Faith Failure

Mark 9:14-29, Matthew 17:14-20, and Luke 9:37-43 all share the topic title, "Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy."

As a matter of sound Bible study, we are left to read these three accounts of the same event in history and determine what actually took place based on the perspectives we have from these three writers. 

There are four points all three agree implicitly on:

1. There was a demon-possessed boy.
2. The disciples could do nothing about the demon.
3. Jesus scolded them for their lack of faith.
4. Jesus healed the boy.

Then, of the three Gospels sharing this story, Luke pretty much concludes the story with the healing.

Mark and Matthew both elaborate on the conversation between Jesus and His disciples afterward - namely about why they could not cast out the evil spirit. Remember, all three of the writers who recorded this event noted that Jesus scolded the disciples for their lack of faith. However, it was Mark who recorded that Jesus said the disciples' inability to exorcise the boy was because of a lack of prayer (and some translations include "and fasting."). Matthew, on the other hand, recorded that Jesus simply told them they lacked faith (but with even a small amount of faith could move mountains).

So, with the four points the writers all agreed on, we should glean our most solid evidence and therefore indisputable life-lesson material: Obstacles exist, sometimes Jesus' followers fail to overcome obstacles, Jesus blames our failures to remove obstacles on a lack of faith, Jesus still wants obstacles removed.

Even if we ignored the differing details of the three accounts, we still have solid four-fold lesson material to learn from, and attempt to pattern, our own lives. As much as Jesus' men would have liked to think they had enough faith, they found out otherwise. Instead of Jesus comforting them in their inability, He scolded them. This alone, I believe, is the primary lesson point of the entire story - everyone needs more faith, and our failures prove it.

If we study Jesus' life, we will conclude that Jesus, in this instance, had enough faith. What we know about Jesus is where we need to look to understand why He had enough faith and the disciples didn't (it was NOT because Jesus was God either - otherwise He could not and would not have scolded the disciples). We know Jesus spent much time in prayer - He prayed often. It was in prayer, Jesus found faith built upon the Word of God. The Word became alive to Jesus' faith in prayer. Faith comes from the Living Word, but the Word becomes alive in prayer!

Father, I am fed today - You have given me Daily Bread from which to receive sustenance! Help me to meditate on these thoughts today and quit my religious thinking so that You might change my heart and therefore my life!