You of Little Faith
What can we learn from the times when Jesus chided His disciples for their little faith? And from the examples of “great faith” He highlighted as well?
“You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
One of the most memorable miracles in the Bible is when Jesus walked on water. It was night, and the disciples were out in the middle of the Sea of Galilee in a boat tossed by the waves. Then, suddenly, they thought they saw someone or something walking on the water! They cried out in fear. But Jesus said, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). Then Peter said something that I don’t think would have ever occurred to me to say: “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (verse 28). “So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
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“But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (verses 29-31). Face it. It would have taken quite a bit of faith to step over the side of the boat onto water! Peter had never been able to walk on water before, so he was demonstrating his belief in Jesus’ power to allow him to do it now. He showed faith. Until he didn’t. His faith was temporary and quickly disturbed by the boisterous wind. Still, Peter knew where to turn for help. His faith may have been little, but it was pointed in the right direction.
“Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”
The Sea of Galilee also played a role in an earlier example when Jesus chided His disciples for a lack of faith. In this case, Jesus was also in the boat. “And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
March/April 2022
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“Y
ou of little faith.” Those words from our Lord and Savior must have stung His disciples deeply. After all, they had given up everything to follow Him. They trusted Him enough to leave behind their former jobs and security. They had seen His miracles and believed His teachingsw. Yet it was true. Jesus knew that they still had little faith—that they needed to grow in faith.
