Is Your Faith Little or Great? Matt 8:5-10 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
In an attempt to answer the question, “Do you have little or great faith” we need to check out the references in the Bible to people who had either one.
People With Little Faith Are:
Concerned with Mammon
Matt 6:24-34 (v.30). When your faith is little your thoughts are consumed with food, drink and raiment rather than with God. You seek the little necessities of life rather than the Kingdom of God. Your eyes are on your needs and not on the supplier of those needs. Look at this illustration in Matt 16:5-12 (v.8). The disciples misunderstood Jesus because their minds were consumed with bread. Little faith is concerned with mammon. In Jn 6, after the miracle of feeding the 5,000, the folks came back for the food not the Savior.
Marked By Unbelief and Fear
Matt 8:23-27 (26). The disciples didn’t believe Jesus’ words (v.18) and they were fearful. Fear has gripped our society today.
Diminished by Sight, Fear, and Doubt
Matt 14:26-33 (31). Peter had little faith because he was walking by “sight”. He was afraid; and he doubted. And, of course, he feared what he saw rather than believing what Jesus had said. He doubted Jesus’ words to “be not afraid” and to “come.”
Little faith is marked by unbelief, fear, doubt, thinking about mammon, and walking by sight. These are the preeminent concerns of men today. The “hunker downers” and those who are looking at the signs of the times rather than at the Savior of the day don’t believe the words of God!!
People With Great Faith Are:
Marked by Belief in God and the Authority of his words
Marked by faith in the Lord and the authority of his words – Matt 8:5-10 (v.10) [Lk 7:1-10]. The centurion’s faith was great because he knew that Jesus was under authority; he had to be God’s man. He believed what Jesus said [v.7-8; Rom 10:17]. In Matt 15:21-28, the Canaanite woman’s faith was great because she believed in who Jesus is. She called him “Lord, Son of David”. Contrast what she said with Matt 22:41-45. Unlike the Pharisees, she believed what Jesus said, “be it unto thee even as thou wilt”. Moreover, she knew that Jesus was the only one in the world who could deal with that devil in her daughter. Jesus is greater than the devil and his word made that devil leave.
Great faith is in the Lord and in his word. The centurion and the Canaanite woman never took their eyes off of Jesus to consider the other “stuff” around them.