Transfiguration – a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Matthew 17:5 New International Version (NIV)
“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. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
Matthew 17:15-16 (NIV)
Straight from the glory of the mountain top, he [Jesus] was met by human suffering. Straight from hearing the voice of God, he came to hear the persistent demands of human need that cried out to him. The most Christlike people in the world are those who never find other people a nuisance. It is easy to feel Christian in the moment of prayer and meditation; it is easy to feel close to God when the world is shut out. But that is not religion – that is escapism. Real religion is to rise from our knees before God to meet other people and the problems of the human situation. Real religion is to draw strength from God in order to give it to others. Real religion involves meeting both God in the secret places and men and women in the market places.
William Barclay, The NEW Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, pp. 194-5
“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. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
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.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
Matthew 17:15-18 (NIV)
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 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.”
Matthew 17:19-20 (NIV)
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Matthew 13:31-32 (NIV)
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 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.”
Matthew 17:19-20 (NIV)
HOW MUCH FAITH DO YOU HAVE?