The Gospel of Matthew
Disciples of Little Faith: Mt 17,14-20
Matthew has added the conclusion in 17,20, changing Mark, Mk 9,29. This episode is therefore be about the little faith of the disciples (as in the scene of the calming of the storm, 14,31).
The whole episode has been considerably simplified by Matthew. Jesus and the disciples are now among the crowds, the man comes and kneels before Jesus. There is nothing about arguing scribes (Mk 9,15).
The episode becomes a straightforward healing by Jesus as an exorcism ("rebuke" in 17,18 indicates this) after the man has asked Jesus for mercy on his son (17,15a; only Matthew).
Most translations rightly say the boy was an epileptic. The NAB strangely says "lunatic" which has a very different meaning for us. "Lunatic" comes from "moon" and the Greek can be literally translated as "moon struck". The ancients thought that epilepsy (not madness in this case) was caused by the phases of the moon.
The disciples were given authority over demons and sickness in 10,1. Here they are failing. This is reminiscent of the failure of Elisha's servant Gehazi in 2 Kings 4,31.
Verse 17 echoes Dt 32,20 by speaking of a faithless and perverse generation while Numbers 14,26-27 echoes the "how long". As phrased, this must seem to apply to the whole crowd while in view of the previous verse it applies in a special way to the disciples.
The simplicity of the exorcism in 17,18 compared to the elaborate scene of Mk 9,25 has the effect of highlighting the shortcomings of the disciples. It shows the power of Jesus over demons. That the cure is instant is an addition by Matthew.
In verse 19, the crowd has faded away and the disciples come to Jesus. Although the crowd is present for the healing, this is a scene about Jesus and his disciples.
Matthew has omitted Mark's comment about prayer (Mk 9,29) and added his own conclusion in 17,20. The faithlessness of verse 17 (taken from Mark, Mk 9,19) is modified to "little faith" in this verse.
Hyperbole now follows, the mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds (13,32). Yet even that tiny amount of faith, that trust in God, can move mountains.
In 13,32-33, we are told that the mustard seed grows into a large tree. Whilst that parable was about the kingdom of heaven, maybe repeating the mustard seed image here with those obvious echoes means that faith too can grow.
Finally, from 16,5 all through to 17,20, Jesus has been with the disciples. There's just the mention of the crowd with the man seeking the healing in 17,14. 16,5-17,20 can be viewed as a whole.
Reflect therefore on the journey followed by the disciples to this point of the exhortation to great faith in 17,20.
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