Of Pharisees and Faith

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and sat down to read. "And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, 'They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots.' And sitting down they watched Him there; and set up over His head this accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads, and saying, 'Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it, save Thyself. If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.' Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders, said, 'He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, "I am the Son of God"'" (Mt 27:35-43).

The Pharisees and others were throwing Jesus' words in His face. They were reminding Him that He had claimed that if the temple were destroyed, He could rebuild it in three days. In mocking Him, they were in essence saying that they didn't believe He could do as He said and that His power was so limited that He couldn't even save Himself from the cross. 

Then it struck me. The very thing they claimed as evidence of His weakness was in reality the very evidence of His power. But then another thought followed. When the promise seemed least capable of fulfillment was the very moment God was doing the very thing He had promised to do; when it seemed He wasn't doing anything, God was revealing His power in the most precious way. 

How many times have I been tempted to do the same thing the scribes and Pharisees did and cite circumstances as "proof" that maybe that promise wasn't really for me, or that maybe God loves so-and-so more than He loves me? Yet every time, God was fulfilling the very promise I was doubting, proving His immeasurable love for me once again. And the fact that I couldn't see what God was doing didn't reflect on God, it reflected on me and my lack of faith. 

I want the faith that sees what God is doing, even when my senses say otherwise. Because that's the only faith that will get us through the times ahead.