From Matthew 17:14-20 / Little Faith

This account comes right on the heels of Jesus’, Peter, James and John descending the Mount of Transfiguration. That context helps us understand the depth of Jesus’ cry in v.17 “how long?”

Note first: What an expression of Jesus’ personal grief over the ravages of sin in the human race emerges here.

And can you imagine the jolt of this scene on His humanity? He has just been glorified before 3 of His disciples, and in communion with Moses and Elijah in this glorified state – only to plunge back into a context where sin has brought demonic torture to a little boy, and the state of His own disciple’s faith is so poor, they are unable to offer any help.

I wonder if we share the same when we see such suffering?

But we need to drill down and really grasp what grieves Him so. He tells us plainly: Unbelief. That men are faithless, denying God, refusing to believe His truth and the Gospel of the Kingdom.

I fear that we are (I am) more grieved by the results of faithlessness (like what produces such aberrations as demon possession, war, rape, murder etc.) than we are by faithlessness itself.

As long as faithless people don’t bother us, we don’t seem to mind their faithlessness.

We ignore the most tragic part of their condition – while He grieved it above all else.

What does He call this condition? Twisted or perverse. Because to be oriented this way is to be upside down from the heart and mind of God.

PRAYER: Oh Father, make me grieve the unbelief of men more than the mere acts which vex me most. Give me your heart and mind. For it will drive my energies to see the Gospel is preached more than any other approach to society’s ills. Yes, Jesus healed the boy, but what of those around? And what is healing if we are left in eternal darkness from the face of God in Jesus Christ. Keep us from putting temporal band-aids on the eternally terminal cancer of the soul. Let your glory in Jesus be known. Let your Gospel be preached. Let me be a messenger who boldly, clearly and endlessly proclaims the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name – and reconciliation to you through the Cross.

He grieves. Deeply. And sighs out His exasperation in the moment. It is stunning.

Note second: We must never let the doctrine of God’s impassibility (that God is not driven by external impacts upon His emotions) bleed over into imagining God is unfeeling altogether. Mercy and compassion are not stoical. God is not emotionless, but neither is He driven by or subject to His emotions. He is Lord over Himself. As Paul teaches us by the Spirit in Galatians 5, one fruit of the Spirit is self-control – which must be in perfect form in the One in whose image we are made.

And it is why some branches of Christianity err so greatly in thinking the Spirit brings a lack of self-control – like being “drunk in the Spirit”. He makes us more like the Redeemer, not less. And Jesus was never, ever, under any consideration, out of control.

Note third: We are wont to think of faith in terms of quantity. Perhaps we think this way because we conceive of Jesus’ word regarding “little” faith – as though that is quantitative. Here, Jesus dispels that idea completely.

It is not that the disciples needed greater faith, they (and we) only need faith but the size of the tiny mustard seed -that will do. It is rather that faith must be exercised, rested fully upon God. Indeed, the word rendered “little” here is more often translated “few” in the New Testament.

Some commentators note that the idea is that their faith was poor. It’s size was irrelevant. It’s quality was the issue.

In this case (as is often true of ours) faith was not utilized everywhere it could be.

We believe for this, but not for that. We trust God in some things, but not in all things. We only believe in a few areas, not in many. Oh Father, grant that our eyes might be opened, to trust you in everything, everywhere, at all times. For it is not our faith in and of itself that accomplishes anything – but the One we have faith in – You.

Note fourth: The idea here of moving mountains is simply a figure of speech, a euphemism for doing the impossible. What is normally impossible, may be possible when we believe God and obey accordingly.

It should be noted that neither Jesus, an apostle nor any others after them ever moved a single mountain. Physical mountains are not the point.

Note too, how this has to do with carrying out Christ’s commission, not miracles on demand for our own purposes. In doing His work, furthering His cause, carrying out His will, we have unbounded ability, if we will but trust His promises – trust Him.

Lenski differentiates between saving faith – which is permanent – and “charismatic faith” which would be that of those in Matt. 7 who will prophesy, cast out demons and do other mighty works, but who in the end will be found to not be “known” by Christ as His after all. Such “faith” may come and go. And it is not inherently salvific.

How we need to be sure we are Christ’s agents carrying out Christ’s work according to Christ’s means and methods. Then, in serving Him believing His will will prevail, we can go forward trusting that He can move mountains indeed.