The Mustard Seed

The Mustard Seed Miracle - the Moving of Mokattam Mountain

 

'And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.' Hebrews 11:6

Every year, on 27th November, the Coptic Church in Egypt celebrates the Mustard Seed Miracle - the moving of Mokattam Mountain. The miracle took place between 975 and 979 AD during the papacy of Pope Abram Ebn-Zaraa, the 62nd Patriarch of the Egyptian Coptic Church. Yaqub Ibn Yusuf Ibn Killis, a Muslim convert from Judaism went to the Caliph reminding him of what Jesus had said and recorded in Matthew 17:20 "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

They both contrived a plan to expose the church and find an excuse to persecute the Christians by challenging them to a test of their faith, to move Mokattam Mountain located at the outskirts of Cairo.

When the patriarch received the challenge, he conveyed the congregation to the Church of St Mary to prayer and fasting, supplicating God. On the third day, the virgin Mary appeared to Patriarch Abram and told him of a holy man named Simon the Tanner, at whose hands the miracle will be effected. The entourage led by Simon met with the Caliph El-Muizz and all the government officials and nobles at the foot of the mountain.

The Coptic Christians knelt to pray at the foot of the mountain. Every time the congregation said, 'Kyria-Layson' Lord have mercy and lifting up their bowed heads, the mountain would be lifted up. When they bowed down, the mountain was lowered down.

The Caliph and his men, stood in awe and trepidation at the sight. Finally he said, "Great is your God and blessed is His name. You have proved that your faith is the true and living faith." From then on the Coptic Christians were free to worship in Egypt and they built many churches. 

How many of us believed that the miracle did take place? Can a mountain be moved. Whatever we believe, the miracle ignited the faith of the Coptic Christians and they strived notwithstanding centuries of persecution.

This week the Coptic Church will be celebrating this miracle. Many of us are impressed, enamored, by spectacular miracles. BUT the central focus of Jesus' comment is not the miracle to move a mountain but the faith in Him, the faith that provided the miracle of salvation for those who believe. We should draw our attention not to quantity, amount or strength of faith but the object of our faith, the person of Jesus Christ. 

The Mustard Seed is only 1 to 2 mm in diameter. It should not have taken much faith to believe, yet it does even to doubting Thomas, who having lived with Jesus and heard all His teaching still insisted to verify the facts of Jesus' resurrection before he would believe. Thomas insisted on touching Jesus hands and sides, His wounds before he would believe. John 20:29 recorded Jesus remarks to doubting Thomas, "Because you have seen you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and believed."

So little faith is required, yet it is so hard for many to believe in Jesus.

What is faith? The Bible defines faith as

'Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do  not see.' Hebrews 11:1

This was the lesson that Doubting Thomas learned as the resurrected Jesus appeared to him in that upper room. Even a mustard seed size of faith will do but Thomas did not even have that.

Jesus often chided the disciples for their lack of faith. Once a storm broke when they were in a boat. Jesus was asleep and the disciples were afraid that they would drown. They woke Jesus up and he quietened the waters of the Sea of Galilee. 

'A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" he got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to His disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Mark 4:37-40

There will be times when our faith, yes even the foundation of our belief in Jesus Christ will be tested. We will come through these trials brilliantly by the faith of our beliefs. St Peter wrote from his experience,

'So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - although your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world ' 1 Peter 1:6-7

Our faith will anchor our salvation

'You love Him (Jesus) even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.' 1 Peter 1:8-9 

   

Indeed let us celebrate the joy of our salvation, there are '10000 reasons' to worship and rejoice with exceeding great joy. Bless the Lord O my soul.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

O my soul, worship His holy Name.

Sing like never before, O my soul.

I’ll worship Your holy Name.

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning;

It’s time to sing Your song again.

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me,

Let me be singing when the evening comes.

You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger,

Your Name is great and Your heart is kind;

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing,

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.

And on that day when my strength is failing,

The end draws near and my time has come;

Still my soul sings Your praise unending,

Ten thousand years and then forevermore.

Bless the Lord O my soul.

Lionel

Ref 1: The Coptic Cross https://sawwaf.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-mokattam-mountain.html

Ref 2: https://contemplation-lionel.blogspot.com/2010/11/upon-this-rock.html A related article in Contemplation 

Upon This Rock....

The Garbage City of Cairo

On the 29 Nov 2010, our tourist bus meandered slowly through narrow streets lined by three-storey shop houses. This is Manshiyat Nasir or 'Garbage City', where several thousands of Egyptian Christian families, the Zabaleens, eked out a living by collecting and recycling the refuse of metropolitan Cairo. We could see children playing and families living out their lives amidst garbage piled ceiling high in their homes, spilling out into the streets. We were thankful that the bus windows were all up. Otherwise, none of us could possibly bear with the smell and stench of these streets.

At the turn of the 19th Century, there was an influx of very poor Christians from Upper Egypt to Cairo. They made a living out of collecting and recycling garbage, a common occupation for many a refugee family in many cities in the world. In 1969, the Egyptian government moved the rubbish collectors to this district under the Mugattam Mountain.

The Egyptian official who made the decision to relocate the poor Christians of Cairo here must have a wry sense of humour. Mugattam Mountain was the site of one of the most celebrated miracle in the history of the Egyptian Coptic Church, known as ‘The Moving of the Mountain’.

According to Coptic traditions, during the reign of the first Fatimid Caliph in the 11th Century a challenge was thrown to the Coptic Church. During a debate between the Islamic, Jewish and Christian religious leaders of the day, the Jews invoked the verse 

“If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to the mountain move from here to there, and it will move” Mark 11:23

They demanded the Coptic Patriarch, Abraam to demonstrate this. Al-Muizz, the Muslim Caliph then threatened to persecute the Copts if the church failed in this test.

In a dream, Patriarch Abraam was guided by the Virgin Mary, to seek out a holy man, Simon the shoemaker, who would have the required faith to move this mountain. Recruiting Simon, the Christian congregation and Pope marched to Mugattam Mountain along with the religious leaders of the day. As the congregation prayed, the mountain shook violently as if a strong earthquake had hit the city. Each time the congregation rose from prayer, the mountain was lifted upwards. When they knelt down, the mountain came down with a deafening roar. This happened three times and with each time the rays of sunlight from the other side of the mountain could clearly be seen through the gap.

Then, Caliph Al Muizz proclaimed, “God is Great!” and turning to Abraam he said, “This is enough to prove your faith is true”. From then on, he allowed the Christians freedom to practice their faith in Egypt. The Coptic Church survived one of the severest persecution periods in their history.

Relocating the Zabaleen Christians to live out a miserable existence in a stench-hole at the holy site of the Coptic Church, is an affront and insult to Christianity. However, our Lord Jesus would see otherwise. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. Matt 5:3 

For the poor and destitutes on Mugattam Mountain, a modern day miracle started from 1974.

After 3 miles through garbage lined alleys, none of the Singaporean tourists were ready for the sight as our bus turned the last corner. Before us, stood a large monastery, churches, hospital and social community complex which these garbage collectors had hewn out of the barren rock. On the rock faces on the mountain sides, they had sculptured various illustrative episodes described in the Bible.

To understand the miracle that has taken place at this site and the many everyday miracle testimonies in the lives of these simple Christian folks, please view a two part commentary on Youtube, ‘Fr. Samaan and Garbage City (Zabaleen)’. 

A chance meeting of a Christian brother, Farahat (later Father Samaan) and a garbage collector, Edis Agib in 1974 led to the transformation and miracle. Edis had approached Farahat to teach him to become a Christian. This led Farahat to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the Zabaleen.


Worshipping at St Sammaan Church



One day whilst standing at the barren summit and staring down at the squatters below, Farahat was overwhelmed by a sense of lost and grief at the impossible situation of the people living on the slopes. As he cried out to God for direction, there was a strong gush of wind and pieces of paper were blown upwards from the garbage below. One of these papers that flew towards him was a tattered page from the Bible 

‘One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” Acts 18:9,10

Farahat persevered and many of the garbage collectors turned to Jesus. A transformation and miracle occurred with God using the hands and labours of these destitute and poor people. The Lord saved them out of most pitiful conditions and allowed them to manifest their faith in a most inspiring and uplifting manner

It is a story of the indomitable faith of one man and the garbage collectors. It reminds me of the faith statement by St Peter, to which Jesus responded, 

“Upon this rock, I'll build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it”.

What did Christ meant when He uttered these words? Christ was not referring to solid rock formations but the unshakeable faith and confession of many Christians throughout history when they proclaimed Him as Lord and Savour just as Peter did. 

I stood there at the mountain top, after visiting two of seven rock churches, staring at the sculptures on hill side and the garbage city below. I realised that the prophecy of Jesus on the establishment and success of His church was and is being fulfilled by the poor labourers on Mugattam mountain in Cairo, “Upon this rock, I’ll build my church”.

When others see with earthly eyes

Just what they want to see

You will see the things that never die

You will know and recognize

By simple child-like faith

The priceless truth that

Others will deny.

When others say I'm just a man

Who likes to dream His dreams

When others call a miracle a myth

You'll listen for eternity

In moments as they pass

And see with spirit eyes

What others miss.

Upon this rock I'll build My kingdom

And on this rock forever and ever it shall stand

And all the powers of Hell itself

Shall never more prevail against it

For Satan's thrones are built on sinking sand

Upon this rock I'll build My kingdom

And on this rock forever and ever it shall stand

Upon this rock of revelation

I'll build a strong and mighty nation

And it shall stand the storms of time

Upon this rock.

If in a simple carpenter

You see the Son of God

If you would chose to lose

When you could win

If you would give your life away

For nothing in return

Then you are where

My kingdom will begin.

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 19 Dec 2010

In November 2010, Bishop Robert Solomon led a group of Christians to tour Egypt and the Sinai visiting historic churches and the desert monasteries 

A Healing Ministry Without Making Your Church Sick

  

Jesus Heals

'Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.'  Corinthians 12:7-8

The affliction that Paul had was not something trivial; not just an inconvenience. It tormented him to the extent where he thought that Satan had inflicted it upon him. It was something so painful or embarrassing that he pleaded with the Lord to remove it. Three times he pleaded but there was no healing. God used this affliction for Paul’s greater good in order to keep Paul from becoming conceited and to keep him from depending upon himself. Instead, Paul depended on God and not on his personal visions, revelations, spirituality or apostleship. God strengthened him.

Yet we read in the Bible of countless miraculous cures, many of them effected by Jesus as part of His ministry. Matthew, the gospel writer devoted an entire chapter, Chapter 9, to the healing ministry of Jesus. Five miracles were recorded, four physical healings and one restoring to life of a dead girl. Matthew summed up this ministry,  

'Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.' Matthew 9:35 

It is not without evidence in scripture that miraculous cures will occur. But what happens when you pray for a cure to an illness and a miracle did not happen? Was it a lack of faith that God seem not to answer prayer for healing? Did we not pray hard and long enough?

 

We need to correctly pitch what the Bible has to say about healing in order not to hurt other people, especially those suffering from intractable illnesses. Some Christians have the unrealistic expectations that God always cures and God always does miracles. However, the reality is that very often, as in the case of Paul’s experience, God will choose not to heal.

What do we do with Christians who accuse others to be without faith or to harbour unconfessed sins when, despite persistent prayer, there is no healing?

My father-in-law served God as a Pastor, always tending to his churches and congregation throughout a 40 year ministry. He died of prostate cancer which had spread to the spine. When he was first diagnosed, many Christians, including the family, exercised faith and prayed for a cure.

When it became obvious that no miraculous cure would happen, some people refused to give up the praying for a cure. 

After he died, my mother-in-law, exhausted and grieving, also succumbed to cancer. Some people later suggested there were some unconfessed sins which prevented an answer to prayers. Yet, both my parents-in-law had fruitful Christian ministries for many years; well into their mid-seventies. 

Where medicine cannot provide a cure, when God did not provide a miracle, sick people die. We should always first hope for a complete cure of the illness and indeed this is when the intercessory prayer for complete cure is so necessary. Here the healing ministry of the church is so vital to encourage and sustain faith in someone who is sick as well as for the family and caregivers.

Dover Park Hospice

We should always hope for a cure. But there will be a time when both the doctors and ourselves realise that a cure is not imminent nor possible even with much prayer. It is then time to switch from curative treatment to palliative treatment. It is time for palliative care at home or in a hospice.

This does not mean that healing ceased to take place. God heals even when he chooses not to cure. There is continuing healing in the body, mind, soul and spirit and the healing ministry should continue to minister although differently.  

For this reason, as a profession of my Christian faith and ministry, I serve as a volunteer and on the Governing Council of the Dover Park Hospice (DPH) in Singapore for more than 20 years. DPH tends to the dying, managing pain and other concerns, giving palliative care as needed and keeping the patients comfortable.  

I admire the doctors, nurses and staff of DPH as they dutifully and lovingly look after their patients with much care and sensitivity. The DPH's motto is 'Every Moment Matters' which means that whilst we may not add days to life we shall add life to days. Our desire is to tend to the sick so that in dying, they can be at peace with family and friends, at peace with themselves and at peace with God. We witnessed many instances of healing even as the patients die. This is when the miracles happen and healing takes place and often we will recognise them.

That is why there will always be a place for a healing ministry in our churches. This has been the practice of the church since the very beginning.

'Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.' James 5:14-15a

Bishop Robert Solomon surmised (Ref 1), "It is best not to be distracted by secondary issues (such as anointing with oil and prayer by elders) in order to focus on the main point made by James. And that is, prayer is what is required in all kinds of situations." 

It is God, our 'Wonderful Merciful Saviour' who gives healing and grace.

Wonderful, merciful Savior

Precious Redeemer and Friend

Who would have thought that a Lamb

Could rescue the souls of men

Oh, You rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper

Spirit we long to embrace

You offer hope when our hearts have

Hopelessly lost our way

Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way

You are the One that we praise

You are the One we adore

You give the healing and grace

Our hearts always hunger for

Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father

Faithfully loving Your own

Here in our weakness You find us

Falling before Your throne

Oh, we're falling before Your throne

You are the One that we praise

You are the One we adore

You give the healing and grace

Our hearts always hunger for

Oh, our hearts always hunger for

You are the One that we praise

You are the One we adore

You give the healing and grace

Our hearts always hunger for

Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 17 Mar 2011

Ref 1: Robert M Solomon. Practical Christianity. The Book of James and its Relevance Today, Cru Asia IMorint Edition, 2022.

Title of this post is taken from Peter Wagner's book, “How To Have A Healing Ministry Without Making Your Church Sick”.

It Is Well, It Is Well With My Soul

 

'The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord makes His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.' Numbers 6:24-26

The soul is the very basis of our spirituality and humanity, it is running our entire lives. Dallas Willard wrote, 'It is the life-centre of the human being. The soul is like an inner stream, which refreshes, nourishes and gives strength to every other element of our life. When that stream flows properly, we are refreshed and content in all we do, because our soul is rooted in God and His kingdom. We are in harmony with God, reality, the rest of humanity at large.' Ref 1 

Christians always seek this wellness within our souls, our harmony with God. When we are disjointed from God, we will feel insecure. Perhaps we have done something wrong or perhaps wrong was done to us. Perhaps we are very sick or  have lost our jobs or have quarrels with friends and families. At such times we might feel resentful, angry, sad and even pity ourselves. 

The psalmist lamented 'Why my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?' three times in Psalms 42 and 43 in three circumstances. The psalmist felt

• Abandoned by God (Psalm 42:3)
• Forgotten by God (Psalm 42:9)
• Rejected by God (Psalm 43:2)

These two Psalms described the desolation felt by God's people at the time of their exile.  

Someone else who would ask such a question was Horatio Spafford. Horatio Spafford suffered many calamities in his life. He lost almost all his fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. His four year old son died soon after. Hoping that a vacation to the United Kingdom would help his wife and four daughters recover from the tragedy, he sent them off on a trans-Atlantic voyage. However the ship capsized after a collision with another vessel. More than 200 people lost their lives including all four of Horatio's daughters. His wife, Anna, survived and upon reaching England sent a telegram to her husband that began, "Saved Alone. What shall I do?" 

Horatio immediately set sail for England deep in sorrow and heavy-hearted. As Horatio's ship passed the spot where the shipwreck occurred, he thought of his daughters but God comforted him. Somehow he was inspired to write the words of this hymn, It is well with my Soul.

When peace like a river attendeth my way

When trouble like sea billows roll

 Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say 

It is well, it is well with my soul. 

How could a man who suffered such grief write these words? Horatio Spafford is a remarkable man. A lesser man would have wallowed in remorse and pity, even to the point of blaming God for the lost of five children. It must have been a very painful moment to stand gazing at the Atlantic Ocean over the very spot where his four daughters died. But Horatio was not such a man, his Christian faith and belief in God sustained him through this terrible ordeal. Horatio survived with his soul intact, still able to inspire many generations of sufferers through the most severe of challenges and to say that whatever the pain, it is still well with the soul. The same awakening and realisation also dawned on Anna, Horatio's wife. Their lives thereafter became a testimony of unstinting faith and service, and these examples were passed on through many generations. The human spirit can rise above tragedy.

What then is wellness of the soul? It is the right combination of personality, temperament and character in a person that accords self confidence, contentment and peace. It is being at a place of a right relationship with God. A form of godliness with contentment which St Paul advocated to Timothy, 'godliness with contentment is great gain.' 1 Timothy 6:6. The outward manifestations of such a wellness is holiness and happiness.

A 'poetic' description of such a person is found in Psalm 1:3, 'That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.' I considered words to describe the characteristics of such a contented person and came up with 

• Godly
• Christlike
• Gentle
• Measured
• Merciful
• Charitable
• Reverent
• Compassionate
• Confident
• Benevolent
• Forgiving
• Gracious

If only some of these words were to describe us, we will be truly blessed. In all circumstances we will have the assurance that God is with us.   

Lionel

Ref 1: Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, Inter-varsity Press, 2002