When Your Faith Falls Short • Matthew 17:14-20
By Sydney Charlton
In every season of our lives, we are easily convinced that things will be better once we are finished with whatever we are going through and finally arrive at the next phase of our lives. We believe that life will be less chaotic when the kids are a little older, that we will have more free time in retirement, and that we will be able to accomplish most of our goals and aspirations once our financial situation improves. The truth is, though, there is a great need for faith in every season of our lives. And we must trust in the Lord for all things, rather than becoming self-reliant, as the world has indoctrinated us to.
Believers and unbelievers alike are persuaded to live like machines, operating in a system to scheme toward dreams, hopes, goals, and aspirations. But even the best-built machines wear down, and human bodies do as well. We cannot do enough or produce enough to accomplish all that is required on our own. Faith is essential to everyday life, and we must depend on God in all circumstances.
The power of faith is not found in ourselves; rather, it comes from the One we place our faith in and lean on.
Matthew 17:14-16
As a mom of two young girls, the father portrayed in this account is easy to identify with. The dad’s desperation is almost tangible as we read of his plea for help for his son. “Have mercy on my son,” must have reverberated as he searched for hope. The disciples did not have the faith to heal his son, so the dad went to the Source. He knew their situation was hopeless apart from relying on Jesus. In John 15:5, we read familiar words, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”
Jesus is the source of faith, so why not start with Him? He is the source!
Matthew 17:17-18
Admittedly, it’s not always easy to see our way out of difficult circumstances. We try to figure out all of the inner workings of each possible scenario, refusing to exercise faith and believe that all things will work out for the good of those who Love God and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We want to be able to rationalize and reason, but when we can’t figure it out, doubt settles in like a house guest who has overstayed their welcome.
Doubt often reflects a lack of faith. And Jesus’ rebuke in this passage for doubting could have been toward the disciples or the crowd. People are skeptical of what they haven’t experienced, and for many present, the boy’s healing seemed impossible.
Matthew 17:19-20
After Jesus addressed the issues at hand, the disciples were quick to ask why they couldn’t take care of business like He did. I imagine that the disciples gasped when Jesus told them that they didn’t have enough faith. You see, we can do all the right things and say everything we know to be true of Jesus and His power, but if we don’t believe it in our own lives, we are powerless like the disciples.
Jesus references a mustard seed being the size of faith needed. That miniscule amount of genuine faith in the hands of God Almighty is powerful! Small faith can produce great works for the Kingdom of God when it is focused on Jesus. And when that small amount of faith is nurtured, it grows into even greater faith, a faith that no longer allows us to hear the echos of our culture telling us we can accomplish everything we want on our own accord.
When we look to Christ, we realize He is the only One worthy of putting our hope and faith in! He is the vine, and it is a delight to be the branches in His work (John 15:5).
Charlton is the OneHope Missions Assistant at Crossgates Baptist Church, Brandon.
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