Earlier, Jesus had summoned his Twelve disciples and given them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and cure every disease and every illness (Mt 10:1). When the missionaries returned, they, like the 72 disciples, must have reported with joy that even demons were subject to them in Jesus’ name (see Lk 10:17).

Yet, in this episode the Twelve who have attempted to heal the boy who has a demon are unsuccessful. Jesus rebukes the demon, and the demon comes out of the boy. When the disciples privately ask Jesus why they could not cast out the demon, he tells them it was because of their little faith (Greek oligopistis).

In the imagery used by Jesus, faith the size of the smallest garden seed (mustard) is enough to move mountains. Hence “little faith” is powerless because it is practically nothing. It is merely an intellectual assent to something presented; it lacks deep conviction. Peter illustrates what little faith is: he ventures into danger by sharing Jesus’ power to walk on the water, but he loses his focus, yields to his fears, and sinks (Mt 14:28-30).

In the same manner, the disciples who failed as exorcists have ventured to face the dangerous demoniac-lunatic presuming that they shared Jesus’ power to exorcise. But they may have lost their focus, gotten distracted by the epileptic seizures, the incredible feats of their opponent, and yielded to their fears. Or they may have used Jesus’ name as a magical tool or instrument, expecting instant results at its mere mechanical utterance.

Our faith should be placed not in magic, not in our own abilities, but in God’s boundless power and mercy. We should trust in the power of Jesus to heal and transform lives.

Gospel • Matthew 17:14-20

A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

Jesus said in reply, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him here to me.” Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured. Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?”

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.