Mark 4:40, Isaiah 55:8, Luke 10:42, Luke 19:5 and 10, Luke 7:7, Daniel 6:26, Hebrews 12:2

Karunakar Mallamari considers what overcoming faith looks like

Karunakar Mallamari

Today's technology rightly predicts when and where storms are going to be, but let me tell you about a storm that came during Jesus' earthly days. While he and his disciples were sailing in a boat there was a furious squall that came up and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. The disciples came near to Jesus sleeping inside the boat saying, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown"?

We need to think deeply here about what made Jesus go to sleep when a furious storm was hitting the boat. Of course Jesus calmed the storm, but he asked the disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (Mark 4:40) We need to know the most important thing when we experience difficult life situations, where is our faith? Or what standard of faith do we have?

The prophet Habakkuk asked God why he used the lawless Babylonians to punish the children of God. We are in the same situation today having questions and complaints about the innocent dying in our world and the policies of our governments, which sometimes bring wars; others starving and the children crying on the streets. The prophet complaining gets a reply from God in a way he didn't expect, because our thoughts or ways will never match the thoughts and ways of God (Isaiah 55:8).

What is required to develop our faith standard and for living above stormy situations in life without drowning? Let me tell you about two sisters called Mary and Martha. Jesus went into their home as a guest and Martha kept herself busy and distracted by all the preparations that had to be made for the guest and she asked Jesus, "Don't you care that my sister Mary has left me to do the work by myself?"

Here we see distraction makes Martha question Jesus while her sister is sitting at the feet of Jesus leaving everything behind. Jesus answers the troubled Martha, "You are worried and upset about many things but only one thing is needed". Also he says Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her (Luke10:42). So it says the best thing to increase our faith and gain wisdom, to grow into his likeness, is sitting at the feet of Jesus with no distractions.

God works in an amazing way we never expect with our limited human understanding, in transforming lives. We differentiate people easily with their outside nature and actions they perform in every day life, like we see when a set of people mutter while Jesus has gone to be a guest of a sinner. His name is Zacchaeus and it happened on a day when Jesus was walking in the street of Jericho and he saw the very short man climb over a fig tree and Jesus looked up and said to him come down immediately, I must stay at your house today (Luke 19:5). Here Jesus didn't see how wealthy he became with the unjust gain, but he wanted him to be part of his salvation and to live a righteous life by faith, because the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10).

We need to notice that the transformation in Zacchaeus sinful life was brought about just watching carefully Jesus' spotless life from the top of a fig tree. Jesus didn't question about his earnings, but Zacchaeus gave everything from what he earned cheating people and got himself Jesus the best of all treasures.

Our broken world is in need of great hope and God's children who have sufficient faith, having overcome distractions and grown into the likeness of Christ who can then supply hope and light in darkness to our suffering world.

Jesus got amazed with the great faith of a centurion of Capernaum who sent a request to heal his sick servant and while he was about to reach the place the centurion said through his friends: "Lord don't trouble yourself for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But say the word and my servant will be healed. (Luke 7:7)

Daniel and his friends as slave boys in the land of the heathen kept their faith high in spite of persecution and silenced the devouring lions when thrown into the den. This made him win much honour before the heathen rulers and Darius the heathen king issued an official order that his kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel (Daniel 6:26).

The world gives distractions, but in spite of that let us, 'Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God'. (Hebrews 12:2)