Faith

Matthew 17:14-23

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

¹⁷ “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, 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.”

²² When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. ²³ They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2017:%2014%20-%2023&version=NIV1984)

Have you ever been reprimanded by someone?  If you have you know that it doesn’t feel good and yet sometimes it is necessary.  Jesus calls the generation unbelieving and perverse.  Does that sound like us?  I don’t think a lot has changed since the time that Jesus walked on this earth.  Sometimes we may say we believe but do we really? 

Later the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal the boy and He told them it was because of their lack of faith. I don’t know about you but I know that sometimes I struggle with this passage.  There were so many times that I prayed for the healing of my mother only to see her continue to suffer with Parkinson’s disease.  I would hate to think it was because of my lack of faith that she did not become healed on this earth.  But as I read on, I have some indication that maybe not always is it a lack of faith when we do not experience healing.

Look at the last two verses.  Here Jesus predicts His death and also His resurrection.  I don’t think the disciples really heard His words because they were filled with grief.  He did say He would suffer and die but that wasn’t the end of the story.  He also tells them that He will rise again on the third day.  Now if they would have truly heard this they would not have been filled with grief but rather in wonder of His mighty power.

In life we may suffer.  Cancer may overtake the body or any disease common to man.  We may pray for healing and not receive it.  But look at Jesus, He had all the power in the universe to stop what was happening to Him yet He chose to suffer through it for us.  In the end His glory was revealed when He did rise again.  There is more power in death when there is a resurrection with it.  For those who believe, even after death you will conquer death, resurrection will be in your future.  With that we can be comforted in Him.  Jesus disciples did not have enough faith to reject the evil one that had manifested  himself in this young boy.  The evil one is in this world to seek and destroy but if we have the faith of a mustard seed he cannot touch us.  Do you rest in peace through Jesus Christ?  No matter what your situation you can find healing of your soul through a wonderful and mighty God.

Seek Him and find comfort in Him.  Be healed from unbelief and let Him be your Savior.  Resurrection awaits those who believe.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila