Exodus: A Group StudySample

What is this passage saying?

A father comes to Jesus, pleading for him to heal his demon-possessed son because the disciples were unable. Jesus heals the boy and rebukes the disciples for their lack of faith.

What is this passage teaching?

Jesus had already given the disciples power over demonic influences (Matthew 10:8) so they should have had no problem casting out the demon from this boy. Their failure, however, was not in training or authority, but faithlessness. Jesus promises at the end of the passage that faith as small as a seed of mustard is enough to move mountains. “Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20) is a precious promise for believers. Treasures fade, skills weaken, and energy diminishes, but faith in God multiplies. From the newest believer to the oldest saint, faith binds them to Christ and empowers them to accomplish all the things that he has given them.

How do I respond?

When everything was crumbling around him, Moses doubted the promises of God. He could not see the future glory because he did not trust God’s present plan. The disciples, in the same way, could not cast out the powerful demon because they did not have faith in the one who has subjected every demon under his feet. However, both the disciples and Moses responded to their faithlessness correctly: they went to God. In both cases, God encourages them to put their faith in the unassailable reality of who He is and what He will accomplish. What is something that you have given up on in your life? Is it a sin that you think you’ll never get victory over? A family member or friend you think will never come to know the Lord? Pray that God would fill you with faith today!