Jesus' Faith in Us
It's still a bit of a mystery that he would think we can do things. But believe in us, he does.
It’s interesting that this healing story doesn’t center a miracle. One could suppose that when Jesus reprimands the disciples about a lack of faith in changing the son’s medical situation, he is implying that if they had enough of it, they could perform a miracle.
But it’s also possible to read the story and “simply” think that Jesus is saying that if they had particular faith, they would be able to cast out his crippling ailment (“demon”) one way or another.
What are the problems around us today that, if we just had enough faith beyond throwing up our hands in despair, we could actually do something about them? Clearly, Jesus has the power to fix it all immediately. Is it just as clear that he hopes we would? …that he believes we can?
Matthew 17:14-20
When they came to the crowd, a man met Jesus. He knelt before him, saying, “Lord, show mercy to my son. He is epileptic and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire or the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
Jesus answered, “You faithless and crooked generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Then Jesus spoke harshly to the demon. And it came out of the child, who was healed from that time on.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and said, “Why couldn’t we throw the demon out?”
“Because you have little faith,” he said. “I assure you that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Go from here to there,’ and it will go. There will be nothing that you can’t do.”
Prayer
God,
Another big hurricane has swept across Florida. In terms of the actual storm and its destruction, I confess it’s hard to know how to pray. Can you just stop it? Would you?
But I can much more immediately pray for your strength to be upon those in its wake. May your compassion fill those who can do something. Give hope to those who have lost a lot. Be present with those who are scared.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.