Matthew 17:14-21 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,… NOTHING CAN BE BETTER THAN TO BEING OUR SPIRITUAL FAILURES TO CHRIST HIMSELF, AS DID THE DISCIPLES. "Why could not we cast him out?" So asked the baffled, eager disciples of old, and got their answer. So let us ask, and hear what Christ will say to us. I. CAUSE OF SPIRITUAL FAILURE. 1. Whatever the peculiar character of the malady, the disciples had bad power given them to heal it (Matthew 10:8), which they had already freely and successfully put forth (Luke 10:17). This power was not unconditionally exercised. Some of the conditions of success depended upon the sufferers, some upon themselves. The cause of failure lay, not in forms or methods, etc., the mischief lay deeper down — "unbelief." 2. Are there none possessed with evil spirits within our ken? Do we not in this description recognize phenomena of our own life? 3. There are fair excuses enough; undue dwelling upon the evil to be cured; mere reasoning on the causes of evil; reserve and fastidiousness in dealing with religious topics; perfunctory methods of using the gospel means. II. CHRIST'S CURE. There is no unnecessary upbraiding in our Lord's answer, no dwelling on the merely negative side of truth. From the mention of unbelief He passes at once to the power of faith. 1. Faith needs to be cultivated. In the Revised Version Christ's answer reads, "Because of your little faith." You may trust doubt to spring up readily and flourish easily, but the power to discern the invisible, and hold fast amidst a thousand discouragements our confidence in an unseen God, an unseen Saviour, and in the power of truth which as yet far from prevailing must receive due cultivation if it is to conquer. 2. Let it be clearly understood that while God's power in Christ works the miracle, our faith in that power is a condition of its operation and success. 3. This is no question of fervid enunciation, excited gestures, display of emotion. Faith may be small at first. 4. Our Lord's addition to this main answer to the disciples' query has an importance of its own. Faith in all cases needs to be sustained, but in special cases it needs to be specially sustained by (1) prayer; (2) fasting — self-denial. (W. T. Darison, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,WEB: When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him, saying, |
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