In response to my post “Why are Some People Not Healed?”, someone inquired regarding Jesus’s references to “great faith.” This entry addresses that comment.
The Bible only records two instances when Jesus commends people for their “great faith.” In one story, a Roman centurion asks Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant, who was “suffering terribly” (Matthew 8:6).
Jesus asks if he should go to heal him, but the Roman man replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (verses 8-9).
Jesus was amazed at the centurion’s response. This is where he mentions his “great faith.”
The other story where Jesus speaks of someone’s “great faith” involves a Canaanite woman, whose daughter Jesus heals (Matthew 15:22-28). In both of these stories, Jesus does not say that he decided to heal the person because of the amount of faith they had. Rather, he simply observes their “great faith.”
Why does Jesus say anything about how much faith they had?
Biblical scholars agree that the reason Jesus highlights the faith of these people is that Jesus was commending these non-Jewish people (a Roman centurion and a Canaanite Woman) in order to encourage his Jewish audience to have the same faith in him that these Gentiles had and to challenge the common Jewish belief that God’s grace did not extend to the Gentiles. Hence, regarding the Roman centurion, Jesus says explicitly, “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matthew 8:10).[1]
As with “great faith,” there are not many times that Jesus ever speaks of a person’s “little faith,” and it was never in connection to healing. Once Jesus said that those who don’t trust God to provide for their basic needs have “little faith” (given that “God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire” (Matthew 6:30).
On another occasion, Jesus remarked regarding the disciples’ “little faith” when 
they were afraid their boat was going to sink during a “furious storm” (Matthew 8:24-26). And many sermons have been preached on the story of Peter walking on the water. When he began to sink, Jesus remarked regarding Peter’s “little faith” (Matthew 14:31).
Finally, Jesus observed the “little faith” of the disciples when they were concerned about their lack of bread, even though Jesus had already miraculously provided bread on more than one occasion (Matthew 16:8-10). In each of these stories Jesus worked miracles despite their little faith. God is not limited by your level of faith! Hence, Jesus saved the disciples and calmed the stormy sea, even though they had little faith.
This blog post is an excerpt from a (non-academic) book I have written on the Holy Spirit and Spirituality, tentatively titled Simply Spirit-Filled.
Read Chapter 1 or Order Simply Spirit-Filled
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Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology professor and VP of Academics at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.[1] R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), 589-91.
Andrew: Quantifying “Faith” does seem to defy sense. Beyond references you mention, as well as faith the size of an itsy bitsy mustard seed. … I don’t think God was trying to teach size, in terms of an object. … However, I do believe that Faith grows, from weaker to stronger. Faith is like a muscle, when used, it becomes “bigger and stronger”, as it were. The idea here is simply WE NEED TO GROW UP and GROW STRONG IN THE LORD. Abraham’s faith was strong and it staggered not. … Faith does not grow on its’ own. Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith. Faith is how we attain victory and overcome. Without faith, we can’t please God. … Faith is extraordinarily important in the Christian life and that should be the main message.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Didn’t Jesus say something like even if someone has just the littlest amount of faith they would have the power to cast mountains into the sea. So what’s the problem here?
Indeed.
Okay, let me know when you have moved a mountain with your little faith!
Actually it is saying if you have faith like a mustard seed. In other words, if you have a great faith, even if you are (like) a small mustard seed. It was because of lack of (enough) faith that they failed to do what they were called to do. (Matthew 17:20)
Or, rather, I should say that the mustard seed has a great faith, rather than focussing on its small size.
I think that we forget one thing, its not the size of faith but that we believe without doubting, to say we that believe and then doubt cancels out any faith we may proclaim to have, Hebrews 11 v: 6 (KJV) – Without faith it is impossible to please Him. for he that comes to God must believe that that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. No mention of the size of a persons faith is mentioned, but to diligently to seek after God and to walk in obedience to His command.
I agree that we need to fully trust in God, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that doubt cancels faith. I think, for example, of the father who said to Jesus, “I believe, but help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). And Jesus still healed the boy.
I have faith for healing but I get tangled up when I ask God to heal through his miraculous power and then I think He may choose to use a doctor. Am I doubting His power to heal? No, but I am wavering in what I am asking Him to do. Am I wrong to ask God to heal miraculously?
Most certainly, you are not wrong! As I read the Gospels, I see so many people asked Jesus to heal them in such ways. .
Beautiful!
If God is not limited by our level of Faith, how come Jesus could do no “mighty” works, except heal a few sickly people (in the Greek translated: people with minor ailments) in Mark 6:4-6?
Hi Goriola, Good question. I believe I deal with this in more detail in a chapter on faith in my book Simply Spirit Filled. What I can say here in brief is that vs. 6 makes it clear that they had “unbelief” (the NIV “lack of faith” is a poor translation here), not just a small amount of faith. Also, I will add that in v. 5 the Greek is not suggesting the people were only a little bit sick.
You seem to have a lot of ‘unbelief’! What was the reason he only healed a few sick people? Probably there were only a few sick people. Of course Jesus could do more healing than that if he wanted to – he did many times. It didn’t depend on the unbelief of the people there. It did happen that there were people with unbelief though, otherwise it would not have been written! Have faith.
Yes and Amen Brother, it’s Who are Faith is in , it’s not about us . PTL Hallelujah thank you Jesus!
Here’s a thought: the prefixes, in Greek, for both little and great can be a reference to “duration” rather than amount. This made a lot of the pieces of the puzzle fall into pace for me. E.g., little faith and mustard seed of faith being in the same sentence. Our trials produce “endurance.” Endurance of what? Will power? Or endurance of faith? Peter walked on the water to Jesus…don’t tell me he did that with “oh you, of little faith.” His faith failed when it could not endure the presence of the wind and waves. As soon as he cried out to Jesus and Jesus grabbed him by the hand they walked back to the boat together and then Jesus said, “Why did you doubt? Oh, you of short duration faith.” Christians are always trying for an amount and never settling into the fact that God has given to each of us a measure of faith…so we do have faith. They did not enter into the land because they did not mix their faith with those who believed. I don’t believe Father gives us “little faith,” it is always enough. And it can also come as a gift of the Spirit and from “hearing.”
Best regards,
Craig
But there is no miracle produced without the faith Jesus has, when there is not faith from his disciples… his faith was strong enough for all of them, but in reality, the connection to God in this is indirect, as the power being used here belongs to the faithful, not to God. God made man in his image, in his likeness, and with that blessing, made us also creators, as He is.This is what Jesus is teaching, that ye are Gods… That ye are not powerless nor helpless, nor in need of salvation, as your salvation lies in His Truth. All that you would ever need to do, you were empowered to do from birth, ye need only have faith, which is the power of The Creator, and the universe will obey, as you command, and according to your faith.
“Jesus does not say that he decided to heal the person because of the amount of faith they had”
thank you for this understanding..