Real Living in Faith without Fear

Jesus' example in a healing and the payment of taxes.

The two scenes in today’s passage reveal both the disciples’ limits and Jesus’ calm authority in the face of the world’s realities.

First, the disciples are unable to heal a boy tormented by a spirit. They’ve been with Jesus, seen miracles, and even been sent out to do similar works themselves. Yet here, they fall short. Jesus’ frustration is palpable: How long must I put up with you? (Anyone else get a bit nervous in thinking how much power you’d be able to stir up to immediately healing someone’s epilepsy?)

But Jesus is also ready to act. He steps in, heals the boy, and reminds them that faith, even the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains. It’s not their technique that’s lacking, but their trust in the one who sends them.

Then the scene shifts. A temple tax collector approaches Peter about whether Jesus pays the tax. It’s a small but telling moment. Jesus points out that, technically, as God’s Son, he’s exempt. And yet he chooses not to make an issue of it. So as not to cause offense, he sends Peter to catch a fish with a coin in its mouth to cover both of them. The point isn’t the tax; it’s that these systems, real as they are, don’t define or control him. He will neither be bound by them nor let them derail the mission.

Taken together, the stories remind us: our inadequacies are real, the world’s systems are real, but neither has the final say. Faith calls us to face both without denial and without fear, to keep walking with Jesus, who works within and beyond our limits.

Matthew 17:14-27

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.”

When the disciples came together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Human One is about to be delivered over into human hands. They will kill him. But he will be raised on the third day.” And they were heartbroken.

When they came to Capernaum, the people who collected the half-shekel temple tax came to Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

“Yes,” he said.

But when they came into the house, Jesus spoke to Peter first. “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect taxes, from their children or from strangers?”

“From strangers,” he said.

Jesus said to him, “Then the children don’t have to pay. But just so we don’t offend them, go to the lake, throw out a fishing line and hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a shekel coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”

Prayer

God -

That’s a pretty cool trick Jesus did with the coin in the fish’s mouth. But it’s not paying my taxes (or bills). I’m kidding, Lord, but also kinda not. Indeed, I ask for your help in having the perspective of Jesus who acknowledged the reality of the world, but did not let it get to him.

I let the world get to me so much, Lord. Taxes are one thing and annoying enough. But speed limits and waiting rooms and lack of health care and just people in general. People! If not for people…if everyone would just listen to me, Lord. All would go well.

I know that’s not true, but I often act like it. Because the ways of the world can be so frustrating.

My prayer again: Give me the perspective of Jesus to live within this world as your beloved.

By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.