Examples of Faith - Jesus Prepares His Disciples Prior
to His
Death and Resurrection:
Earlier in Jesus' ministry, He calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee
(Matthew 8). Later on in His ministry, after Jesus feeds the 5,000 people,
Peter tries to walk on water having faith in Jesus. Shortly thereafter, Jesus
again gives His disciples
lessons on faith:
We Have No Bread...
And the disciples came to the other side and had
forgotten to take bread.
6
And Jesus said to them, "Watch
out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
7 And they began
to discuss among themselves, saying, "It is because we took no bread."
8
But Jesus, aware of this, said, "You men of little
faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?
9
"Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves
of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
10
"Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets you took
up?
11
"How is it that you do not understand that I did
not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and
Sadducees."
12
Then they understood that He did not say to
beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and
Sadducees."
Matthew 16:5-12 (NAS)
Even after the miracles that the disciples had seen (e.g., calming the storm,
healing the sick, feeding the 5,000, walking on water), they still were worried
about having enough bread in Matthew 16:5-12.
Why Could We Not Help Him?
And when they came to the multitude, a man came
up to Him, falling on his knees before Him, and saying,
15
"Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic, and is very ill; for he often
falls into the fire, and often into the water.
16
"And I
brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him."
17
And Jesus answered and said, "O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long
shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."
18
And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him,
and the boy was cured at once.
19
Then the disciples came
to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"
20
And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say
to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain,
'Move from here to there,' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to
you.
21
["But this kind does not go out except by prayer
and fasting."]
22
And while they were gathering together
in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into
the hands of men;
23
and they will kill Him, and He will
be raised on the third day. "And they were deeply grieved."
Matthew 17:14-23 (NAS)
The twelve disciples were given power by Jesus to cast out demons and to
heal. However in the case of this son who was ill and possessed by a
demon, the disciples were unable to cure him. Jesus told them it was
because of the littleness of their faith.
Question:
According to Matthew 17:20, Jesus told his twelve disciples that if they had
faith...even as small as a mustard seed...they would be able to do what? |