While Jesus was talking with the disciples, they seem to have been near a sycamine tree, a fruit tree which grows in warm lands, and sometimes is a large tree.
The disciples had seen many acts showing the power of God but seem to have felt they had little faith to trust what He could do for them. They said to Jesus, “Lord, increase our faith.” His answer to their request was, “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”
For a tree to come up from the roots and plant itself in the sea, by their speaking to it, was impossible for them to do of themselves; they could not move even a small bush by speaking to it.
Believing God’s Power
Jesus was teaching them by this that they did not need great faith. God would do for them if they had only a little faith. A mustard seed is a very tiny seed, and however little faith they had, God would do for them what was impossible for them to do by themselves. It was not their faith that would do great things, but God.
They would not ask for great and impossible things to see miracles, but whatever their need, and however impossible for them to do anything, they could trust God’s wisdom, and they were to ask for what would be for His praise, not simply to please themselves.
It is not told that the disciples ever asked God for a tree to be moved, but many things are written of what He did for them, as impossible for them to have done themselves as to move a tree into the sea.
Not very long after this, when the Lord Jesus had returned to heaven, one of the disciples, Peter, told a man who had never walked in all his life to rise up and walk, and the man rose and walked. It was not because of Peter’s power, but because he believed in God’s power.
There was another man who had been paralyzed and could not move from his bed for eight years; Peter told him to rise and he rose up.
One day Peter was called to come to a house where a woman had died and was ready for burial. Peter said to her, “Arise” and took her hand, and she arose and stood among her friends again.
Once God sent an angel to open the prison doors and let Peter and other disciples go free. Another time Peter had been put in the inner room of a prison, his hands chained to two soldiers, so he could do nothing for himself. But the others in the city who believed God prayed for Peter, and God sent an angel to that inner prison cell, who told Peter to rise; the chains fell off his hands, and he followed the angel out of the prison, being free again to tell people of the Lord.
Many, many things have been done since for those who trusted God, more than we could tell, or know now. His people may never have much faith, yet He does impossible things for them, not always seen or known by others.
See Acts 3:1-101Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 2And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; 3Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 4And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9And all the people saw him walking and praising God: 10And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. (Acts 3:1‑10); Acts 4:22; 5:19; 9:34, 40; 12:722For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was showed. (Acts 4:22)
19But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, (Acts 5:19)
34And Peter said unto him, Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. (Acts 9:34)
40But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. (Acts 9:40)
7And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. (Acts 12:7).
Further Meditation
1. What were the disciples to ask for in prayer?
2. How do we react in our lives when we measure a problem by our perceived ability to meet it rather than God’s power? How did David respond to the challenges he faced with Goliath, Saul, and Absalom?
3. If you haven’t already read Faith by H. P. Barker, then you are likely to find it a wonderful, simple introduction to the essential subject of faith.