“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 17:20 NLT
Read Matthew 17.
Have you ever been astounded by something magnificent, and then one day it is just a memory? It loses its impact over time. I remember the first time I saw the Grand Canyon. I could hardly breathe with such beauty I had never seen before! But now it has been over 25 years since I first saw it, and I don’t get goose bumps anymore. It is still extraordinarily beautiful, but it doesn’t take my breath away any longer because I haven’t seen it in person one time since then. It is just a memory. Maybe I’ll go again, and the goose bumps will pop up fresh with wonder all over again!
Or, have you ever been in the presence of greatness and completely missed it? I used to take students on field trips to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and they would give us a tour of the amazing Ohio Theater, and then perform for our kiddos. I would become immersed with the incredibly gorgeous music and virtuoso performances, but my kids would be whispering and daydreaming out of boredom. They couldn’t wait to leave and have lunch. How could they not appreciate this incredible opportunity right in front of them?
We can fall into either category in our relationship with the Lord. We either lose the wonder of the awesome presence of our Lord, and our worship becomes bland, or we miss out on His glory all together! May our worship and our wonder of God remain fresh and passionate always! May our love for Jesus consume our entire being, until every fiber is given to humble and passionate adoration of our Lord!
May our love for Jesus consume our entire being, until every fiber is given to humble and passionate adoration of our Lord!
Yesterday, we left off with Peter, James, and John on their faces before Jesus as He was in His transfixed state. When they got up, everything was back to normal. Jesus was back to his mortal state, and Moses and Elijah had gone. What had just happened? What had this small, intimate group been so privileged to witness?
This brought up a question about prophecy that they did not understand. They had read and heard that Elijah was supposed to come first before the Messiah was to come. What did that mean since the Messiah was already here? Jesus answered by explaining that Elijah actually had already come and prepared the way for the Messiah, but no one recognized him. However, just as the religious leaders had abused him, the Son of Man would also suffer at their hands. I believe something started to click just a little bit because they suddenly realized that Jesus was talking about John the Baptist. He had fulfilled the prophetic role of Elijah.
When they reached the base of the mountain, they were met by a man who was desperate for his son to be delivered. His boy had been suffering violent convulsions and throwing himself in the fire or the water. The man had brought his son to the disciples, but there were unable to do anything about it. Jesus, help!
It was about time for them to “put on their big boy pants” and take some responsibility.
All this time, Jesus had been preparing His disciples to take over and build the church after His departure, and He knew that His time was coming very soon. There wasn’t much more opportunity to train them, and it was about time for them to “put on their big boy pants” and take some responsibility. They would no longer have Jesus in person, but they would have to have faith in the power and authority He had given them. Jesus began to rebuke them for their lack of faith, but I think it was mainly to stir their confidence rather than condemn them for being such wimps. Jesus wanted them to stand up and boldly take their places in the Kingdom.
Nevertheless, Jesus came to their rescue and cast out the demon from the boy. Instantly, the boy was completely well!
Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach them about faith. It doesn’t take much! Yes, it is the power of God that heals, but it is our faith that activates that power. All it takes is faith as small as a mustard seed, and we can move mountains. Of course, we could go into a discourse of praying according to His will and in line with His Word, but it was their faith that was lacking. Keep in mind that it is impossible to please God without faith, and our prayers will be powerless without faith. Faith is like plugging the appliance of prayer into the outlet of God’s power source.
Faith is like plugging the appliance of prayer into the outlet of God’s power source.
As He concluded His teaching, Jesus tried one more time to plant seeds of expectation into the hearts and minds of His disciples. He explains again that He must die but will rise again on the third day. This time, it says that their hearts were full of grief. I’m sure it became more difficult to hear each time, but it looks like it is beginning to sink in. The next few weeks are going to be a doozy, and it is time to get ready!
Wouldn’t you know it? After experiencing the glory and the wondrous teachings and miracles of Jesus, they return only to be hounded by the Roman IRS leeches! Isn’t that the way it goes? Tax collectors sure know how to spoil a good time! Paul tried to give them the brush off, but Jesus instructed him to go ahead and pay the taxes. It is the right thing to do, and He didn’t want to offend them. Therefore, Jesus sent Peter on a fishing expedition. Fishing? Yes, and the first fish Peter caught contained the money he needed to pay the tax bill.
May we never lose the wonder!
Wow, do the wonders of Jesus ever cease? Whether it is in raising a dead man back to life, healing blind eyes, being transformed into His glorious form, delivering demons, or even providing for a tax bill, Jesus never failed to keep them amazed.
May we never lose the wonder! Lord Jesus, we worship You, and we give You all our praise, glory, and honor! We are so in awe of You!
