Whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

Whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

> Matthew 9:5 Mark 2:9 Luke 5:23 (Combined) For whether is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? To convince the scribe in this story that his theory on identifying Messiah may be flawed, Jesus offered a question, “Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?” The answer to this question is difficult for we know He is not speaking of merely saying either of the choices given, but is asking, which is easier to do. For with Jesus, to say or to do was the same thing. (It should be that way for us as well.) In this case however, the question was, “If I am who I claim to be, I can forgive sin. If I am who I say I am, I can heal diseases as well.” To which the scribe, as a scholar of the Old Testament, must attest. It was clear in the Scriptures that Messiah would be able to do these things. Then Jesus says, “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy) I say unto thee, Arise, take up thy couch bed, and go unto thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and went forth before them all and departed to his own house glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, “We never saw it on this fashion. We have seen strange things to day.” (Matthew 9:6-7 - Mark 2:10-12 - Luke 5:24-26 Combined) Now what will the poor scribe do? The man has just seen Messiah’s prophecies come to pass before his own eyes and he is left with no other alternative but to believe. The record here says they glorified God and were filled with fear. This was a reaction any of us would have had. Messiah came with a long and detailed list of prophecies that he would fulfill. These prophecies were misunderstood and misapplied and caused nearly a whole nation to miss the Messiah. Jesus was not averse to proclaiming his familiarity with these prophecies and attaching His life and works as fulfillment. Read this story recorded in Luke 4:16-22, “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, ‘Is not this Joseph's son?’”[1] As He traveled, He never missed genuine opportunity to use this anointing. Through this He was seen by those of open heart as the Messiah and to those of closed mind as a blasphemer, lawbreaker, a man gluttonous and drunken. The honest folk received him gladly under this premise: “…When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?” (John 7:31) The miracles showed them (and us) that His power exceeded the norm, but what is that to us today? Today Jesus, the Messiah, is still the ONLY healer and He is the only one who forgives sin. When Jesus asked the question, “Whether is easier, to say arise and walk or thy sins be forgiven thee?” we can see His objective was to demonstrate His authority to do either or both at will. True Grace There is more to glean from this question of Jesus. What we must draw from this story is that the one who has power to heal, has power to save. What we can draw from His question is that one will be as easy to accomplish as the other. Jesus is uniquely qualified to effect conversion of the soul, proven by His ability to heal. It is He alone who has this power and the sovereign will to use it on our behalf. We are to learn that we are desperately helpless in both of these situations. We can save our soul from destruction as easily as we can make a lame man walk again. Both of these are so far from our level of ability it is ludicrous to attempt either one. Today, it is commonly taught to play games of forgiveness in our mind. It is not uncommon to hear that we can make ourselves better through “inner healing” or by “forgiving” ourselves, unfortunately, neither is possible. Our guilty conscience before God does indeed wreak havoc with our health and well-being, but forgiveness and healing are gifts from God given to those who seek forgiveness from Him. It is, after all, His Law that is broken. It would be foolish to tell people to “forgive themselves” when they transgress against their fellow man, but it is borderline blasphemy to instruct them to do so when they sin against their Creator. Forgiveness is appropriate only from the one who was offended, what good can come from someone trying to alleviate the condemnation of God by “forgiving himself?” If you are under the condemnation of the Judge of all the earth, you need to seek the forgiveness in His court alone. To attempt to speak to your own paralyzed legs to cause them to leap and lift you from the floor will likely prove to be a disappointment. (Unless, of course, you are told to do so by Christ.) It is with that futility in mind that you should approach the idea of effecting your own salvation or forgiveness. It should seem as impossible to you, to forgive your own sin as to infuse strength into an inert limb. Forgiveness is a gift of God in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. Christ, sought and found, will answer all the questions of sin, forgiveness and guilt. To attempt to remove guilt by the pretense of “forgiving” yourself will never have lasting results, to say nothing of eternal value. When you attempt to “better” yourself, “forgive” yourself, or in any way attempt to bring about your own salvation, it would behoove you to ponder this question of Jesus, if only for a few minutes, “Whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?” [1] The gracious words were not great oratory; they were words of meaning. It was as if Shakespeare were reading Hamlet’s soliloquy to you, or as if you were transported in time to hear Lincoln himself give the Gettysburg address – not to hear the best reader, or the best actor, or orator, but to hear the author himself. Jesus was reading a prophecy that the entire synagogue knew could only be speaking of Messiah. Then with more audacity of any prophet or priest ever known, He said, “Isaiah’s prophecy of Messiah is fulfilled…today… in your ears!” Is it not amazing that in our day we have theologians going to and fro telling us that Jesus never claimed divinity?

Why Do You Think Evil In Your Hearts?

WHY DO YOU THINK EVIL IN YOUR HEARTS? Matthew 9:4, “And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?” Jesus approached a man suffering from palsy and said “...Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” Then He asked some of the scribes who were watching Him, “Why did they think evil thoughts?” Here is a curiosity. God is about to do a wonderful thing and the religious leaders are on the outside looking in. They feel that they are outsiders and respond by finding fault. They comment, “This man blasphemes.” This comment was what caused Jesus to turn to them and ask the question, “Why do you think evil thoughts in your heart?” It would be good practice to answer Jesus when He asks a question (especially when we find ourselves exemplifying the traits of the one being questioned.) If we find ourselves thinking evil thoughts, it would do us good to answer the query, “Why?” We should feel shame for the similarities in the thoughts we have about our brethren in Christ and the judgment poured upon Christ by the Pharisees and scribes. Even the worst examples of Christianity, in theology, in doctrine, or in practice, do not deserve our criticism. We must ask, “Why do I think evil thoughts?” What are these “evil thoughts?” Evil thoughts are clearly identified in Scripture. From Luke 6:45 and Matthew 12: 35, “…an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of a man’s heart his mouth speaketh.” From Matthew 15:18-19 and Mark 7:20-23 “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, false witness, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” We also know that, though this is an impressive list, this is not an exhaustive one. Although the heart of a “faith pretender” likely won’t lead him to practice all of the worst ones mentioned here, their thoughts can be as dangerous. After we read this list, we must then ask, “Why do evil thoughts arise in our hearts – thoughts of pride, foolishness, suspicion and even blasphemy? Perhaps it would be easier to consider this objectively by looking at the example given in the story above. Why did the scribe engage suspicion and accuse Christ of blasphemy? Simply because the scribe did not believe that the man he saw in front of him was the Messiah. Why did he not believe it? It was because Jesus did not fit the mold that the scribe (and tradition) made for Him. Human nature is to avoid responsibility. Also, this nature avoids servitude. The knowledge of Christ and the subsequent acceptance of Him as Messiah will require both. He thinks, “If I only search for the Christ, I am counted among the faithful and not compelled to obey Christ.” This convoluted thinking is practiced by many. Not only the scribe, but also modern seekers who look into Christianity and discover that finding Jesus as Messiah means to take Him as Lord. Not wanting to do the latter, they stay in “search mode” and determine never to find anything for sure. Because they are searching they assume an air of sincerity. However, the day we find Christ, the search is over. At that time we must either give up or give over to Christ, or we must reject Him. Those who do not wish to reject Him (because they indeed know He is Lord and Christ), nor wish to serve Him (because they want their own way and yet do not want to appear as infidels) can purposefully remain in that state of uncertainty, remaining skeptical, objective, undecided. We enjoy these words being attributed to us, as they tend to lend to the bearer an air of intelligence, sobriety and cerebral superiority. It makes us seem as if we use analysis instead of some silly faith and so we will appear not to “jump to conclusions.” The scribes were not much different. However, these men who saw Christ Jesus were not intelligent; they were blinded by closed eyes. They were not being analytical so they could believe; they were being critical so they would not have to. We who have Christ revealed to us and hold out for “proof” or who choose to remain “open minded” are literally playing with fire. Those who turn their heads, close their eyes, or stop their ears, are only making provision for more self-indulgence and more self-rule. They only avoid the “giving up.” The “surrender” is the threshold over which they cannot seem to step. All lives, before surrender, are lives of evil thought, evil surmising, doubt, fear, and skepticism. All the while, they ride the fence, socializing with God’s people; they pretend to be intelligent and open-minded Christians. They pick apart and criticize; they try to hold others back to avoid “fanaticism.” They fancy themselves as those who keep organization and order. Christ is asking, “Why do you doubt everything you read in the Scriptures? Why do you criticize the deeper brethren who don’t see things the way you do? Why is it you call dedication “going overboard,” call sober Christians “stuffy,” and sanctified persons, “fanatics”? “Why do evil thoughts arise in your heart?” How Would You Answer? Our answer will not be much different than the scribe’s would have been. The scribe was looking at total humiliation at the first sign of accepting this Galilean carpenter’s boy as Messiah. All that this scribe ever said would have to be retracted. All he ever believed would have to be changed. He would likely be put out of the synagogue, and rejected by his own family. All of his future aspirations would be put into jeopardy. So he decided to find fault and back it up with Scripture. After Jesus said to this man, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” The scribe says, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” He was reasoning to himself, “He can’t be Messiah if He is a blasphemer!” He holds Jesus up to perfection to see if He measures up. Jesus fails his test. Jesus always fails tests designed by man. He always will. You will never prove that He is God. He will have to prove it to you. You must learn the origin of “evil thoughts” and why they appear. You must learn that good and proper theological arguments are sometimes used to justify a lifestyle or to get your own way. Debate and skepticism accomplish nothing if surrender does not follow when truth is discovered. Some enjoy the search, but searching is useless if the seeker refuses to find. God lovingly guides us to the Savior by people and events entering and exiting our life all the time. Information, evidences, internal witnesses, all appear to bring us along the way that leads to eternal life. Care should be exercised to weigh everything, examine everything, and look for our Guide’s signature in it. If you reject what He sends there is no assurance that He will send it again. Examine rather, why you are rejecting what you really feel compelled to believe. Ask yourself, why do you think evil in your hearts?

How Is It That Ye Have No Faith?

HOW IS IT THAT YE HAVE NO FAITH? > Mark 4:38-40, “And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” Have you ever wondered what the Lord wanted the disciples to do? I have. Did He want them to speak to the storm like He did? Did He expect them to stand on the bow of that boat and say, “Peace, be still? The Lord Jesus Christ is on this vessel and has commissioned us to go to the other side!” Is that what Jesus expected them to do? I think He did. Faith – true faith – requires a word from God directly to us. It is imperative that we hear from God, personally, the word, the commission, or the orders to go or to do or to speak. Not just some vague Scripture reference to an action or unction of centuries past, but a fresh word from God. This personal word was present in the command, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” When the snag in life comes, (in this case a storm) the authority and commission of those who are called should come to the fore. Remember Jesus’ words to his disciples, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:18-19) The problem was that these men were fishers. They were well acquainted with the destructive power of the sea. They had known of lives being claimed out there on that water. They would have to change their minds and habits about very familiar things – a task very difficult indeed. The ingredient missing here was faith. “How is it that ye have no faith?” The Lord wants and even commands us to have faith saying in Mark 11:22b, “Have faith in God.” This is rendered in Greek, “Have the faith of God.” Unswerving, confident, and assured faith that what God promised He is able to perform. This is why Jesus could, without flinching, place the two adjectives, faithless and perverse in the description of His disciples. In Matthew 17:17 the Lord chided the disciples for not having faith enough to cast out the demon in a boy who was brought to them, “Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?” How Important Is Faith? > We should place as much importance on faith as the Lord did. Our concern for ourselves and doubting God can put us in the category of perverse. Look who is included in the list of the damned in Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” What a list on which to have an attribute of your personality included! When Jesus tells His disciples the reason they could not cast the devil out He used the phrase, “because of your unbelief.” He did not say they didn’t have enough faith or that their faith was not large enough, He said that it was not there. “How is it that ye have NO faith?” The disciples must have wondered in themselves, “Do we need a greater faith?” But Jesus told them, “I say to you that if your faith were the size of the smallest seed it would have been enough. The problem was that faith wasn’t there at all. Jesus’ words and actions said clearly, “You doubted my word. I gave you power and authority over unclean spirits and you doubted it.” This tenacious demon played the same role as the contrary wind and sea was to the prior mission. They had opportunity to learn this earlier. Had they learned the lesson from the Sea of Galilee they would have spoken to this demon and cast it out. Alas, they had no faith in this situation either. They did not speak to the wind in faith and they likely did not speak to this demon either. They had the command, the word, they knew what action to take, but they did not have the faith.[1] Do we disappoint God when we doubt and fear? I believe, for the most part, we do. Especially when it comes to everyday provisions. We hear Jesus say, “…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things”[2] we can hear a sadness in His voice that we do not comprehend this in reality. However, many times, in order to keep from disappointing God, we err in the other direction – presumption. We presume God’s favor or blessing when, though we have no word from God, we capriciously take from the Bible someone else’s' promise or prior record of God’s provision and arbitrarily claim it for ourselves. Claiming that we are practicing faith, we mock the God we allege to glorify for our provision. How is it that we have no faith? I submit it is because we have not heard from God. We have not sought commission by Him to live, work, or play, nor have we heard His voice in any matters of our life. How can we have faith, or live by faith if we have never heard the Word of God in any area of our lives? We are not living by faith... we are living by hope. Hope is good, but it is not faith. We hope God is in control. We hope He will bless us in next week’s business. We hope He will expand our borders and make our way prosperous, but we have no real word from God upon which we may lay claim and no promise upon which we may rest our full assurance of faith. We know what to do, but we have not been told to do it. We know the job to be done, but we have not been commanded. When we are working under our own power and the storm looms overhead and we hear the thunder roll and the see the seas swell, our faith is exposed as only hope because we have no commission to call upon. Faith Comes By Hearing All we need to hear from our God is to go and do this or that and we would be strong in our faith. We would know our commission. No one in a right frame of mind wonders whether God is ABLE. We wonder if He is willing. We wonder if He is willing because we do not know His will! We must hear a word from God. We must hear the Word of God. Here is one of the most misunderstood principles in Christendom today. It is misunderstood mainly because the most misunderstood Scripture is so often used to teach in this situation. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 If you mistakenly define “the Word of God” as “the Scriptures,” you have rendered the power of this truth impotent. You will not receive faith from reading, nor will faith come by study, faith comes by HEARING. It is when you receive your commission to “go to the other side of the lake” that you have the faith to say, “Peace, be still.” But you have to HEAR it. We cannot presume it, we may not read the promise made to someone else two centuries ago, but you must hear for yourself. Many of us are living our lives having never consulted God about the direction that they are to go. You may assume He wants you to do this or that, you may presume He will bless your efforts if you do the best you can, but if you want to claim to live by faith, you must hear from Him about your direction and purpose in life. If you want to have faith you must hear that voice that authorizes you to overcome any obstacle. If you want to have faith – true faith – you must HEAR the Word of God. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We cannot group the whole Church into this category of faithlessness nor blame them for not exercising faith. There are some who have heard the Word of God, who know the direction and purpose for their lives. They have been commissioned and told where to go and how to get there. Like the disciples were told to go to the other side, some have received their orders. It is to those who know their instructions that Jesus addresses His question. “I gave you orders, I empowered you to overcome all obstacles, how is that ye have no faith?” [1] Excerpt from the audio book “On Faith” by this author. [2] Matthew 6:32

What Things

143.   WHAT THINGS? Luke 24:19, “And he said unto them, What things?” Owners of stores and markets wonder sometimes how their business presents itself to the public. Even after much training and orientation, an unmotivated employee can make an entire multinational company with years of experience look like a band of novices to the public. Fearing this, they send “shoppers” hired by the company to their stores. They are there for the express purpose of reporting how they are doing and how the company appears to the public. In the story from which our question comes, we see Jesus doing this. We see Him walking along, “shopping” His disciples as if He were a stranger. He held back their recognition of Him facilitating candid responses to His questions. He asks such a question that the disciples are flabbergasted at the ignorance of this stranger. “Where are you from that you have not heard of the man from Galilee that has turned this whole country upside-down?” “And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” Word of what was done in Jerusalem, the life of Jesus and His subsequent execution, must have rung throughout the countryside. The story must have been on everyone’s lips and in everyone’s thoughts over the past three days. You can imagine the conversation at the town well and in the market. “Did you hear about the teacher Joshua?” (Jesus’ name in Hebrew/Aramaic) “He was crucified by the Romans for treason.” Or “…He was crucified for blasphemy!” Everyone probably had his or her own version of the story. The Pharisees would gladly be giving reasons for His death and spreading stories about how it all came to be. Then there would be pure rumor, having no basis in fact at all, that would spread among the itching ears of Jerusalem. It was a situation ripe for gossip, rumor, and innuendo. But, what was the truth? When, why and how did it all happen? Even as His discouraged Disciples walked, the Pharisees were plotting a rumor campaign to purport the theft of His body in the night to offset the fact that it was now missing, even under armed guard! How would Jesus check the knowledge and readiness of the disciples with whom He would soon entrust the everlasting Gospel message? When they asked, “… hast thou not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” And he said unto them, “What things?” “Tell me what things you are talking about.” “And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.  In searching out their knowledge, Christ found their facts to be accurate, but they themselves, discouraged. They had their facts straight, but they were unsure how those facts were to be interpreted. They exposed their doubts when they confessed, “…we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel!” Their voices trailed into mumbles that could be read clearly as, “…but alas, it was not to be.” Christ saw that they were feeling defeated in their hearts for they thought Christ, the “great and mighty Prophet,” was dead. It was as if they were apologizing for the fact that He was unaccounted among them. “…And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.” These words showed that they had discussed the prophetic sign of Jonah that Jesus had spoken of in earlier days. He had promised that in three days He would rise from the dead. Then, as if to lend some credibility to Christ, they added, “Yes well, women of our company, which were early at the sepulchre, told us an amazing story when they did not find his body, they came saying that he was alive.” But then he adds sadly and reluctantly, “…but we went there and were not able to confirm their story.” Jesus was unable to take any more of their sadness and lack of faith and said, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things …to enter into his glory? And [then,] beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” At this point He was still unknown to them. They assumed this stranger was a student of the Scriptures and happened to know much about Messiah. They gained encouragement from Him and invited Him to stay with them. He did so. That evening He opened their eyes to who He was and then departed from their sight. The disciples did not pass their test but they did not fail either. They knew the how and the when but, the why was wrapped in emotion and self-concern and therefore difficult to be fully known. Jesus helped in two ways; He turned them back to the Scriptures. The Scriptures are an invaluable source for the wavering, doubting, or discouraged Christian. They offer stable words from God; promises and immutable prophecies that can place disjointed events and facts into an eternal perspective and paint a mural of understanding in the heart of the believer. Sometimes this understanding is not even one that can be related in word, but an underlying knowing that gives comfort in times of doubt. The other way Christ helped them with their discouragement was by His physical presence. When they asked Him to stay He “…made as though He would have gone further… but they constrained him.” Jesus then changed His plans and stayed with them. Sometimes our presence can be a great encouragement to those who feel left alone. Sometimes with encouragement, the Lord will stay with us a little longer in our time of doubt and fear, or in the time of embarrassment over our performance on our pop quiz. So, How Would You Do?  If our Savior wanted to check you out as a possessor of the Gospel message, how much of it could you relate accurately? Do you know who Christ was? Why Christ was? Do you know what things transpired in Jerusalem that day and how they affect you and what effect they have on others? If Jesus gave you a little pop quiz to see how prepared you are to relate the good news to the world, how would you fare? What “things” do you know about God’s plan of Redemption? Do you know who was responsible for the death of Christ and why? Do you know why He was raised the third day? Do you know how all of this fits into Scripture and fulfills thousands of years of prophecy? Are you sure that your Savior has risen indeed and is now seated at the right hand of the Father on High? Does He live in your understanding and in your heart? Is your way dedicated to Him? Does your heart burn within you as He opens the Scriptures to you? If Jesus appeared as a stranger and asked of the hope that is in you, could you tell Him of the events that changed your life? Could you give a clear and understandable story of the things in your life that led you to such hope... if He looked at you and asked, “What things?” ~ Matthew 12:39-40, “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Mentioned in this episode: TRI Radio App

Where is Your Faith?

WHERE IS YOUR FAITH? > Luke 8:24-25, “And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.” > A story is told about a circus performer who walks among the crowd after successfully walking across the high wire suspended above a gorge, and asked, “Do you believe I can go across pushing a wheel barrow?” The crowd chanted, “Yes! Yes!” Then stone silence fell as he prepared the wheelbarrow for the narrow journey and not a word in answer came when he asked, “Now, who would like to ride?” Corresponding action is the ONLY indicator of unfeigned faith. The Bible records a question that is often quoted, but seldom answered. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? It is most uncomfortable to answer the question because it shows us to be faithless in many cases. We must admit, however, that faith without actions that corresponds to the faith is not faith at all. And, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:14-24) The action that corresponds to faith (or the lack of action) is not only a marker of absent faith, it can also provide clues to us indicating in what or where we have placed our faith. Jesus made the same point this way, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) Behind the words is the principle that we live what we believe. Or as a Mississippi preacher friend of mine says, “We be livin’ what we believin’.” If what Jesus and my friend say is true (and I believe it is) then we may look into our own lives and easily see where our faith lies. “Where is your faith?” becomes more than a rhetorical question. It becomes a question of introspection. Your faith is somewhere, where is it? Sometimes the action that exposes our misplaced faith is only a mental process. When trouble arises we may look for help. The process of looking starts with a mental inventory of useful items, people, and resources. When faced with a problem we might immediately think of a friend to help us who has expertise or political power. When faced with a loss we may think of our insurance policy or our savings account. When a health issue appears we may want to consult with a doctor of reputation among his peers. Where our thoughts go is to our treasure, and where your treasure is, there is where you will find your heart of faith. When King David was faced with trouble he said, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 121:1-2) Could it be said that David had misplaced faith? Never a man had chariots and horses, armies and men so devoted to him as David had. He was truly a man of resources, but his attitude was, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalms 20:7) Can anyone see a man here who doubts God? Do we have to ask David, “Where is your faith?” I believe that God enjoyed the faith of Job, Noah and Daniel, and I believe that YHVH enjoyed David’s faith. David’s faith was different. It had a humble and unassuming quality. Although it was a no nonsense faith, it never even encroached disrespect. Jesus even mentions (I believe with a smile on His face) a time when David ate the shewbread in the Temple, which is unlawful for any man who is not a Priest to eat, and asked the Pharisees what they thought of that. It is no wonder that David was known as a man after God’s own heart. [1 Samuel 13:14, “…the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people…”] The eternal reign of Christ in the new Kingdom has been prophesied for years as the “the throne of David.” David’s relationship to Jehovah was so close that he once circumvented the office of the priest and a man was killed in the process. David grieved for Uzzah and believed it was his fault that he died. [2 Samuel 6] With all these ideas in our head, we are left with this mystery pertaining to David’s relationship to God. But a day came in the life of David where his actions would show, loud and clear, where his faith was. This was a day that grieved the Lord and things were never the same after this event. “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1) What could be so bad about taking a census? Look at the figures that were given to David. “And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand [1,100,000] men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand [470,000] men that drew sword.”(Verse 5) These statistics were to verify the POWER available to David as king. It was obvious that the object in which David placed his faith was changing, and it was deplorable to God. David’s action showed where his faith was. He no longer looked unto the hills as in the days of his youth. He no longer was saying that some trust in chariots and horses, for his actions are now speaking louder than any words of his past. But why did he falter? Always Enough I remember going away to school and, for the first time, I was in charge of my finances. In some homes Dad keeps the wallet and balances the checkbook, in my home, my Mother was the one. She taught me how to spend money and how to save it. I remember setting up an account at the school for needs and supplies that would eventually crop up as the year progressed. “How much money are you going to put in there?” I asked my mother. She told me that there would always be enough, as long as I only bought what I needed. I lived by the faith that what my mother told me was true. For many months I never looked into that account or even cared how much was there and, just as she said, whenever I needed something I could go to the clerk and ask for an amount and there was always enough. But the day came when I wanted to buy MORE than I needed. What do you think was my first thought? My faith in Mom was instantly transformed. I could not count on what was out of my control, namely the will and ability of my mother; I had to rely on what was within my power and possession. My actions showed where my faith was. It was in me. The Disciples were skilled boatmen. This was not their first time at sea. David was a man of war skilled in every area of battle. When it came time to take inventory of assets it should come as no surprise that these men counted on their own power. David realized what he had done and repented. After the ordeal was over David likely heard within himself the words, “Where is your faith?” That thought never occurred to the disciples, however. They rowed and rowed. They used every trick in the book. After all hope was gone and their resources were exhausted, and they worked hard to no avail, they went to Jesus. Asking Him why He did not care if they perished, Jesus looked around at the panting men who were totally spent trying to recover themselves, and asked, “Where is your faith?” Mentioned in this episode: TRI Radio App