting in God is both wise and productive. It will provide a life free from worry and fear. Trusting in God does not simply lead us to the kingdom. It increases our joy and confidence as we proceed towards it.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the Gospel of Matthew<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matthew’s famous teaching on the lilies of the field contains the first occurrence of a phrase he uses to describe the Christian Life. It is a life of “little faith.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5879,"featured_media":2535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-study","infinite-scroll-item","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","resize-featured-image"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/files\/2014\/02\/lilies-of-the-field.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5879"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}