Matthew 17:14-20. When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
The greatest obstacle to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is unbelief. This is the very sin that prevents the people of God from experiencing His power and presence. Scripture declares, “Everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
When we refuse to believe in the presence of God and His Word, it becomes impossible to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. In today’s passage, Jesus rebuked His disciples not for their lack of compassion or effort but for their lack of faith. Their failure to cast out the demon was not due to inexperience but to unbelief.
Jesus’ words were strong: “You unbelieving and perverse generation.” The problem was not the demon’s power but the disciples’ hearts. They had forgotten who was with them. They had seen Jesus calm storms, heal the sick, and raise the dead, yet they failed to believe in the power of His name in that moment.
When unbelief takes hold, spiritual sight fades. The world begins to seem larger than God. Doubt whispers louder than the Word. And like Peter on the stormy sea, we begin to sink when we take our eyes off Christ (Matthew 14:29–30).
Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Without faith, it is impossible to overcome the world (1 John 5:4–5). Without faith, it is impossible to see the work of God (Mark 9:14–29).
Even those who have seen great answers to prayer can still fall into unbelief. Peter himself confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), yet shortly afterward he rebuked Jesus, saying, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22). How quickly faith can turn into fear when we rely on human understanding and “do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16:23).
That is why we must continue to hear and confirm the Word of faith. But “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). True faith is not emotional confidence but spiritual conviction grounded in the Word.
When you believe that Jesus is your True King, you will know that no one can touch you, not even the “evil one” (1 John 5:18). Your King reigns over all powers and authorities, holding you securely in His hand. No one can snatch you from the Father’s grip (John 10:28–29). The devil’s accusations lose their power because your King has already declared you righteous and victorious (Revelation 12:10-12).
When you believe that Jesus is your True Priest, you will know that His blood has already cleansed you from all sin. You are no longer condemned but seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). Your past failures no longer define you. Your guilt and shame have been nailed to the cross. “It is finished” (John 19:30).
So, do not depend on your feelings. Cling to the cross. Fix your eyes on Jesus, your True Priest, and you will not grow weary or lose heart (Hebrews 12:3). When guilt rises, remember that He lives in you, interceding for you day and night (Romans 8:34).
When you believe that Jesus is your True Prophet, you will know that peace with God has been restored (Romans 5:1). You will no longer fear judgment, for you have already crossed from death to life (John 5:24). The True Prophet has opened a new and living way to the Father (Hebrews 10:20). Stop striving through religion and start resting in His finished work.
Jesus is not looking for gigantic faith. A mustard seed is small, but when planted, it grows and bears fruit. Even the smallest faith in the Triune God moves mountains. The power is not in the size of our faith but in the object of our faith—Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
So, stop listening to the voice of doubt and dwelling on it. Stop measuring your faith by feelings or circumstances. Simply trust the Word and declare that Christ is enough, and He will do what only He can do. The more you trust in Him and His Word, the more you will be able to entrust everything to Him.
Yet, when you find yourself struggling with unbelief, like the father of the boy possessed by an impure spirit, cry out to your Father, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).
Prayer. Lord Jesus, thank You for walking with me through Your Spirit. I confess my unbelief and ask You to strengthen my faith. Help me to trust in Your power, not in my own ability. Let my faith, though small, rest fully in You—the True King, the True Priest, and the True Prophet. May Your Spirit guide me to live each day by faith, not by sight. In Your precious name, Amen.