After Jesus reveals Himself to Peter, James and John on the mount of transfiguration. They walk back down the mountain and find the other disciples running into some limitations in their faith and Jesus and Peter are charged a tax that is being unrightfully charged to them.
A DESPERATE FATHER
As Jesus reunites with the rest of the disciples, He finds that an issue has come up. While Jesus and the three disciples were on the mount of transfiguration, a father with a demon possessed son was looking for Jesus. He couldn’t find Jesus, but likely settled for His disciples the prior day since Jesus wasn’t available and his son was in a terrible situation.
Matthew 17:14-16 – When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.”
So, this boy is demon possessed and is attempting to harm himself. The father says he is acting crazy and is ill. His evidence of that is that the boy is trying to harm himself by throwing himself into fires and in water. The disciples tried to cast out the demon and restore the boys’ health but were unsuccessful in doing so.
It’s important to note that it should not be assumed that every follower of Jesus has the power to heal and cast out demons. The disciples were specifically given the power to heal and cast out demons for this time (Matthew 10:1). So, they have successfully done these works before. But this time it didn’t work, the power wasn’t there.
Matthew 17:17-18 – And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.
Jesus is able to do what the disciples could not do. He casts out the demon and heals the boy in an instant.
REBUKING UNBELIEF
Before Jesus heals the boy, he levels a rebuke to those hearing him. According to Mark’s account of this event, the scribes were present as well as the disciples and a crowd of observers. In Mark 9 we see significantly more detail about this interaction. For example, we know that the problem with the disciples was their lack of prayer as they attempted to cast out the demon. We also learn that the scribes were arguing with the disciples. Likely they were gloating at their failure.
Jesus calls out those hearing him for their unbelief. The scribes are there reveling in the disciple’s failure, the crowd is there motivated by earthly concerns or possibly to see something amazing. The disciples failed to rely on God’s power and instead attempted to heal the boy and drive out the demon by their own power. Unbelief was prevalent all around! So, Jesus rebukes them and calls out their unbelief.
Mark 9:24 – Immediately the boys father cried out and said, “I do believe, help my unbelief.”
What a wonderful statement from this man to Jesus. At the same time, he both proclaims his belief but also sees his deficiency and asks the Lord to give him the ability to believe more! Jesus works an amazing miracle once again. He completely heals this boy and rids Him of his great affliction.
FAITH THAT MOVES MOUNTAINS
The disciples then privately inquired of Jesus as to why they couldn’t heal the boy.
Matthew 17:20 – And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
The answer Jesus gives here isn’t really a commentary on what the disciples are capable of, but rather what God is capable of. Nothing is impossible for God. The disciples tried to work a miracle without God’s power behind it. And it failed.
They lowered their eyes to the earthly, the temporal. And they tried to act independently from the will of God and to achieve on their own. The big indicator of that reality is that they did not pray. They simply tried to cast out the demon. The disciples are still learning to raise their eyes to another world, another kingdom. The kingdom of God.
JESUS FORETELLS HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION
Matthew 17:22-23 – And while they were gathering together in Galilee , Jesus said to them , “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.
Jesus once again tells the disciples what they should be preparing for. This message fits right in with the point of this section of scripture. The kingdom of heaven is greater than the earthly kingdom. The disciples, and even others who were following Jesus assumed the Messiah was coming to set up an earthly kingdom that would expel the occupying Roman government and military and it would all happen soon. They didn’t fully understand what Jesus meant with this prediction as we see them continue to struggle with the pronouncement of Jesus’ future. But without Jesus willingly going through death on the cross and His resurrection, there would be no atonement for sin and no future between God and people. An earthly kingdom would not fix mankind’s biggest problem, separation from God through sin. Even this statement by Jesus points to higher kingdom thinking just as he admonished the disciples to have great faith in a great God!
THE TWO DRACHMA TAX
In the remaining verses of Matthew 17, the author tells us a story about a tax issue they faced that seems to be out of left field. What does a tax issue have to do with everything else we’ve looked at in Matthew 17?
Matthew 17:24-26 – When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” He said “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of earth collect customs or poll -tax, from their sons or from strangers?” When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt.”
So, some tax collectors come around charging this poll tax. They approach Jesus’ disciple, Peter, about this tax. Peter goes back and tells Jesus what is happening. Jesus has a conversation with Peter that establishes that this tax being charged them is unjust. This tax was to be charged to gentile visitors, not to Jewish citizens. If Jesus wanted to, He could have sent Peter back and told him that they would appeal to their citizenship and not have to pay the tax. But that is not what Jesus does.
Matthew 17:27 – However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.
Jesus works another miracle! Don’t you wish you had this ability about the time you get your property tax bill!? He sends Peter down to fish, which is Peter’s specialty. Jesus provides the payment of the tax. But the part of this statement that makes this story fit with the context of this section of scripture is “So that we do not offend them”. Jesus could have fought the tax man in this case, but his sights are on something higher than what the “Kings of earth” are interested in. So, Jesus provides the payment, and instructs Peter to pay the tax.
CONCLUSION
In Colossians 3:2, the apostle Paul commands that we “Set your minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Jesus perfectly demonstrates through three stories in Matthew 17 what setting your mind on the things above looks like. The disciples are still learning this lesson. As we endeavor to learn the same lesson, may we cry out to God “I believe, help my unbelief.”