Keep On Learning
Opening Prayer
Jesus, You delivered the demon-possessed, healed the sick, and raised the dead. Forgive my unbelief and fill me with faith.
Read Matthew 17:14-23
[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] “You 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 at 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. 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.” [21] [22] When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered 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. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Do you expect God to heal?After the mountaintop experience comes the messy, down-to-earth, everyday world with its disappointments. The disciples (perhaps those left at the bottom of the mountain) could not heal the demon-possessed boy (16). Why not (19)?Jesus’ rebuke for their lack of faith may seem harsh. They had, after all, been trying to do a good thing (17). But why did they think they could heal this boy? Were they trusting in their own powers? Did they imagine that their status as followers of the healer Jesus would enable them to do miracles? “Faith” in ourselves has no power at all. The faith Jesus speaks about, however, invokes the immeasurable power of God (20). Nothing is too big for that. The “amount” of faith is of no consequence. What does God want us to pray for? The disciples are learning. As they gather in Galilee, ready for the final Passover journey to Jerusalem, Jesus continues to teach them about what will happen to him there (22,23). This time, Peter doesn’t rebuke him, but the disciples are “filled with grief.” They still can’t get their minds around the good news part of Jesus’ prophecy.
Apply
If you wonder why we are not seeing God move as we see in Scripture, don’t avoid asking why (19). Then listen.
Closing prayer
God, raise up a church that expects You to work miracles. May we do the “greater works” promised (John 14:12).
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