Movatterモバイル変換

Matthew 6:30
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven,shall he not much moreclothe you, O ye of little faith?

Matthew 8:26
And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Matthew 13:58
And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

how long shall I be.

Exodus 10:3
And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.

Exodus 16:28
And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

Numbers 14:11,27
And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? …

Jesus replied.
This indicates that Jesus is responding to a situation or question. In the context ofMatthew 17, Jesus is addressing the inability of His disciples to cast out a demon from a boy. His response is not just to the disciples but to the broader audience, including the crowd and religious leaders, who often displayed skepticism and disbelief. This reply underscores Jesus' role as a teacher and prophet, confronting the spiritual state of the people.

How long must I remain with you?
This rhetorical question expresses Jesus' exasperation and highlights the limited time He has left on earth to teach and guide His followers. It reflects His awareness of His impending crucifixion and the urgency of His mission. The question also emphasizes the disciples' need to grow in faith and understanding, as Jesus will not always be physically present with them. This anticipates the coming of the Holy Spirit, who will empower and guide the believers after Jesus' ascension.

How long must I put up with you?
Here, Jesus conveys His patience and long-suffering nature, yet also His expectation for spiritual maturity among His followers. This echoes God's patience with Israel throughout the Old Testament, as seen in passages likePsalm 78:38, where God is described as compassionate and forgiving despite the people's rebellion. Jesus' endurance with human frailty and disbelief is a testament to His love and commitment to His redemptive mission.

Bring the boy here to Me.
This command demonstrates Jesus' authority and compassion. By instructing the boy to be brought to Him, Jesus shows His willingness to engage directly with human suffering and need. It also highlights His power over demonic forces, affirming His divine nature. This act of healing serves as a sign of the Kingdom of God breaking into the world, fulfilling prophecies such asIsaiah 61:1, which speaks of the Messiah bringing deliverance and healing. Jesus' invitation to bring the boy to Him is a call to bring all burdens and struggles to Christ, who is able to provide true healing and restoration.

Jesus’ opening outcry reveals how seriously He views unbelief. After His transfiguration, He descends the mountain to find His disciples unable to free a demon-tormented boy (Matthew 17:14-16).

• “Unbelieving” highlights a heart that refuses to trust God, echoing God’s charge against Israel inNumbers 14:27 and the psalmist’s warning not to be “a generation that did not set its heart aright” (Psalm 78:8).

• “Perverse” describes a will that turns from God’s straight path, reminiscent ofDeuteronomy 32:5.

• Jesus’ grief parallels His later amazement at Nazareth’s lack of faith (Mark 6:6) and the writer’s caution: “See to it… that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart” (Hebrews 3:12).

The Lord literally identifies unbelief as moral corruption, not a minor flaw. Faith is the key that unlocks His power, as He states moments later, “nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

This question highlights the limited window of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

• He had walked with the Twelve for roughly two years by this point, teaching, modeling, and empowering them (Matthew 10:1).

• His words anticipate His approaching departure: “I am with you only a little while longer” (John 7:33) and “It is for your benefit that I am going away” (John 16:7).

• The line implies expectation—after such sustained exposure to His works, they should be walking in faith (John 14:9).

Jesus’ lament reminds believers today that every moment of exposure to His truth carries responsibility to grow.

Christ’s patience is vast, yet not limitless.

• God proclaims Himself “slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6), and Peter affirms that the Lord is “patient… not wanting anyone to perish” (2 Peter 3:9).

• Still, there comes a time for accountability; the unfruitful fig tree stands under threat (Luke 13:6-9).

• For disciples, this warning spurs self-examination: Are we embracing the power He has already granted (2 Peter 1:3)?

Jesus bears with weakness, yet He encourages believers to mature so His mission can advance unhindered.

Grace follows rebuke. Jesus turns from lament to action.

• He commands that the need be placed directly in His hands, anticipating the dramatic deliverance recorded inMark 9:20-27.

• The invitation mirrors His wider call, “Come to Me, all you who are weary” (Matthew 11:28).

• It foreshadows the open-armed compassion He shows when parents bring children to Him (Mark 10:13-16).

• For every believer, the pattern is clear: bring the impossible to Jesus, “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16), “casting all your anxiety on Him” (1 Peter 5:7).

The command underscores His sufficiency; what human effort cannot accomplish, the Lord accomplishes effortlessly.

Matthew 17:17 records a real moment in which Jesus confronts unbelief, laments lingering immaturity, yet immediately offers deliverance. He calls out faithlessness as moral distortion, reminds His followers that His earthly presence is brief, expresses holy impatience with spiritual stagnation, and then demonstrates His power by inviting the burden to Himself. The verse urges every generation of disciples to trust Him fully, mature quickly, and bring every need straight to the Savior who never fails.

How long shall I suffer you?--The words are significant as suggesting the thought that our Lord's whole life was one long tolerance of the waywardness and perversity of men.

Bring him hither to me.--St. Mark, whose record is here by far the fullest, relates that at this moment "the spirit tare him," and that he "wallowed foaming," in the paroxysm of a fresh convulsion; that our Lord then asked, "How long is it ago since this came unto him?" and was told that he had suffered from his childhood; that the father appealed, half-despairing, to our Lord's pity, "If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us;" and was told that it depended on his own faith, "If thou canst believe; all things are possible to him that believeth;" and then burst out into the cry of a faith struggling with his despair, "Lord, I believe; help Thou my unbelief;" and that that faith, weak as it was, was accepted as sufficient.