More Like Him - Thursday
Today’s Verse
Matthew 17:19-20a
Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?” “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. (NLT)
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell about a mountaintop experience for Jesus, Peter, James, and John. The three disciples went with Jesus up on the mountain and witnessed a miraculous event that underscored Jesus’ supernatural identity. But while Jesus and the three disciples were having that experience, the other nine disciples were having a much different experience down the mountain. A father frantically brought his son to the remaining disciples, trusting they could heal him. By the time Jesus and the three came down the mountain, a crowd had gathered and the tension was palpable. The nine disciples, try as they did, couldn’t deliver on the healing. The father of the child, and the crowd, were disappointed and agitated. The Bible says this made Jesus sorrowful. The unbelief of the people, especially that of His closest followers, was a burden to Him.
Jesus healed the boy, but the nine disciples should have been able to. Jesus had given them the authority. What happened? Some say they might have been distracted and jealous because they weren't chosen to accompany Jesus on the mountain. We’re not sure. And clearly, the nine disciples weren’t sure either because they came right out and asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal the boy. “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. And this is the passage where Jesus talks about having faith the size of a mustard seed. But there’s another key point of this story: The disciples asked Jesus for feedback. They wanted—needed—to learn from the experience, “Why couldn’t we cast out the demon?”
We’ll know we’re growing when we have enough humility to ask for feedback. But it will take making our emotions subject to good thinking and realizing we have an opportunity to grow.
REFLECTION
When was the last time you asked for constructive feedback from someone you trusted? What’s holding you back from asking? Don’t let emotionally-informed assumptions keep you from a chance to grow!
