Faith

Faith

“When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.  
“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.  
I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 
“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”  
Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. 
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” 
                                   Matthew 17:14-20.
Here Jesus rebukes the demon possessed boy.
Please note here not everyone that was healed of seizures was demon possessed. This boy apparently was.
I have over the years some very well meaning Christians that claim all people suffering form epilepsy are demon possessed. Those same people claim also that mentally ill people are demon possessed. Don’t listen to them.
We live in a fallen world and illnesses do happen. Epilepsy, seizures and mental illness are no different than a broken arm. They are “real” illnesses that need the help of a doctor.
Don’t get me wrong prayer can and does heal some people but by in large there are not that many that are healed that way. Otherwise our hospitals would be empty.
Why it doesn’t happen I think is perhaps for the same reason Christ’s disciples couldn’t heal the boy in question.
Note,
“Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” 
                             Matthew 17:19,20.
The disciples had faith probably in great quantity but Jesus said they had little faith more than likely meaning the quality of their faith was lacking.
He makes it clear that with enough faith they and I believe we can, remove great difficulties from our lives.
Unfortunately for most of us it’s hard to have such deep faith. Still God does honour the faith we have.
God is a personal God. He meets us where we are at. He knows our weaknesses and understands us.
The miracles Jesus did were there to show he was the Son of God.
Even miracles we see done today in the church should give God the Glory not the person presiding over the service or event.
Think about it.