Matthew 17: Glory and the Grind (4)
Pray Psalm 63.1, 2
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Sing Psalm 63.1, 2.
Nun Danken: Now Thank We All Our God
O God, You are my God, and earnestly I seek You!
My soul thirsts and my flesh in weariness now greets You!
Thus I would see Your face, with glory and pow’r arrayed,
in this Your holy place, Your beauty here displayed.
Read Matthew 17.1-21; meditate on verses 19-21.
The word “unbelief” in NKJV is really “little faith.” What does “big faith” look like?
Prepare.
1. What did the disciples want to know?
2. What did Jesus say they needed?
Meditate.
The disciples asked the right question of Jesus: Why could they not cast out the demon? (v. 19) That’s what true learners do: they try to learn from their mistakes and failures, so that they can improve and grow. Jesus responded by saying their faith wasn’t up to speed (v. 20). It was too “little”. He understood that, while they meant well, and wanted to help, they didn’t really believe their efforts would have any effect. Don’t we all do that from time to time? We go through the motions of faith—reading our Bibles, going to church, praying—but we don’t really expect God to do much in or through us. We consider that a little faith is enough.
Jesus is saying, in effect, that what may seem impossible to us— that we could ever get past some besetting sin, or love our co-workers more, or share the Gospel with a neighbor—can happen if we believe that God can do this in us if we obey Him in faith. Our problem is not God’s inability to do great things in and through us; our problem is failing to ask, believe, and obey Him for such things (Eph. 3.20).
Verse 21 is not actually in the best Greek texts—those which are earliest, shortest, and most difficult. Let’s assume that Jesus did say “this kind does not go out except by prayer” (cf. Mk. 9.29). So when did Jesus pray? We don’t see any evidence of His stopping to pray, either here or in the accounts in Mark or Luke. Jesus was always in prayer, just as He expects us to be always in prayer (Lk. 18.1), always communing with our Father, and always offering everything we do to Him.
And as you’re praying, ask Jesus for a bigger faith. Then go out and move some mountains.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6.10).
Perhaps, not always, but sometimes our “little faith” can be explained away by acknowledging
that we truly want God’s will to be done;
therefore, we wonder if what we are seeking is indeed His will.
Because if it isn’t, we certainly don’t want it to happen.
Thus, we waver and vacillate and lack “big faith” by speculating
if what we are asking for is truly God’s will.
Convoluted? Yes. But true? Assuredly.
It is a foible of humanity.
But the more we become like Jesus—as we are sanctified aiming toward holiness—the more we will live within the scope of mega-mustard-seed faith.
Many years ago, when I was quite young, my parents were planting a church in south Florida.
We were meeting for worship in the local elementary school, with small hope for ever having land to build a church, as it was quite expensive.
Enter upon the scene Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China, who was there to speak.
A group was gathered in our home for prayer.
She began to pray, and said, “God, I demand that you give this church some land.”
As a small child, I can remember fearfully waiting for the lightning to fall
and consume the whole group for her audacity.
But guess what happened instead?
Prime property was purchased not long after, and a lovely church was built.
All because of the adventurous prayer of a diminutive 4-foot 10-inch woman of God with giant faith!
And a bit of attitude!
God honors unwavering faith in Him.
And if our requests fall within the perimeters of God’s Word, we can ask with audacity.
But our first request should be one that Jesus promises will always be answered in the affirmative:
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Lk. 11.13).
Being filled with the Holy Spirit makes all the difference.
He will guide us in our requests and our audacious prayers.
He will lead us into truth and hope and faith.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (Jms. 1.5, 6).
“But the just shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2.4).
Without fear, demanding great things of God.
Let us set aside our strictly human and convoluted thinking.
Let us put away the foibles of mankind.
Let us strap on big faith, without doubting:
“For with God nothing will be impossible” (Lk. 1.35).
Reflect.
1. What are some things that might cause your faith to “waver”?
2. What does “big faith” look like in your daily walk and work for the Lord?
3. How can we express our faith in the Lord so that He knows we’re trusting in Him?
The disciples wonder that the power which they once possessed has been taken from them; but they had lost it by their own fault. Christ therefore attributes this want of ability to their unbelief [little faith], and repeats and illustrates more largely the statement which He had previously made, that nothing is impossible to faith. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Matthew 17.19
Pray Psalm 63.3-11.
Thank God for His abundant lovingkindness. Seek His protection and grace for this day. Go forth rejoicing in Him, and to live for His glory.
Sing Psalm 63.3-1.
Psalm 63.3-11 (Nun Danken: Now Thank We All Our God)
Your steadfast love, O LORD, than life is better to me;
so I will praise Your Name, and bless You, LORD, most truly.
My soul is richly blest; to You my hands I raise,
and open now my mouth to offer joyful praise.
By night, LORD, fill my mind with pleasant meditation.
For You have been my help as ’neath Your wings I station.
My soul clings, LORD, to You; I rest in Your Right Hand:
May all who seek my life in Your displeasure stand.
Unto the sword’s strong pow’r let our foes be delivered!
Pursue them to devour their mortal lives forever!
In God will we rejoice and glory in His grace;
but all who live by lies shall perish from His face.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues our readings from the book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column is working through a study of the role of reason in the life of faith. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
