Scriptures:  Luke 17:5-6 and Matthew 17:20

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." Luke 17:5-6
Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20

The question that is raised by the Scriptures for today is: "Will my faith be enough?"

Isn't it true that we often feel like that? We question our faith. We wonder if our faith is adequate, if it's enough.

I'm not just talking about religious faith here. When I worked as a hospital chaplain a few years ago I quickly learned that faith is a spiritual property that all humans possess, whether they are religious or not.

Faith is an important human property. We have to have faith in ourselves, in other people, in the future, etc. People that have lost their faith in themselves become depressed and anxious about life. Faith is important. But somehow, we all struggle with our faith.

It is very, very common and normal to have faith, but at the same time doubting our faith. We believe in God, but we are not sure about the particulars of our belief. So we ask: am I wrong in not believing a certain aspect of Christianity?

We believe in ourselves in general, but when it's time to put the pedal to the metal often times doubt creeps in.

Example: you may have attended every class, you may have done all the assignments, you may have studied into the nights, but when the final exam comes around, doubt creeps in on whether you will pull off a good grade.

Oddly, Jesus' disciples must have felt this way as they asked Jesus to help them with their faith...to increase their faith.

What were they struggling with? Did they doubt their own faith? Did they doubt their calling? Did they doubt their abilities to do the things their teacher did?

Jesus could have ripped into them and said: "You what? You have seen me heal, perform miracles, and calm the storm" What else do I have to do to make you believe?"

But Jesus didn't do that. Here is his response: "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." Luke 17:5-6

First, I want to point out how much grace Jesus showed. Jesus knew how the human psyche works with the constant self-doubt and all. So, he wanted to encourage them with his answer. He basically said: You got this! You think you don't have enough faith, but I tell you: you do. It only takes faith the size of a mustard seed. So, go with what you have and you'll find that you can move trees and mountains.

But then I was thinking, "what?" How is that even possible? How can the application of a half-assed faith that is riddled with doubt move mountains? What the heck is Jesus talking about? Was he just using hyperbole and exaggeration to encourage his doubting Thomases?

I wrestled with this question the whole week and the answer only came to me one morning in the twilight between sleep and full consciousness.

Jesus was giving a profound answer. Of course, he wasn't talking about literally moving mountains and trees--who needs to move those anyway. He was talking metaphorically about problems to overcome and new things to discover.

If you think about it, Jesus is right, if you apply the little faith you have and act upon it, it can accomplish amazing things. Reversely, if you don't act on your faith and you let doubt win over, you will accomplish NOTHING, since you're not doing anything.

I thought about some examples, where undoubtedly people must have had doubt mixed in with their faith. But as they allowed their faith to guide them, they accomplished amazing things.

1. Spherical Earth:
Pythagoras in the 6th century BC and Parmenides in the 5th century BC formulated a theory stated that the Earth is spherical, but it was only proven by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan famously circumnavigated the Earth from 1519 to 1522

2. Heliocentrism: Copernicus, Galileo
One of the greatest insights ever, conceived by some ancient Greeks but established only two millennia later: the Earth revolves around the sun (as do other planets).

3. Emperor Constantine:
The historian bishop Eusebius of Caesaria states that Constantine was marching with his army when he looked up to the sun and saw a cross of light above it, and with it the Greek words "(ἐν) τούτῳ νίκα" ("In this, conquer"). At first, Constantine did not know the meaning of the apparition, but on the following night, he had a dream in which Christ explained to him that he should use the sign of the cross against his enemies at the battle of the Milvian Bridge. He interpreted this sign as a promise of victory and had his soldiers paint it on their shields. He was indeed victorious in this battle and it marked the beginning of Constantine's and Rome's conversion to Christianity.

Those of you who don't know what a mustard seed looks like, it is one of the tiniest seeds you'll ever see. In fact, you can hardly see it with your naked eye. And yet, it grows into a big tree; actually, it's technically a shrub, but it grows as large as a tree.

That's all the faith you need, Jesus says. Apply it even as doubts rage within you. And as you do, amazing things can happen.

On this day, we have a chance to sow our mustard seed faith into God's world. Today, Jesus calls us to renew our faith in the grace of God, the goodness of life, the hope for a world of peace and justice. Amen.