Faith That Can Move Mountains

Today is one of the hardest days for the apostles. A client has complained about them. As He was coming down from Mount Tabor after the Transfiguration, Christ encountered a crowd of people and a father whose son suffered from demon possession that worsened during the full moon. The rite of Baptism contains precise words about the evil one: “the spirit of delusion, the spirit of deceit, the spirit of idolatry and all greed, the spirit of falsehood and all impurity.” The devil seeks to turn people away from communion with God in various ways. In this instance, he instilled fear in the people, compelling them to serve the “spirit of the moon” so that they would seek salvation in idols. The Middle East was literally littered with altars to the goddess Astarte, and the prophets had repeatedly denounced the people of Israel for worshiping her.

The apostles were unable to help the young man, and his father, in desperation, caused a scene. He rebuked Christ: “If You are the Messiah who has come to rule the world, why did You choose such incompetent helpers? They know nothing about miracles, and perhaps You Yourself are not the Messiah?” From a human perspective, the father’s reaction is understandable. He had already turned to doctors and healers, but to no avail. The apostles’ attempt to heal the boy in Jesus’ name had also failed. The man vented all his pain and doubts on Christ. However, the Savior turned the question back on him, replying, “If you have any faith at all, all things are possible to one who believes”—and healed the young man.

Then came a “debriefing.” The apostles asked why they had been unable to help. The Lord replied that demons are cast out through fasting and prayer. It has long been observed that excess in eating often leads to sinful thoughts, laziness, greed, and irritability. It is no coincidence that monasticism is called a feat of fasting. But just as a bird cannot fly on one wing, so too is abstaining from food without controlling one’s thoughts ineffective. The Holy Fathers say: an idle mind is the devil’s forge, through which the evil one feeds us sinful temptations. Fasting and prayer are the foundation of asceticism.

Explaining the disciples’ failure, Christ added that faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains. It is not a matter of the quantity but of the quality of faith. Can anything grow from a damaged seed? Obviously not. Therefore, the apostles’ faith was flawed. The key to understanding this lies in Christ’s words about His coming death and Resurrection in Jerusalem. If the disciples had believed in Christ as God, they would have understood that God cannot die, and that the devil cannot help but tremble at His name. But they saw Him only as a man, fearing that after His death their hopes for high positions in the “Messianic government” would crumble. This was the main problem: the apostles had not built a relationship with Christ as God. May the Lord grant us a sound and sincere faith!

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