Faith Like A Mustard Seed
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you” (Matt. 17:19).
On one occasion, a man fell upon his knees, and said to Jesus: “Lord, have mercy on my son” (Matt. 17:14-15a). Here is a father who wants desperately to help his son out of dire straits. He used words like “lunatic” and “very ill” to describe his son’s condition, noting that the boy’s illness made him make him fall into the fire and the water, in other words, it left him in a state of self destructiveness (Matt. 17:15b).
The condition was more than just a case of epilepsy; rather, the cause was spiritual. The boy had given into the sirens of demons, and the malevolent spirits set out to destroy him. Compounding the problem was the man brought the stricken child to the disciples, but they were unable to cure him (Matt. 17:16). The disciples had the place of authority to act, but they could not carry out their duty.
“You unbelieving and perverted generation” lamented Jesus (Matt, 17:17a). He was truly broken not only over the failure of the disciples, but also just how far the people of that day had fallen into spiritual bankruptcy. Some had given into the will of Satan, the case in point being the demoniac.
Perhaps things have not changed much, as many sinful people give themselves over to the ways of demons. They succumb to the alluring enticement of sin set before them. They might even convince themselves that embracing the evil is a good thing, a way of emancipation, but the reality is they become entrapped in a snare. Vices such as business corruption, sexual promiscuity, and substance abuse not only can destroy a person, but a nation as well. All these evils are ultimately a spiritual problem. It is the sinfulness of the heart that drives people to succumb to the will of the Devil which leads them to destruction. Jesus’ questions: “How long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?” express disappointment over the situation (Matt. 17:17b).
In spite of unbelief, Jesus still acts, calling for the boy, and exorcising the demon (Matt. 17:17c-18).
When the disciples inquired about why they were unable to drive out the demon, Christ answered, “Because of the littleness of your faith” (Matt. 17:20a). The Lord was not speaking to the amount of their faith but to their faithlessness. They were given authority to cast out demons and heal the sick (Matt. 10:1ff) but on this occasion they failed. Their faith had become impoverished, and impotent in performing their spiritual duties. In fact, whenever the disciples expressed faithlessness, Jesus rebuked them as having “little faith” (Matt. 8:27; 14:31; 16:8). It was not about looking to one’s own strength but calling upon God for supernatural strength. Mark records that this kind of demonic possessions would come out by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29).
The truth is that even a small amount of faith goes a long way. Faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains (Matt. 17:20b). One can do great things not because of the amount of faith they possess; rather, one does great things on account of the object of faith—Jesus Christ.
On one occasion, a man fell upon his knees, and said to Jesus: “Lord, have mercy on my son” (Matt. 17:14-15a). Here is a father who wants desperately to help his son out of dire straits. He used words like “lunatic” and “very ill” to describe his son’s condition, noting that the boy’s illness made him make him fall into the fire and the water, in other words, it left him in a state of self destructiveness (Matt. 17:15b).
The condition was more than just a case of epilepsy; rather, the cause was spiritual. The boy had given into the sirens of demons, and the malevolent spirits set out to destroy him. Compounding the problem was the man brought the stricken child to the disciples, but they were unable to cure him (Matt. 17:16). The disciples had the place of authority to act, but they could not carry out their duty.
“You unbelieving and perverted generation” lamented Jesus (Matt, 17:17a). He was truly broken not only over the failure of the disciples, but also just how far the people of that day had fallen into spiritual bankruptcy. Some had given into the will of Satan, the case in point being the demoniac.
Perhaps things have not changed much, as many sinful people give themselves over to the ways of demons. They succumb to the alluring enticement of sin set before them. They might even convince themselves that embracing the evil is a good thing, a way of emancipation, but the reality is they become entrapped in a snare. Vices such as business corruption, sexual promiscuity, and substance abuse not only can destroy a person, but a nation as well. All these evils are ultimately a spiritual problem. It is the sinfulness of the heart that drives people to succumb to the will of the Devil which leads them to destruction. Jesus’ questions: “How long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?” express disappointment over the situation (Matt. 17:17b).
In spite of unbelief, Jesus still acts, calling for the boy, and exorcising the demon (Matt. 17:17c-18).
When the disciples inquired about why they were unable to drive out the demon, Christ answered, “Because of the littleness of your faith” (Matt. 17:20a). The Lord was not speaking to the amount of their faith but to their faithlessness. They were given authority to cast out demons and heal the sick (Matt. 10:1ff) but on this occasion they failed. Their faith had become impoverished, and impotent in performing their spiritual duties. In fact, whenever the disciples expressed faithlessness, Jesus rebuked them as having “little faith” (Matt. 8:27; 14:31; 16:8). It was not about looking to one’s own strength but calling upon God for supernatural strength. Mark records that this kind of demonic possessions would come out by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29).
The truth is that even a small amount of faith goes a long way. Faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains (Matt. 17:20b). One can do great things not because of the amount of faith they possess; rather, one does great things on account of the object of faith—Jesus Christ.
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