“Jesus said [to the disciples], ‘You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive?’”
~Matthew 16:8-9a (NRSV).
Small world or large — these are the things in Jesus’ sights.
The small world concern is teased into many realms of perplexing gait — overwhelmed in an instant to the sheer enormity of ‘the problem’ or problems, plural.
The larger world concern sweats none of the small stuff, for it is what it is — nothing’s changing it.
Jesus has intimated that the small world concern is that of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:6), but there are equally as many Pharisees and Sadducees in this day as ever. We become them when we’re consumed by our small world concerns. Our minds are deceived in a second.
Faith is a ‘Large World’ Phenomenon
When fears are jettisoned in faith we’ve agreed to live at a larger-world Jesus perspective.
Faith clears away the vast swamp of baggage for view of the real issues. It’s not overly bothered with not having food for a day or two, or for what this person or that person has said or what they’ve not said.
It’s getting up to a higher level at the mountain-of-life, such that the landscape of truth might be surveyed, so that all potential decisions are weighed appropriately.
Faith strips away at the falsity of imbalance. It saves its action for the things it deems requiring action. Often inaction or silence is appropriate.
The Truth of Provision
Jesus says earlier in Matthew — during his Sermon on the Mount — that we have little reason to worry (Matthew 6:25-34), for the Father has these concerns already weighed, considered and provided for.
It’s for us to have faith that this is true; that God will not leave us, nor forsake us.
Faith takes us past these petty concerns that only seem of high importance. Sure, they’re important, and so important that God will provide all we need. We gain God’s assurance of provision for the precise reason that he knows we’ll be concerned, but there’s more to life than these.
The Lord wants us calm and productive, and ready to be blessed with thanksgiving upon receipt of his provision — not frantic for it.
The beauty of this truth is we only need to have lived on past our small world concerns toward the greater revelations God’s got for us to see what faith provides.
Faith gets us beyond the relevant focus on provision. It esteems us to the higher road, leaving the lower road of provision to the Lord.
© 2011 S. J. Wickham.
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