If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you

 

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  

 

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

 

- Matthew 17:14-21 

 

Yesterday we read that after six days following St. Peter's confession of faith, and His subsequent revelation to the disciples of His Passion (see here and here), Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

 

  And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  My study Bible comments that sickness in Scripture is often connected to demonic activity.  By kneeling, this father is showing humility, but he lacks faith.  While the disciples also lacked faith, as Jesus says (see verse 20), He rebukes the man for putting the blame on the disciples when it was his greater lack of faith that prevented the boy's healing.  Effectively, Jesus is defending His disciples in front of the multitudes, but later rebukes them privately (verses 19-21).  This teaches us that we should first correct people in private (see also Matthew 18:15-17).

 

 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who notes that this rebuke is directed at the nine disciples who could not cast out the demon.  The "pillars" of faith -- Peter, James, and John (Galatians 2:9) -- were not included in the rebuke, as they had been on the mountain with Christ (see yesterday's reading, above).   This kind, my study Bible says, refers to all powers of darkness, and not only those that cause a particular illness.  The banishment of demons requires faith, prayer, and fasting (verses 20-21), for there isn't any healing or victory in spiritual warfare without all three of these.  Beginning with the Didache, Church Fathers have taught that both the person in need of healing and the person performing the healing must believe, pray, and fast.  Regarding moving a mountain, my study Bible comments that while it is not recorded that an apostle literally moved a mountain, Church Fathers are clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen (there were certain saints who made crevices appear in mountains).  Moreover, not everything the apostles accomplished was written down.  Beyond its literal meaning, Christ's promise is also an illustration of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  Theophylact comments, "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.

 

 Faith plays the starring role, the central part, in today's reading.  Faith is such an essential part of all of the Bible, not just Jesus' gospel message.  But it plays an even deeper role, if that is possible, in the New Testament.  Yesterday's reading (above) gave us the event of the Transfiguration, and a great element present (indicating God's presence) is light.  That is, the uncreated light of God.  But in the Transfiguration were also the elements of light that guided the Israelites through the wilderness, as they followed Moses in search of the Promised Land.  The "bright cloud" in yesterday's reading was a reminder of the pillar of fire that burned by night, and the cloud overhead during the day that guided Israel at that time.  But the root that all of these symbols and forms of light is really faith.  Why follow the pillar of fire?  Why follow the bright cloud?  Why follow Moses (who also appeared in yesterday's reading)?  These are all done through the power of faith, and it is the power of faith that is at the heart of whatever good came out of that struggle, that obedience to God, that Promise of God for the people to find their home.  But here in today's reading, Christ's emphasis on faith takes an even deeper step.  This faith isn't only about obedience to God's word, but it is the very thing that enables God's power to work to help human beings, to create the fruits of God's work and manifest signs and miracles, and to have the power to cast out demons.  If we consider Christ coming into a world "ruled" by the evil one (John14:30), then He came into our world as Savior as in a battle.  He described the battle in these terms Himself, when He spoke of the "stronger man" who could overcome the strong man of this world, after the religious leaders accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (see Luke 11:16-23).  At that time, Jesus made a remarkable statement of invincibility:  "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  But with all of His power, without our faith, we cannot access its strength for our help.  Only faith is the key that unlocks God's promises for us, and it truly does so much.  Jesus says in today's that "this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  This gives us an important clue that we can bolster our faith through the practices given to us in the Church, such as prayer and fasting, a very important affirmation by Christ of the power of these tools of our faith.  Just as the Israelites wandered in the desert following Moses, so I have found in my life that faith made all the difference for the path that I was on, for it guided me in good steps through difficult circumstances.  Let us remember how essential our faith is to who we are and to what kind of lives we lead; it is Christ who leads us on that narrow path that is the good one for us and there is no other to help.  One thing is for certain, regardless of how strong we might think our faith is, there is always a greater faith to gain and grow into.  Jesus speaks of the power of faith as small as a mustard seed!  Just imagine what is possible with God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting

 

And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

 

 - Matthew 17:14-21 

 

On Saturday we read that, following Peter's confession of faith and Jesus' first warning to the disciples of His Passion to come, after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.   

And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."  My study Bible comments that sickness in Scripture is often connected to demonic activity.  As the father here is kneeling down before Christ, he shows humility.  However, he lacks faith.   Although the disciples also lacked faith, Christ rebukes the man for placing the blame on the disciples when it was his greater lack of faith that prevented the boy's healing.  Effectively, Jesus is defending His disciples in front of the crowds, but later rebukes them privately.  My study Bible says that this teaches us that we ought first to correct people in private (see Matthew 18:15-17).  According to St. John Chrysostom, this latter rebuke is actually directed to the nine disciples who could not cast out the demon, for Jesus and "the pillars" of faith (Peter, James, and John -- see Galatians 2:9) were not included in the rebuke, as they had been on the mountain with Christ. 

"However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  This kind, my study Bible explains, refers to all powers of darkness, and not just those which cause a particular illness.  It notes that the banishment of demons requires faith, prayer, and fasting, as there is no healing and no victory in spiritual warfare without all three.  Beginning with the Didache, patristic commentary has taught that both the person in need of healing and the person who performs the healing must believe, pray, and fast. 

Today's reading opens us up to ask the question, "What is faith, and how does it work?"  Ultimately when we look at the root of the word in the Gospel for faith, we see it is the word that means essentially "trust" in Greek.  To trust in Christ is a powerful testament to faith, to trust in God involves the heart and the deepest parts of who we are.  Trust is also a powerful component of love.  For, if we have ever had the sad experience of a broken relationship, we might find that a betrayal of trust is perhaps the greatest breaker of such bonds of love.  Forgiveness may come to repair that bond when the process of repentance is accepted by both parties, and so trust can be re-established.  Faith, therefore, in this sense involves both trust and love, and includes the power of loyalty derived from both in terms of our own communion with God.  There are many ways in which trust may be broken, and thus our own sense of ourselves within God's communion or the Body of Christ may also be broken through betrayals made in bad faith.  But our depth of rootedness in our Creator goes beyond such earthly betrayals or seeming letdowns.  Faith in God does not simply depend upon the rest of the community of believers alone, but -- as Jesus indicates here -- our own initiative is indispensable to faith.  If that were not so, why would both prayer and fasting be indicated here as effective methods of increasing faith?  We often think of engaging in these historical practices of the Church in terms of responding to faith that is already present -- that is, we might think of following these practices because we have faith.  But what if we were to take Christ's words here as an effective and powerful prescription for increasing our faith?  Then we would perhaps have the right mindset He seeks, that He is encouraging His disciples to engage in these practices in order to maintain and increase good faith, for effective healing in the Church and all that might entail for us.  In the historical mind of the Church, these practices are kept and held, and while many people might feel they are practices only for the very devout or those dedicated monks and nuns in monasteries, it is here offered to us as ways to increase and develop deeper faith.  Aside from this, these practices encourage our discipline as followers of Christ, and moreover they help us to know that we are far more capable than we know in terms of deepening our communion with God.  For those who consider such disciplines extremely difficult, consider the varying degrees to which we might incorporate them more regularly in our lives and our schedules.  A prayer rule should not exceed our patience or our capacity for managing our time.  Fasting is typically practiced in stages during traditional periods like Lent, and may be lessened or expanded in strictness; that is, moving toward a vegan diet in general, but also can be understood as fasting from certain harmful practices it would be better to curb.  There are those who fast from social media, for example, or we may choose to fast from gossip.  In essence, we may come to see Christ's words as not simply for those like the disciples who have honorary positions in the Church, but for all believers who wish to draw more close to Christ, and to experience the greater benefits of faith in our lives, including a deepening sense of self-discipline under Christ's love.  In this way, we might find, in fact, a stronger and deeper sense of self that is given to us in return, strengthening us in our bond of love to Christ, and in which we in turn may take confidence in our lives.  Let us look ahead to that place of deepening faith by following Christ and putting into practice the things He guides us toward, thereby moving more deeply into the place He has for us in His embrace.

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?

 

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." 

 

- Matthew 17:14-21 

 

Yesterday we read that, following Peter's confession of faith and Jesus' prophecy of His Passion, after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

 

  And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  My study Bible comments that sickness in Scripture is often connected to demonic activity.  In kneeling, this father is showing humility, even though he lacks faith.  

 

Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  My study Bible notes that the disciples also lacked faith (as Christ will tell them in private further along in today's reading), but Christ rebukes the man for placing the blame on the disciples when it was his greater lack of faith that prevented the boy's healing.  Effectively, Jesus defends His disciples in front of the crowds, but later He rebukes them privately, teaching us that we ought first to correct people in private (see Matthew 18:15-17).  

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who notes that this rebuke is directed at the nine disciples who could not cast out the demon, whereas "the pillars" of faith -- Peter, James, and John (Galatians 2:9) -- were not included in the rebuke, as they had been on the Mount of Transfiguration with Christ (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible further comments that this kind (to which Jesus refers) means all powers of darkness, not just those that cause a particular illness.  It says that the banishment of demons requires faith, prayer, and fasting, for there is no healing and no victory in spiritual warfare without all three of these.  Starting with the Didache, patristic literature has taught that both the person in need of healing and the person performing the healing must believe, pray, and fast.  

It seems that our current section of St. Matthew's Gospel continually reminds us of the power of faith and its necessity for us.  Perhaps this strong emphasis on faith -- although always a part of the gospel message -- is emphasized at this stage of Christ's ministry because we have now begun to get a dual message of both Christ's divinity as Son of the living God and also that He will be a suffering Messiah.   Both of these elements were affirmed in yesterday's reading (above) of the Transfiguration, as His identity as Son was revealed in the midst of a manifestation of the Holy Trinity.  Moreover, Matthew's Gospel does not specifically mention it, but in Luke's Gospel we're told that what He discussed with Moses and Elijah was His "exodus" (the literal word in the Greek), referring to His Passion, death, and Resurrection.  See Luke 9:28-36, in which the Greek word exodus/εξοδος is translated as "decease."   The combination of both Christ's divinity and His suffering as Messiah will mean that faith becomes paramount in building the Church, as Jesus indicated in His response to St. Peter's confession of faith, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).  Faith has been shown to be the engine that keys in Christ's power to heal in so many instances, and the lack of faith has also been given as the reason He "did not do many mighty works" in His hometown of Nazareth (Matthew 13:58).  Faith is the connector to Christ, the thing that enables Him to share His power with the disciples, and by extension with us.  In yesterday's reading, we were given the Transfiguration, which revealed to us the divinity of Christ, and elements of His Kingdom that may dwell within us and among us, such as the reality of the communion of saints.  But His Transfiguration also reveals to us His power and how it works in us and in our world, as through "touch" with Him the Cross would be transfigured into an instrument for salvation, for the "death of death" as the Orthodox Paschal hymn indicates, and a symbol of hope for a world in need of that salvation still today.  Faith is the key to repentance; without faith, where is the hope in repentance?  Moreover, faith is the key to righteousness, as St. Paul writes of Abraham (Romans 4).  And this justification by faith bring peace with God through Christ, as well as grace, which in turn enables "hope in the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:1-5).  Each of these things is both dependent upon and enabled through faith.  In these various examples, we see how faith is the key to so much in our lives.  One can imagine perseverance in faith placed in other, temporal things, such as angling for a good career, or saving to purchase something, or working for selfish goals as well.  But faith in Christ opens up an entirely different field of hope, energy, grace, and perseverance that is not dependent upon material outcomes -- and that is something one cannot replace with alternatives.  Let us seek to find the key of faith and what it unlocks for us, for there is so much more that we don't yet know.  

 

 

 

Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great

 

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 

- Luke 9:37-50 

 

Yesterday we read that, it came to pass, about eight days after Peter's confession and Jesus' first prophesy of His Passion (see Thursday's reading), He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered; and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. 

 

  Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  Note that the disciples who could not cast out the spirit from the boy are the ones who remained behind, while Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the mount of Transfiguration (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible remarks that while these disciples' faith was incomplete (see Matthew 17:19-20), Christ's rebuke is also to the crowds, whose faith was weaker still (see Mark 9:22-24, in which Jesus teaches the father he must believe, in words similar to His teaching to Jairus prior to healing his daughter).  

 

 And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  My study Bible comments that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion was meant to encourage and strengthen His disciples for the terrifying events they would face, and to assure them that Christ was not powerless but went to the Cross willingly.  

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  My study Bible comments that this question indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  It is possible that this question is prompted by a misunderstanding that Christ will come into a worldly kingdom after His betrayal (see Matthew 17:22-23, in which Jesus adds that He will be raised up on the third day).  Jesus emphasizes what will be understood as gracious behavior; the virtues of humility and care for "the least of these My brethren" (see Matthew 25:31-46).  Their lives are to be dedicated to service and care, not worldly notions of greatness.

 

Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."   According to my study Bible, Theophylact views John's comment here as a regret, as his conscience had been pricked by what Christ said above about the least and the great.  But St. Ambrose of Milan, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  In either interpretation, my study Bible notes, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

In today's reading, we seem to get examples of what happens with a lack of faith, and then what happens where an abundance of faith is present.  There is first of all the example of the child who could not be healed.  Jesus exclaims, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?" because of the lack of faith.  In Mark's version of this story, Jesus tells the father of the boy, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  And immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (see Mark 9:14-29).  In Matthew's reporting of this story, the disciples later privately ask Jesus why they could not heal the boy.  He says to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:19-21).   We see the difference between the 'inner circle' of Christ -- those three pillars of faith among them, Peter, James, and John, who accompany Christ to the mount of Transfiguration -- and the other disciples, who could not heal the boy.  In the context of the Gospels, the differences here can all be attributed to the levels of faith of the participants.   Later on, when it is reported that there are others who are casting out demons in Christ's name, we see the effects of faith even among those who are not nominally a part of the group of the twelve disciples, as he does not follow with them.  In some sense, it seems to point to an overflowing abundance of faith, so powerful that it distributes even among those who are not a part of their group, and is clearly effective at doing something the disciples recently could not do.  This effect of faith has implications for both power and authority, because demons are cast out through both.   In between these two parts of today's reading, we have Christ's strong teaching about humility and service, and this is an important coupling, because it really teaches us about how faith becomes truly effective.  Our faith is perhaps truly tested and strengthened through tests of humility.  Without humility, how can we share in the power and authority of Christ?  How could we give up the praise of the world for the praise of God (John 12:43)?  How can we have a true and secure faith?  If we do not understand what it is to be obedient to Christ, how can we truly share in His communion, and participate in His ministry to the world?  Without humility, how could the disciples accept the validity of another who does not follow with them?  Finally, we take a look at the core here, the words so powerful that the disciples cannot understand them, cannot take them in.  Jesus says to the disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  His strong imagery ("let these words sink down into your ears") expresses to us the difficulty He knows the disciples experience in taking in this message -- and we read that they still do not understand.  It is something unthinkable for them.  How can the Messiah be betrayed?  How could the Christ be defeated or suffer?  We will see what happens through Christ's Passion, but this is the story of the greatest humility of all, the One who, although divine, will give up His human life and suffer for us.  It remains the most powerful story of sacrifice for the sake of others, for the salvation of the world.  It is the ultimate story of obedience to God, and Christ will set the example for all, so that when He speaks of each of us taking up our own crosses daily, we will know the length to which He was prepared to go for our sakes first.  Each of these factors teaches us about faith, and the things that are necessary for and make up components of a strong faith:  humility, discipline, a willingness to sacrifice, the capacity to serve, and the ability to see Christ in even the "least of these His brethren."  For here we are, following Him, and in our faith we are to grow, and these components must grow together with that faith as well.  Let us be good disciples and follow where He leads first.

 

 

 

I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you

 

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

 

- Matthew 17:14-21 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

 

  And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  My study Bible comments that sickness in Scripture is often connected to demonic activity.  By kneeling, it says, this father shows humility, but what he lacks is faith.  Although the disciples also lacked faith (in verse 20 further on, Jesus says to them, "Because of your unbelief . . . "), Christ rebukes the man for placing the blame on the disciples when it was his greater lack of faith that prevented the boy's healing.  In effect, Jesus defends His disciples in front of the multitudes but later rebukes them privately (see verses 19-21 which follow in today's reading), teaching us that we ought first to correct people in private (see also Matthew 18:15-17).  

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  My study Bible cites John Chrysostom, who notes that this rebuke is directed only at the nine disciples who could not cast out the demon, whereas "the pillars" of faith -- Peter, James, and John (Galatians 2:9) -- were not included in this rebuke, as they had been on the mountain (of Transfiguration) with Christ (see Saturday's reading, above).  This kind, it says, refers to all powers of darkness, not only those that cause a particular illness.  The banishment of demons requires faith, prayer, and fasting, as there is no healing and no victory in spiritual warfare without all three, and all serve to shore up faith and discipline faith.  Beginning with the Didache (the earliest teaching document of the Church, attributed to the apostles), patristic teaching has always held that both the person in need of healing and the person performing the healing must believe, pray, and fast.  On moving a mountain, see also Matthew 21:21.

Jesus exclaims to the father in today's reading, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?"  This would seem to include the crowd, the "multitude" that surrounds the disciples and the father with his boy.  We should note that Jesus asks that the boy be brought to Him, suggesting that Jesus is separating this father from the crowd that watches.  Indeed, in Mark 9:14, we're told that in fact "when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them" (Mark 9:14).  This detail suggests a kind of clamor going on while Jesus -- together with Peter, James, and John -- was returning from the Mount of Transfiguration (see Saturday's reading, above).  It first of all adds to the understanding that Jesus does not rebuke His disciples in front of the crowd, but only in private afterward.  Second of all, in separating the boy and his father from the crowd, Jesus is separating them from those who dispute with the disciples and who lack faith in this apparently acrimonious display.  Just as Christ separated the daughter and her parents from the crowd who ridiculed Him when He said she was not dead (in Matthew 9:23-26), so He also seeks to separate the father and the boy from the disputatious crowd and the scribes who are likely stirring them up.  So, once again, we observe that faith works not only with individuals but also corporately, with groups of people, and with this crowd their lack of faith also impacts what is happening.  When Jesus healed a paralytic, it was the faith of the paralytic's friends that brought about his healing, despite the presence of the scribes who doubted (see Matthew 9:1-7).  These examples all show us it's not just the faith of an individual that impacts circumstances, but the faith of those who may surround or somehow make up the environment or other relationships also makes an impact -- or their lack of faith as well.  It is why we come together corporately for worship, and it directly reflects on the notion that we ask others to pray for us, as we also pray for others.  Indeed, our faith in God also bears directly upon our capacity for forgiveness, for giving up a circumstance or a hurt or a perceived grievance or sin committed against us to God, just as Jesus has taught us to forgive that we may be forgiven in the Lord's Prayer ("forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" - Matthew 6:12).  As Jesus emphasizes repeatedly in today's reading, so much depends upon faith, and upon what we do to shore up, strengthen, and discipline our faith, such as prayer.  Here, Jesus' exclamation reflects the growing rejection of His ministry, the failure to find faith in various cities where so many of His various signs and healings have already happened.  But we read the Gospels not only to know the history of Jesus, but to learn for our own lives how faith works -- and how important the actions that help our faith are in our own lives.  Corporate worship is important, because we need the help, comfort, and support of those whose faith can help to build up and maintain our own.  Asking people to pray for us, or praying for others, is not only good but also commanded by Christ in our prayers.  We remember also that we are surrounded, as St. Paul says, by a great cloud of witnesses who pray and worship with us (Hebrews 12:1), and who help us to endure and finish our own "race that is set before us."  As Christ has indicated so often, we have need of practices that help our faith, that build it up, that support it, that help to carry it along and maintain it, and that would also include -- as in His repeated examples -- separating ourselves from that which tears it down, or people whose influence is simply to actively do so.  Let us continue in the race set before us, this "good struggle" (often translated as the "good fight" or "good warfare" of faith - see 1 Timothy 1:18, 6:12).  Let us build up the faith, even as a mustard seed, that He asks of us, just as He asked of His disciples then.

 

 

Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great

 

St. Ignatius of Antioch being devoured by lions in the Colosseum at Rome.  Menologion of Byzantine Emperor Basil II (r. 976–1025), illustrated manuscript, ca. 1000.  Vatican Library (Ms. Vat. gr. 1613)

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 

- Luke 9:37–50 

 

Yesterday we read that, about eight days after Jesus first warned the disciples about the events and struggles to come (see Monday's reading), that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

 

  Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  My study bible comments on this passage that while the disciples' faith was incomplete (see Matthew 17:19-20), Christ's rebuke (O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?) is directed also to the crowds, whose faith was weaker still (see Mark 9:22-24). 

 

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. This is the second warning that Jesus gives to the disciples about the betrayal and His suffering to come.  My study bible tells us that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion was meant to encourage and strengthen His disciples for the terrifying events that they would face, and also to assure them that Christ was not powerless but went to the Cross willingly.

 Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."   Addressing the dispute as to which of them would be greatest, Jesus uses a little child to teach them about power, hierarchy, and humility.  The little child has the least stature, and yet if they receive one little child in His name, they will be receiving not only Christ, but also the Father who sent Him.   In Orthodox iconography, St. Ignatius of Antioch is depicted as this child.  In certain legends of saints, he is the boy who gave the loaves and fishes (John 6:9).  Regarding the dispute with the other who was casting out demons in Christ's name, Theophylact observes John's comment as regret:  his conscience was pricked by what Christ said about the least and the great.   But, on the other hand, St. Ambrose of Milan sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  My study bible comments that in either interpretation, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23, Acts 19:13-16.

Ignatius of Antioch was a first century bishop, who became a martyr.  There is dispute about the letters we have from him, but generally it is considered that the texts we have are at least based upon authentic communications of the saint, if possibly expanded from originals.  St. Ignatius called himself Theophoros, meaning one who bore God within himself.  (We contrast the title Theophoros with Theotokos, which refers to Mary the Mother of God, the one who literally bore or gave birth to Christ.)  A hallmark of his letters is a profound humility to the point of bearing all the ills and afflictions the world would impose for the sake of the love of Christ.  He uses the term "God's athlete" to describe himself, and as an image for other faithful, meaning one who might bear all kinds of pains and struggles for the sake of the great prize of ultimate faith in Christ, and the crown of martyrdom.  Indeed, the story of St. Ignatius is that he ultimately died in the Colosseum at Rome, being given to wild beasts for the entertainment of the crowds.  In the story of St. Ignatius we can read the ultimate outcome of the little boy who served as a model for Christ's teaching of humility among the twelve apostles.  His great desire was to give his life for Christ, to be -- as perhaps the adult who was that little boy -- one who truly became an example of the faith for all, who bore in himself and followed to the end the life of the One whom he called his bishop, Jesus Christ.  Indeed, he saw this as his mission, as he repeated in the letters that we have.  It is a kind of fullness of Christ's teaching regarding the least and the greatest that Ignatius grew to be the martyr that we know, the one who gave his life as an athlete or soldier for Christ, because it is an expression of the deep love which Christ first expressed to him as the little child in today's reading.   It seems to me quite possible, even likely, that St. Ignatius gave himself the name Theophoros ("God-Bearer") precisely in response to this statement of Jesus directing the apostles to see in the child Christ Himself and also the Father who sent Him.  There are all kinds of ways to be great in this world.  We commonly focus ourselves on our homes, our families, our jobs, our wealth, what we look like, and all these things by which success most often seems to be measured.  But let us consider today an entirely different mindset in the extraordinary humility of the St. Igantius, who sought to bear God in the world following the word of Christ whom he called his bishop.  St. Ignatius teaches us to be athletes and soldiers for Christ, entering an arena, and dedicating our whole lives with such passion to the One who loved us first, and taught us what it meant to be truly great.  His greatest honor was the crown -- the laurel wreath -- of martyrdom, giving his all in loyalty to Christ whom he served above all. 

 

 

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great." Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

- Luke 9:37-50

Yesterday we read that, about eight days after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, and Christ's first warning of what is to come in His Passion (see this reading), He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  Faith is directly connected to the efficacy of healing, as we've seen, for example, in the stories of Jairus's daughter and the woman with the hemorrhage (in this reading), and the paralytic helped by his friends (5:17-26).  Jesus' cry, O faithless and perverse generation, applies both to the disciples and to the crowds.  The disciples' faith was incomplete (see Matthew 17:19-20 for more details of this story).  But the crowd's was still weaker.  In Mark's version (Mark 9:22-24), we read the plea of the father, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  While the disciples witness Christ's extraordinary healings, they must be prepared for what is to come in His Passion and crucifixion.  My study bible says that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion was meant to encourage and strengthen them for the terrifying events that they would face, and also to assure them that He was not powerless, but goes to the Cross willingly.  The Gospels witness to their natural fear to ask questions about the things He's telling them.

 Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great." Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."  Jesus teaches the disciples about the greatest virtue for Christians, the foundation of discipleship:  humility.  My study bible notes that Theophylact sees John's comment regarding the person they forbade from casting out demons in Christ's name as one of regret -- John's conscience having been pricked by what Christ says here about the least and the great.  St. Ambrose, to the contrary, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  But in either interpretation, the response of Jesus tells us that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they're not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples" (see also Numbers 11:24-30).  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

It's interesting to note the "network" quality of the power of Christ.  True faith works like a network, a communion or communication of circuits working between people and linking them in the communion of power with Christ.  It's as if a circuit is completed through faith, such as in the story of the woman with the blood flow (8:43-48), whose touch to the hem of Christ's garment from behind released power from Him to heal her.  These stories tell us something about the nature of faith and the connections it makes between us through the power of Christ working within each of us.  Jesus teaches, "The kingdom of God is within you" when asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come (17:20-21), meaning both within you and among you.  In Matthew 18:20, Jesus tells His disciples, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."  At His Ascension, Jesus left the disciples with the statement, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."   It is faith that makes a link like a circuit that runs among people and through and within the power and presence of Christ.  We can also see this at work in His sending out of the disciples as apostles.  Luke tells us that He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases (9:1).  This power He distributes through the twelve forms a kind of circuit which can be shared with others through faith.  One wonders if Christ's spiritual reality doesn't simply lie dormant in all of us, waiting for this connection of faith somewhere deep inside us all, a potential for communion and relationship that is always there, made more full as promise of participation through baptism, and kindled within us through discipleship and spiritual growth.  In today's reading, Jesus also teaches the disciples about His Passion to come.  Without faith, what meaning would Christ's suffering have?  How does faith change the way that we see and experience our own suffering, or possible sacrifices we make for the love of Christ?  Moreover, He teaches about humility, a quality necessary for real faith, and for dependency upon God.  So much depends upon this one "circuit" within ourselves, at any given moment.  Let us consider its power.   But the root of faith itself is a kind of mystery deep within us; nevertheless it is that mystery within each of us -- that "yes" from within -- upon which so much seems to hinge. 

If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

- Matthew 17:14-21

On Saturday, we read that following Jesus' prophecy to the disciples of His Passion, death and Resurrection, after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  My study bible tells us that sickness in Scripture is often connected to demonic activity.  As we will see, ancient commentators (specifically Origen) saw this passage referring specifically to exorcism, where the illness named here as epilepsy is actually the effect of  particular demonic activity in the man's son.  This father kneels before Christ and shows humility, but he lacks faith.  Christ's rebuke is directed here more to the father, says my study bible, whose faith is more lacking than the disciples who have been attempting to heal his son.   However, in a recent reading, Jesus has said to the Pharisees and Sadducees who tested Him, "A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  His statement here about a faithless generation seems to reflect the lack of faith He's found in general, especially at this point in His ministry.  What we notice here also is the destructive nature of this particular illness, an indication of demonic activity; the son "often falls into the fire and often into the water." 

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  Jesus did not rebuke His disciples in public, but does so privately, giving us an example of a good leader and teacher.   This is directed to the nine disciples who could not cast out the demon.  St. John Chrysostom points out that "the pillars" of faith -- Peter, James, and John (Galatians 2:9) -- weren't included in this rebuke, as they'd just come from the Mount of Transfiguration with Christ.  Jesus' statement about moving a mountain is often used out of context.  But in the context of the reading, Origen comments that this mountain refers to "hostile powers that have their being in a flood of great wickedness, such as are settled down, so to speak, in some souls of various people."   He goes on to comment that faith as a mustard seed is like that of Abraham, whose faith was accounted to him as righteousness.   To understand the image of the mustard seed, we refer to Christ's parable of the mustard seed, in this reading.  The fact that Jesus refers to prayer and fasting as weapons for such a healing indicates that we are indeed speaking of righteousness in spiritual struggle -- Origen's suggestion that the "mountains" are indeed those "hostile powers" seems to be substantiated by the references in context.  To "move mountains" says Origen, is to remove the burden of  oppression from the sufferer and cast it into "the abyss."  For this, he writes, one's own righteousness is a necessary condition.

St. Paul uses this phrase as well, when he writes,  "Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:2).  What we see in context isn't an impossible prescription given here by Christ that somehow we fall short if any and all miracles aren't available to us for performance, but rather is all about spiritual struggle and personal righteousness through faith.  It is made all the more poignant, and put into an even greater context by St. Paul, who writes of love as the greatest virtue and spiritual fruit of all -- even in direct comparison with the faith that removes mountains.  And in some sense, right here in the connections to this reading and this teaching by Jesus, we have the whole of this new covenant, of the gospel message:  that faith is essential for our lives and well-being and for helping others, but everything comes under the context and direction and substance of love.  St. John will teach us that God is love.  Jesus will teach that first, love of God, and second, love of neighbor, are the two greatest commandments, and that on these two together hang all the Law and the Prophets (22:36-40).  We will never understand Christ at all if we do not understand the reality that He is pointing us to, the great fruit of faith -- and what and whom it is in which we have faith and whom we serve.  We must "know what manner of spirit we are of" (see Luke 9:55-56).  We will never understand the power of faith if we do not understand the connection between faith and love, nor will we really make head or tail of His teachings and commandments.  He is here as liberator, to free us from the oppression of evil, the mountains that can oppress -- and in an act of the greatest love, He will give His life to do so, as very friend to us.  Here must be the root of faith and the power of faith:  to respond to God's love with love.  In this is evil and spiritual darkness overthrown; in this righteousness born of love of God we can find the power to help remove the mountains that oppress others.  He is the great light in the darkness that shows us the way, His Way.  This is what His ministry, His very Incarnation as human being, is all about.  Sometimes love, in all its strength and commandments, is difficult to understand or discern.  This is especially so when it casts a great dazzling light on the darkness we don't want to see for what it is, or in its action that seeks to cast off the mountain we may be well used to having about. 

This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

- Matthew 17:14-21

Yesterday, we read that, having taught the disciples about His future suffering, death, and Resurrection, after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.   My study bible points out that in Scripture, sickness is often connected to demonic activity.  This father shows humility, he kneels before Jesus.  But Jesus' emphasis here is on lack of faith.  It's a way of telling us what is truly essential, necessary for a particular connection with Him.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  Jesus doesn't rebuke the disciples in public, but in private He also chastises them for their lack of faith.  My study bible says this teaches us that we ought first to correct people in private.  Apparently, Peter, James, and John -- Jesus' inner circle -- were not included in this rebuke, as they'd just come with Jesus from the mountain where the Transfiguration took place.   By noting prayer and fasting, Jesus emphasizes the importance of spiritual practices.  Faith, prayer, and fasting have always held a place of important emphasis from the early Church and even the teachings found in the Didache, the earliest book of teachings we have.  These are important both for those who need healing, and those doing the healing.  This example is that of an exorcism, making the circumstances perhaps all the more dire and vivid for us.

In today's reading, Jesus emphasizes the essential nature of faith as necessity for healing.  But He also speaks to the disciples about really tough cases, great difficulties.  And for that He includes prayer and fasting.  What we have, then, are tools for times of great difficulty, problems that are exceedingly hard to resolve.  That is particularly true, I think, for times of danger and the accompanying great temptation to respond in ways that don't reflect our faith.  I think it's important to remember that fasting can take on all kinds of forms.  It's a way of abstaining from what can lead to temptation, or put us in a situation that makes it easy to forget that we're to be watching our words and language, we keep an eye on the ways in which we interact with others.  At a time when his own community was under dire threat of retaliation from imperial power because of local riots, St. John Chrysostom exhorted his flock to abstain from oaths.  This may seem silly to us.  But as they were waiting to hear back from their hierarch who'd gone to petition the emperor for clemency, Chrysostom stressed the importance of watching our own conduct.  Abstaining from certain types of inflammatory speech is a form of fasting.  He also spoke about fasting from excess.  He noted great luxury -- and called particularly for a time of withdrawal from all the effort and fuss impressing the neighbors, so to speak.  For him, that included impressive meals, home decor, servants, and the rest.  His attitude was that we should just give it a rest for a while -- make room for something else.  Think about where we go and what we do that invites in too much temptation.  Think about the poor.  Simplicity opens up time to think about our life with God, our spiritual state.  And that's what fasting and prayer is all about.  As we head into the holiday season, Advent is a traditional time for prayer and, historically, for fasting.  Ironically, St. Chrysostom was then in Antioch, Syria.  It was the first place in the world where people were called "Christians."   Right now this community is in danger of disappearing.  The world is responding to terrible tragedy and shocking violence.  There is brutal warfare that can spread anywhere and civilians of every kind are endangered with violence and deliberate targeting.  It is indeed a time that makes for great temptation to extremes.  So let's remember Jesus' words.  Let us take tradition seriously enough to know that it's a good time to make time for God.  Find a way to practice some form of fast before the holidays, even by sacrificing some time for reading Scripture, or abstaining from something you know doesn't really help you.  Certain words of judgment can exacerbate rage and hurt.  Particular types of entertainment invite in what doesn't help us.   Simplify in preparation for the holidays and think about the one relationship that defines and puts everything else into place, and creates community.  Make time for prayer and get centered in the place you need to be.  It's a good preparation for whatever lies ahead.  An attitude cultivated in such practice can only help us.