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Bible Readings: Matthew 21:16-22; Psalm 105:23-45

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”   Matthew 21:21-22

He spread out a cloud as a covering,
    and a fire to give light at night.
They asked, and he brought them quail;
    he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
    it flowed like a river in the desert.

For he remembered his holy promise
    given to his servant Abraham.
He brought out his people with rejoicing,
    his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
he gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
that they might keep his precepts
    and observe his laws.

Praise the Lord.      Psalm 105:39-45

 

Jesus teaches us that faith is a powerful force for change:

 " you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done."

We are often taught by others that if only we believe in ourselves, then we can do anything.  I certainly appreciate the sentiment to see value in oneself and the capacity to dream, to create, and to work at achieving something.  But we do well to remember that these are echoes of our Creator, and we are not Him.  And so we must have a faith that is rightly placed. 

The Psalmist helps us by recounting the faithfulness of God in the history of Israel, reminding us of His mighty deeds and His faithfulness to His promises. And so Jesus encourages us to walk towards the cross, where the weight and looming reality of sin and death seems insurmountable, with confidence in God's power to overcome.  Can sin and death really be defeated in my life?  Can the large stone (mountain) that seals the tomb, be moved?  That is the Good-Friday question.   

What “mountain” is in your life that seems like it will never change, leaving you feeling defeated?  This Easter you can experience a renewal of faith and hope in the One who defeats even death.  Take your needs to God in faith.  The big and the small.  And leave it with him, looking forward to his mountain-moving work in your life.