Day 259: Using what faith we have – Luke 9 vs 37 - 45

37-40 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child.  An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 41 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.” 42 As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. 

43-44 Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power. While everyone was marvelling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.”  45 But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. Luke 9:37-45 New Living Translation paraphrase. (New King James Version link)

Why do you think Jesus spoke so strongly to the people in vs 41?

It's a tough question, but perhaps part of the answer is in what the disciples Matthew and Mark said about this incident. Mark tells us that the child's father also had doubts about whether his son could be saved from the demon's power. We read: “Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”  And he said, “From childhood, and it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “'If you can!' All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:21-24)

When Jesus pointed out that all things are possible for those who believe (in God's power) the father used what little faith he had to ask Jesus to help his son. That should encourage us. Our faith may be as weak as this man's was, but it should never stop us from calling on the Lord and from believing that he is able (and willing) to help us in our distress.

Matthew tells us a bit more about how the disciples responded. He says: “The disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why couldn't we cast it out?' He said to them, 'Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.'” (Matthew 17:19-20) I think Jesus' rebuke in vs 41 was because it's so disappointing when we as people have such big doubts about God's goodness and power. After all, it's not how amazing our faith is that brings results, but how amazing and awesome God's power is. So even 'a little faith' can lead to huge outcomes. But why do you think Jesus said to his disciples what we read in vs 43-44 when everyone had been so amazed at what they had seen?

I can only guess here, but perhaps it was to keep their feet on the ground. Having told them of faith that can 'move mountains' they may’ve already been thinking of a road to big things and mega success in the future. Jesus' reminds them of why he had come into the world and what lay ahead of him. The fact that, even then, the implications of what Jesus said didn't hit them, shows that one of the ways we need to use faith is to ask God daily to give us real understanding of his word and to make it alive in our hearts. And, just as the father asked Jesus to 'help his unbelief', so we need to ask the Lord to help us when doubts keep us from trusting God in every situation, even in the struggles we have with sins that still darken our lives. May God help us to use what faith we have to grow in our understanding, and as we seek to serve the Lord Jesus in the world.