The Place of Faith

I’ve been noticing the place that faith has in the miracles and healings of Jesus. Faith played a big part in whether or not people were healed or experienced miracles in their lives. One example of a lack of faith was when Jesus returned to his hometown in Mark 6:1-6, it says,


“And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief.” Mark 6:5

Then also there is the lack of faith of the disciples themselves. When Jesus and Peter, John and James were on the mount of transfiguration, the disciples had a man bring his son to them. The disciples attempted to cast out the demon, but were unable to. It says in Mark 9:17-18

“And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him to the ground and he foams at the mount and grinds his teeth, and stiffens out, And I told your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” Mark 9:17-18

Jesus response to this is to call them the “unbelieving generation”. He wonders aloud how long he is to put up with them. It sounds like he is getting tired of the immaturity and the doubt.

I can really relate to the disciples because many times my faith is small. I struggle to understand why God answers some prayers and allows others to linger for months or years. I wonder at the evil in the world and why he allows people to do such horrible things. I wonder at the haphazard and chaotic world we live in and the randomness of tragedy. Before I am too hard on the disciples for not being able to cast out this boy’s demons, I need to admit that the results probably would have been near the same if I had been there. They often have been in different circumstances.

To those of us who are more pessimistic that optimistic, Jesus gives us these words in Mark 11:23-24

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them; and they shall be granted you.”

I think one of the keys of this is to meditate upon and focus not on the mountain, but on the size of God and his omnipotence. For many of us, we see the size of the mountain and realize how big it is and begin to feel overwhelmed. We think about all the times we have failed in the past and get our eyes off of God and on to ourselves. We know that we are weak and often fail. The old tape begins to play that says, “You won’t change. You can’t change. Everything will stay the same.” And we make the mistake of believing it. Instead of replacing that tape, getting our eyes off of ourselves and on to how great and awesome God is. If our eyes are there, then our faith will grow. If our eyes are on the mountain, we will get discouraged and bow again to hopelessness.

Some examples of faith in miracles and healings

The leper believed Jesus could heal him Mark 1:40-41

The woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years Mark 5:25-34

The woman whose daughter was near death Mark 7:28-29

The father who brought his son to Jesus Mark 9:24-25

Bartimaeus receives his sight Mark 10:51-52

The Centurion’s servant John 7:6-10

Prayers that God Answers

      We have all had times when it seems that heaven is closed and God is not listening to us. Many of the great saints of the past have testified to going through times like that. So, how do you know that your prayers are heard? How to know that your prayers are pleasing in God’s sight? A friend told me a long time ago that even when God is silent that doesn’t mean he isn’t working and that is true. There are a couple of qualities of prayers that touch the heart of God and move mountains.


      James 1:5-8 tells us that if a person wants wisdom to ask of God, but to ask in a manner that is without doubting. James says the one who doubts is like the one who is double-minded and unstable. That person should expect nothing from God because this is the opposite of faith. You and I are to prayer with the expectation that God will answer. He may not answer the way you want, but you pray by faith trusting God that he knows best how to answer you. See Mark 11:24-26

     Sometimes I have been guilty of praying about something and then God answers it soon after and I have forgotten that this was something I prayed about. I don’t go back to him and immediately thank him for it. Or I may not recognize immediately that it is an answered prayer. I heard about a lady who went to a prayer meeting where they were going to pray for rain. It was farm country and the farmers were all worried about the drought. An elderly lady showed up and told them that none of them were serious about praying for rain. She pointed out, “I see none of you really expect anything. Not one of you brought an umbrella.” Some Christians look at prayer as something to be as a last resort. When all else fails. Like breaking the fire extinguisher glass in case of an emergency. God is not 911. He is available at any time.

     We are to pray that first and foremost God’s will is done. A believer puts the will of the Lord ahead of Himself (Matthew 6:33). Sometimes we think we know what we want. But, if we knew all the variables and possibilities as God does we might not be so sure. You should always be willing to say, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus prayed that same prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night he was betrayed Matthew 26:39, 42. It is arrogant to think that we could possibly know more about the situation than God.

     The little book of James also says that some who James was written to were not receiving an answer. James said, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Sometimes a delay in an answer is a good opportunity for us to check our motives at the door. Why do you want this particular prayer answered? Is God going to be glorified if it is answered? Will it help you achieve your goals and the purposes he has for you? Or is it just for your own selfish ambitions? Sometimes we really just need to be honest with God about why we want what we want. He already knows our hearts anyway.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple John 2:13-25

     I can remember a pastor who preached on this text years ago when I was a college student at a Campus Crusade for Christ conference.  I believe that was the same conference where I decided to sign up for summer missions, which eventually led me to go to the state of Nevada for a summer on mission trip. 

     John identifies John 2:13 as happening around Passover.  John is the only disciple who puts this story at the beginning of Jesus' ministry.  It is possible that this happened twice.  The Passover would have occurred around March-April around the full moon.  The temple and Jerusalem would have been extremely crowded with people.  It is possible that the moneychangers and animal pens were temporary for this ceremony.  The problem with it was that the outer court was the only place for non-Jews to pray and worship.  Mark's version of this story says that Jesus called the money changers a robbers den, which may refer to the rates of exchange that the merchants were charging for the exchanges.

     Jesus took his time gathering up the rope that would be needed to drive out the animals.  It must have been extremely crowded and this would have been a difficult task met with immediate resistance and hostility.  But, Jesus drove them out of the temple because he was concerned for his Father's house.  The concerns of the Father were more important to him than anything else.  His Father's house was to be a house of prayer and not of anything else.  This action is looked at as fulfilling Malachi 3:1 and Zechariah 14:21.

     Herod had started the reconstruction of the temple around 19 B.C. and even here while Jesus was in the temple there was still some building going on.  The whole complex was not completed until 63 A.D. and then it was destroyed 7 years later.  Jesus was asked for a sign and he pointed to his death and resurrection.  This is still the main proof that Jesus who he said he was, the empty tomb.  The disciples did not understand this statement at first, but then they did after his resurrection verse 22. (John 10:18)

     This passage is about priorities.  John earlier said that it is through Jesus that the world was made and for whom it was made and holds together.  We were made for a purpose.  Other things, even good things, can come in and crowd out what is best.  Jesus had a zeal for his Father and his purposes.  We need to keep in mind that we are not just made for our own goals and purposes, but for his.  How is what your doing pleasing the Father?  How are you using your gifts and talents to please Him?

   It says the people believe in Him because they saw his signs verse 23.  Yet, this was not a saving belief.  This is the same belief that after he fed them with bread and fish that they wanted to follow him in John 6:26.  They wanted to make him king, yet their understanding of the kingdom he wanted was skewed.  They got their stomach full and therefore wanted more.  Jesus clearly knew the thoughts of man in John 6:26 & Matthew 9:4.  Jesus doesn't judge us the way others do.  He sees the motives and thoughts of the inner man.  What he saw on this occassion was not to be trusted in.  Yet, even though he sees all the dark places of the heart he was still willing to come and die on a cross out of love for you and me.