St Matthew 17: 14 – 20
When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “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. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
“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.”
Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
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.”
Reflection
What miracles do you think Jesus would do if he was in your neighbourhood today?
Would he feed lots of hungry people? Would he bring peace to the storms that endanger life and livelihoods? Would he restore dignity to disabled or marginalised people? Would he convince rich people to repay generously those communities they had previously exploited? Perhaps you would witness a miraculous healing.
What miracle does your neighbourhood need today?
In the gospel passage, the need is clear: a devoted father pleads on bended knee. He has tried Jesus’ followers, but their best efforts didn’t help. The seizures keep coming and the father prays for mercy.
Unperturbed by previous failures, Jesus listens. Jesus has compassion. Jesus acts powerfully.
In the Bible, we find healing and faith are deeply entwined. Even today, faith healers of various religions and philosophies perpetuate the idea that a lack of healing is the fault of the person with the affliction or need not having enough faith. In our reading today, however, Jesus never calls the father or the son’s faith into question. Instead, he highlights the lack of faith within his own followers.
What would Jesus say to you and your church today?
Have you and your congregation listened to the pleas of your neighbourhood? Do you have the faith to pray? To speak out and rebuke evil? To act and bring healing?
What miracles do you think Jesus would do if he was in your neighbourhood today?
Today, you bring the living presence of Christ wherever he has placed you. What miracles will you pray, speak out and work for today?
[And, of course, if someone raises a concern such as seizures, as well as listening and praying, please ensure that they are receiving appropriate professional support.]
Prayer
Compassionate God,
thank you that you hear, you care
and you still act powerfully today.
Forgive my lack of faith
when faced with mountainous challenges;
when my prayers, words and actions
seem weak and ineffective
and achieve little.
I ask for a mustard seed of faith,
that the mountains will be moved
and lives changed for the better
in my neighbourhood and the world.
Amen.