8th AUGUST.SATURDAY, WEEK 18

1.Deuterenomy 6:4-13

2. Matthew 17:14-20

REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS

“Little Faith”

In today’s gospel we are told the full impact of faith. Faith cures the sick, drives out demons and Moves Mountains. This is the metaphor to emphasize Jesus’ final words, “Nothing will be impossible for you,” if you have faith. Jesus in the gospel reminds us that our life is involved in a struggle between superhuman forces of good and evil. We are called to daily expressions of faith, faith that prompts us even to question God like Habakkuk, yet faith that nonetheless reaches beyond human expectations- into the world to come.

Likewise, in today’s gospel Jesus rebukes his disciples for their little faith. He does not say that they have no faith but tells them that they have little faith. They had just failed in their efforts to do the work that Jesus had sent them to do, bringing healing to a sick child. Jesus attributes that failure to their little faith. Many of us may find it easy to identify with the disciples. We think of ourselves as people of faith but we sense that our faith is not as strong as it could be. We don’t trust the Lord enough. In this context from our everyday life experiences how many people called Christians have abandoned their faith and move to other denominations as far as going to witch doctors looking for miraculous solutions to their life and spiritual problems? Jesus wanted his disciples to grow in their faith; it is what he wants for all of us. In response to that desire of Jesus for a stronger faith within us, we could make our own the prayer of the father of the sick child that we find in Mark’s version of this story, “Lord, I believe; I believe; help my unbelief.”

The question to ask ourselves about the disciples’ failure to heal a boy suffering from demonic possession could be that the disciples have let their healing go to their heads. They have cut the connection of healing with God. In other words they think that they are the ones doing the healing rather than God doing it.  They have fallen into the trap of “it’s me!” doing it or pride rather than trusting in the Lord. They fail to recognize the source of power to heal, Jesus Himself.

For us, let us not be glad that we have some special power of healing other people because this power is coming from God. But let us be glad that God loves us and chooses us to show His love for our brothers and sisters through us.

To define what faith is all about is not an easy one. Of course, faith involves knowledge about God. It also involves doing God’s will and a commitment to do what is good and right. But Jesus in today’s gospel adds another element of faith based in today’s gospel and that is , trust in God. Jesus said to his disciples that they have a faith of understanding or knowledge but they don’t have enough trust (v20).

In our own lives, how often have we faced situations where we feel that we are confronted with the work of demons through others or through the tasks we do? In these situations, do we doubt that the Lord will come and give us strength, hope and comfort? Perhaps these “demons” are presented to us, not because he tests our faith, but because he wants us to develop our trust and faith in him.