Thy Strong Word — Matthew 17:14-27. Unbelievable mercy to unbelievable sinners: He is the Temple on whom our faith is placed.

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Rev. Dr. Kirk Clayton, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Mascoutah, IL joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Matthew 17:14-27.

Do we trust Jesus at his word or not? What is the content of our faith? Jesus shows us that He has full authority, even over demons, and by faith the father comes to Jesus to seek help. This man knew that Jesus was able to extend mercy and He did. The disciples started to depend on themselves which led to them being a “faithless generation.” We can often depend on ourselves or humankind instead of the Lord at His Word. Jesus brings them back to Himself by showing us that by His death and resurrection we can trust that He will give mercy to us now. “Lord God, help us to trust Jesus in His Word. As You had mercy on the man’s son, have mercy on us. Help us to see the freedom and adoption as sons that we have from the greater Temple that we may trust and rest in You. In Christ, Amen”

Thy Strong Word reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is hosted by Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN, and graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

Matthew 17:14-27

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon,[a] and it[b] came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.[c] 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”[d]

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

22 As they were gathering[e] in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

The Temple Tax

24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.[f] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

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Footnotes

Matthew 17:18 Greek it

Matthew 17:18 Greek the demon

Matthew 17:18 Greek from that hour

Matthew 17:20 Some manuscripts insert verse 21: But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting

Matthew 17:22 Some manuscripts remained

Matthew 17:27 Greek stater, a silver coin worth four drachmas or approximately one shekel

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org