OUR UNBELIEF
Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?” “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matthew 17:19–20, NLT)
Here Jesus teaches us another lesson about faith. The disciples come to Jesus privately. They have been trying to do what they have watched Jesus do. They have tried casting out a demon, yet it did not work. The demon would not come out. They are discouraged. Why did our prayer not work? Why was it ineffective? Jesus has given us authority to cast out evil spirits. So what went wrong?
The disciples were a little embarrassed, and perhaps more than a little disappointed. It was a public embarrassment. Many people had seen them try to cast out the demon. And they had seen the failure, with the demon refusing to come out. It was a valuable lesson. Jesus’ answer to their question is direct and clear. “You did not have enough faith.” Some translations say here "because of your unbelief.” Jesus' response is interesting here. He simply says that the disciples entered the situation with unbelief. They did not have enough faith.
Let's try to imagine the scene and try to understand what Jesus might mean. The disciples were in public. Jesus was not present with them. Perhaps their faith was in themselves? Maybe they entered into that situation, and being aware of the crowds, tried to cast out the demon out of a faith in their own strength, or their own ability? After all, they had cast out demons successfully before this event. Perhaps their failure came because they assumed that they had received a gift from Jesus that was now their own possession? If this is the case, then their story is proof positive that faith is not “faith in a gift” but faith in the Giver of the gift.
Another possibility is that there was an inner motivation in their hearts to be exalted or elevated by the watching crowds. Perhaps they had a desire in their hearts to be noticed. They wanted to be seen as having been with Jesus and being a “possessor” of the same power that Jesus had. So they entered into the prayer session, not with a desire to heal this hurting individual, not with a desire to lift up and exalt the Name of Jesus, but with a desire to lift up and exalt their own names.
Regardless of the exact situation, Jesus’ response is similar to what we saw in yesterday's lesson. He repeats a promise we read elsewhere already, that faith is the key, and faith can move mountains. We have already seen that this is not faith in ourselves. Nor is it faith in faith. No, it is faith in the Almighty God, the Lord of all creation. Nor is it the kind of faith that attempts to exalt self, but the kind of faith that desires to give all glory to God. Here Jesus points out, that it is not even the size of the faith that matters. You can have faith as small as a tiny seed, so long as that faith is placed in the Powerful and Mighty Hand of the Living God!
We see here again that Jesus had not given them a power that they held in their possession. The ability to cast out demons was not something they had in and of themselves. Their power was in Christ. It was not a power they had received and held on their own. It was a gift they carried from the Living One. It was received and used by faith in the Lord himself. If they had prayed with faith in Jesus as Lord and Conqueror in the spirit-world, had they been full of faith in Him as the One who gave them authority to cast out demons in His name, this kind of faith, and rightly placed, would have given them the victory.
This kind of faith depends entirely on the state of our spiritual life. Faith needs a life of prayer for its full growth. It is only when our spirit is strong and full of health, when the Spirit of God has full sway in our life, that there is the power of faith to do mighty deeds. This kind of faith also depends on our motivations. Do we desire to glory? Do we desire an answer so that we can tell a great story? Or do we truly desire all the glory and honor go to Almighty God?
What is God saying to me today?
My Prayer List:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Personal Prayer:
Father God, I come to You today in humility. Please purify the motivations of my heart today. Help me to seek to serve You, not for any glory that I may gain, but simply because it is the right thing to do. Help me to look to the mountains that need moving, not with a desire to tell a great story that somehow exalts me, but with a desire to move those mountains because it is the right and necessary thing to do. Help me to look for those who need the power of freedom that can only come from You. And help me to serve them in such a way that the enemy is driven from their life and they are drawn to You and saved and healed. Not for any glory that I can gain. Not for any story that I can tell, but to exalt You and Your story. In Your name I pray, Amen.