Matthew Bible Study: According to Your Faith

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been studying the book of Matthew in the Bible. It’s such an interesting and foundational book. It wasn’t often that I’d study entire books at a time, but I have recently pivoted and thoroughly enjoy my studies so far.

There are a few common threads I noticed in the life of Jesus. One is that His life was a culmination of “Suddenly.” At any given moment, you can find throughout His ministry that Suddenly, a demon-possessed person arrived on the scene, or Suddenly a crowd gathered, or Suddenly a sick man was laid before Him. And this makes me think of my life as a Christian… have I made room for the Suddenly? What issue on God’s heart have I availed myself enough to address? Is someone sick, discouraged, or distressed Suddenly before me that I can help and minister to? Does my life have enough margin? Have I given God the right to disrupt my schedule? If I’m honestly answering – No. There’s no room for Suddenly to happen in my life yet, but I’m committed to changing that; it starts with an availed and surrendered heart. God is in the Suddenly business, so who am I not to be? One day, I may be the Suddenly for someone else, where my issue presents itself before them so I can be ministered to. This one word has grasped my attention and certainly transformed me as I’ve realized that I’m often too consumed in my world and issues that I don’t allow God to use me as He desires. As Paul often remarks in identifying himself, I’m a bondservant to Jesus Christ and His Gospel – therefore, I must be availed to serve every day!

Another common thread that has completely captivated me is the series of “according to your faith” events. As I stated prior, there were quite a few Suddenly happenstances that presented themselves before Jesus. But many of these happenings bear the great markers of faith. Let me explain – In Matthew 8:5-13, a Centurion man came to Jesus asking for Him to heal his paralyzed servant. This man was of authority, having servants under His command; thus, he told Jesus, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” [Matthew 8:8] This Centurion was a great man of honor and authority himself, who I’m sure has housed and accommodated many other honorable guests. Yet, he humbled Himself before Jesus, His Savior, and asked that He send a word. The amount of faith required for a man to send a word is quite powerful – if you look here, the word Jesus sent is “Go.” [Matthew 8:13] And Jesus continued to say, “As you have believed, let it be done for you.” This brief passage of scripture has made me ask a few questions…

• Do you trust in the word that the Lord gives your Shepherd [Pastor/Spiritual Covering] enough for them to release the word, and you believe it’s made well with you concerning your situation? After all, Jesus isn’t physically on this earth, but God has given us Shepherds after His own heart that stand in the gap. So, how much faith do you have in the word God has given your Pastor?

• What is your belief system? Jesus told the Centurion that as he had believed, it would be done for Him. When he came to Jesus, his belief that Jesus could do it was intact. He knew that Jesus could – in fact, He knew it didn’t require much, that a single word can bring about divine healing. What is your belief system concerning God’s healing in your life? Has your faith been shaken?

The next “according to your faith” event happens in Matthew 9, when “suddenly one of the leaders came and knelt down before him, saying, ‘my daughter just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’” [Matthew 9:18] The leader here didn’t ask for Jesus to speak but rather for Jesus to lay a hand on his now-dead daughter. When Jesus came to the leader’s house – well, let’s stop here because this leader didn’t feel that they were unworthy for Jesus to come in. This is a great contrast considering what happened in the chapter prior with the Centurion man. Jesus arrived at the leader’s house where a crowd gathered to lament – surely this crowd wasn’t one like those who’d gathered around Jesus all along, because when Jesus told them that “the girl is not dead but asleep,” they laughed at him. The crowd that surrounded the sleeping girl was a crowd of unbelievers. But after the crowd was put outside, Jesus “went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up” [Matthew 9:25] I’m intrigued by this statement because Jesus did exactly as the leader had asked. Once again, this happened according to His faith. I’m convinced Jesus could’ve said that the girl was sleeping when he first encountered the leader, and in great belief, the leader could’ve returned and awakened his daughter. Two lessons that can be extracted from this excerpt are…

• Don’t convene about your situation with a crowd of unbelievers. They can be Christians and unbelievers because sometimes the crowd that gathers does not believe in God’s intervention concerning your problem; instead, they laugh it off, regarding your faith as foolish.

• Watch your words! What you are claiming as dead, God is labeling sleep—the power of resurrection dwells on your tongue.

Now, this last “according to your faith” event is one we all know – the woman with the issue of blood. If you’ve been in church only a little while, I’m sure you’ve heard about this woman’s story. While Jesus was following to heal the leader’s daughter, “Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years approached from behind and touched the end of His robe, for she said to herself, ‘If I can just touch his robe, I’ll be made well.’” [Matthew 9:20-21] This woman had remarkable faith. The premise of my explaining these three accounts is for the revelation I obtained. A centurion man asked Jesus to send a word. A leader asked Jesus to lay a hand. But this woman didn’t require Jesus’ attention at all. Instead, she had a conversation of faith with herself and received healing by seeking it. The men had faith, so Jesus could do it; this woman had faith, so she went after it. The woman with the issue of blood was desperate. Her desperate faith caught the attention of Jesus. Matthew 9:22 says, “Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Have courage, daughter,” he said. ‘Your faith has saved you.’ And the woman was made well from that moment.”

There are so many takeaways from this woman and all three occurrences mentioned...

• God did EXACTLY what each individual believed Him for. One asked for a word, another asked for a hand, and the next touched in expectation. In some ways, we may feel that we can measure each individual’s faith, one being more significant than the other. But, I firmly believe that we may have faith in each, depending on our circumstances. Perhaps our sickness requires a touch, while our job situation requires a word. But in our marriage, we may take by faith without desiring permission. Regardless, God honored the faith of each – not measuring one against the other but doing according to request.

• What “they” said isn’t true! They labeled the leader’s daughter dead, God said she was asleep. They disregarded this woman because of her condition, but God called her daughter. Our conditions aren’t our permanent residence, nor are they key identifiers. The truth is only in God’s word; man’s labels can never suffice.

• “Your faith has saved you” or “according to your faith” may be the only way out of some of your most complex situations. God can only do according to our faith. But if we believe that God can’t, how then can we break out of the imprisonment our disbelief has placed us in? All in all, get your faith up!

There’s so much to be said about these scripture passages, but most importantly, there are two words – AVAILABILITY and BELIEF! God can move when we are available and when we believe. Maybe, just maybe, the stagnation you are experiencing in life is due to your lack of one or both of these core values. These are non-negotiable that we must have as Christians. God is up to something; can you perceive it?

Concerning any particular issue in your life, I believe that as you avail yourself and increase in faith, God will do for you as He did for her, “And the woman was made well from that moment.” Some situations have become cycles, but God wants to make us well. On this day, I challenge you to believe again. I challenge you to make yourself available to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and open your heart to what He desires to do on this earth. God wants to move in your life, but He needs your faith to execute. Even if all you have is faith as a mustard seed, I’m certain it’s enough for Him to move! Above all, maybe one day, you will be the vessel God uses to declare a word or lay a hand so that someone can be made well. Perhaps they can stand on the firm foundation of your faith, that they may experience a personal miracle!