Well, if my faith was stronger, would I be healthier?

If my faith was deeper, would I be more financially secure?

And would I be happier and more comfortable?

In other words, does Jesus say that our sorrow is traced back to a lack of faith on our

part?

Today's question is from a podcast listener named Scott, hello Pastor John, a question

always arises for me when I read about Jesus' exorcism of the epileptic boy possessed by

demon in Matthew 17, verses 14 to 20, Mark 9, 17 to 29, and Luke 9, 37 to 43.

What does Jesus mean by because of your little faith?

What is it exactly that the disciples lacked?

It seems like Jesus' answer gives easy fuel to suffering Christians who might be told

that Jesus suggested if they just had enough faith that could be healed.

How is that not the takeaway?

Well I'm going to try to deal with these words of Jesus even though I do not fully understand

them and find them in part baffling.

And I choose to go ahead and try to answer this just so that our listeners will know that

there are passages in the Bible that are baffling, at least there are to me.

They leave me with questions and I thought it might be helpful to just struggle out loud

and invite others to join me and maybe go further than I can.

And I should say here at the beginning that bumping into things like this doesn't undermine

my faith because Jesus has done so much and said so much that the glory of God in him

has won me over to trust him and treasure him because of what I do see and I do understand

...