Today’s Reading: Matthew 17:14-20, 18:6-10; Mark 9:14-29, 42-50; Luke 9:37-43a

The disciples were not the only people paying attention, anticipating what Jesus might do next.

At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.” – Matthew 17:14-16

Can you picture it? There’s a beautiful mountain and a crowd of people waiting in anticipation to hear from Jesus. A man approached Jesus and fell to his knees, pleading for the life of his son. He had tried to receive help from Jesus’ followers but their lack of faith had left him disappointed, so here he was calling out to Jesus for help.

As a parent, it is painful to consider what this man must have been feeling. His son was very sick and there was nothing he could do to help him – nothing but fall on his knees before the one man who he believed could free his son from this illness that takes over his body. How many times had this father rescued his son from the fire or pulled him from the water? Imagine the burns that they had treated or what it must have felt like to push the water out of the lungs of their child in order to keep him alive. He had done all he knew to do and he was in need of divine intervention.

At times, life’s circumstances feel a lot like “going through the fire”. Stress presses in on every side and makes it hard for us to breath. “I’m drowning here, Lord! Please save me!” Hear the desperation of a believer in Jesus crying out to be rescued; he’s crying out for healing, begging for escape.

Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” – Matthew 14:17

Can you hear it? It’s the HOPE of a father as he runs to get his son. I imagine the words of Jesus were still ringing in his ears and bouncing around his heart as he returned to Jesus with his precious boy.

Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

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 17:17-20

THIS FATHER BELIEVED IN THE IMPOSSIBLE AND EXPERIENCED A MIRACLE.

Oh, give us a stronger faith, Lord! Strengthen the faith of your church and your followers. May we humbly fall on our knees before you, believing that nothing is impossible for you. May we empty ourselves of any thoughts that we are capable of helping others without you.

What kind of fire is life throwing you into? What situations or circumstances are you drowning in? Let’s shift thoughts here and consider how often the fire and water are simply the result of our own sinful decisions. There are times when the fire and water in our life are undeserved and times when they are the natural consequences of our own arrogance and selfishness. After healing the boy, Jesus spoke of fire and water in the context of punishment or consequences for our sins.

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut if off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into the eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” – Matthew 18:1-10

Precious Father, may our hands and feet be your instruments today. May we be expressions of your love to those around us. Empty us of any arrogance or thoughts of what WE can accomplish so that we can humbly kneel before you and believe in faith that today YOU will do great and miraculous things among us! May our faith help others to find you and may we never do anything that would cause someone else to stumble in their journey to you. We pray all of this in your precious and holy name, Amen.