Monday after Reminiscere Sunday

9:17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

The law of God doesn’t just require outward and external observance. The law of God judges hearts and minds. We understand that the “good” works of unbelievers are not really good according to God’s standards. Hebrews 11:6 says, “ But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” More than that, even believers (with saving faith in Jesus) need to continue to trust in God’s promises regarding their daily lives—finances, children, marriage, employment, health/sickness, etc.—if they wish to please God.

In today’s reading the disciples learned, as the Reminiscere collect states, “…that of ourselves we have no strength.” Yes, the disciples believed in Jesus as the Savior. However, they were not trusting in Jesus’ promises regarding the exorcism of the demon-possessed son. They were attempting to drive it out by their own strength. The disciples should have relied upon Jesus with prayers asking for His help. The key phrase is “all things are possible to him who believes.”

Though believers confess quite regularly, “I, a poor miserable sinner…,” we, too, may mistakenly think that we have our own spiritual strength to accomplish God’s work. We do not. Confessing our lack of faith in God’s promises, we learn to cry out with the boy’s father, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Our Lord forgives our faithless transgressions. He teaches us to bring those troubles to Him, who defends us from all adversity.

Prayer: O God, who seest that of ourselves we have no strength: Keep us both outwardly and inwardly; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.