Two kinds of faith

“You of little faith”
– Jesus (Matthew 8:26)

The time, out on the lake, when Jesus stopped the boat from sinking, he turns to his disciples: “you of little faith.”

What’s interesting about this story is that these are professionals, in danger in their own profession, and yet they still turn to Jesus.

So why didn’t Jesus praise them for their faith?

Because there are two kinds of faith. And one is better than the other.

The first kind is knowledge. Intellectually, they knew the right answer. They’d seen Jesus do miracles. It was a logical conclusion to ask for more.

The second kind is emotional. It’s about assurance–about knowing–even when knowledge isn’t present.

Jesus, in his statement, was referring to the second.

When you look around, you’ll see that most people who claim Jesus are claiming the first kind of faith.

It’s easy to tabulate. And to justify. It’s low risk.

But it’s not life-changing.

Instead, it’s the second kind of faith that actually makes a difference. That’s the kind the centurion had, which is why his reaction was so different.

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed…he said, ‘I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!’” (Luke 7:9)