Introduction: This Sunday I will again be teaching the saints as we gather again under the authority of the Scriptures. We are exploring Matthew 17:14-27. A few of the themes God addresses in this passage follow:

• ‘Levels’ of faith
• the nature of spiritual warfare
• the sovereignty of God

Questions: One of the questions that fascinates me in this passage is, How ironic is it that Peter, James, and John just descended the Mount of Transfiguration where Christ alone had received the glory via the cloud, the Father’s voice, Jesus’ face shining like the sun, the radiance of his garments, etc. and yet the next episode revolves around some of the disciples’ little faith?

All of these manifestations surely stirred the theology of Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John. The books of Exodus, Revelation, and Elijah’s ministry in the Old Covenant surely were brought immediately to their minds and hearts. But when verse 14 begins the transition, we see that some of the disciples apparently had weak faith. Why do I say that? Because Jesus said it: “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?” (Mt 17:17, ESV) That’s a stinging rebuke from the Lord Jesus. No ‘meek and mild’ Jesus stuff there.

A man had come to some of Jesus’ disciples for the healing of his (the man’s) son. The boy, according to verse 15, had seizures. Perhaps he was what we might call epileptic, I don’t know. But in verse 18 of the text, Jesus “rebuked the demon” that plagued the boy, and in verse 20, Jesus rebuked his own disciples for their little faith. I write all this to ask this question: How ironic is it that Peter, James, and John just descended the Mount of Transfiguration where Christ alone had received the glory via the cloud, the Father’s voice, Jesus’ face shining like the sun, the radiance of his garments, etc. and yet the next episode revolves around some of the disciples’ little faith?

I think the teaching is clear: Our ‘levels’ of faith ebb and flow. I cannot speak for others, but I know if I’m honest that there are times in my life when I’ve relied on myself and my strategies to make things shake out like I desired. And very often the Lord has seen fit to take me to the mat. He’s closed doors that I desired to walk through. Looking back, God’s ways were right and mine were selfish and wrong.

Then there have been times when I trusted the Lord at levels that were much greater, where I lived out a total reliance upon the providence and direction of God. I even wrote a novella with that theme: Lily is about an English teacher who seeks to find her way when God seems to hide his face.

A second question that interests me in this passage is, What do we see in this episode about spiritual warfare? There is no paucity of wacky stuff out there about spiritual warfare, but much of it is, in my view, far afield from what Scripture teaches. Nevertheless, it is clear that God allows demonic influence in the world in order to show his (God’s) glory and his power over the demonic realm. It seems to me the whole point of Matthew 17:14-21 is that our faith is to be in the Lord Jesus Christ because he (God the Son incarnate) is sovereign over weak faith, strong faith, illness, the demons, and evil. That seems to me the point. It’s the same lesson as God was teaching at the Mount of Transfiguration, namely, for us to get our eyes upon Jesus–that Christ is bigger than our crises.