Matthew 14-27

Matthew 14-27

This section is mostly about faith. The story about the mustard seed is in this group of verses with a lot of other information including another warning from Jesus about his future death.
Verse 21 is bracketed because it does not appear because the best Greek manuscripts do not have it.

Mat 17:14 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, Mat 17:15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. Mat 17:16 "I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him." Mat 17:17 And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."

 That seemed a bit harsh coming from Jesus. Why would Jesus react that way? Jesus was frustrated because the disciples were not picking up the faith part of the religion. They may have tried to use only their power and not Gods.

Mat 17:18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Mat 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" Mat 17:20  And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. Mat 17:21 ["But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."]

The faith in this case had to be total. You have to wonder if anyone could muster that kind of faith today.

Mat 17:22 And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; Mat 17:23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day." And they were deeply grieved.

Jesus has again stated the he will be killed and will raise up from the dead. The disciples have heard this before and again were saddened.

Mat 17:24 When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?" Mat 17:25 He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?"

Kings never taxed their own sons. The tax was to be used by the temple for God’s purposed. Peter spoke to quickly. Jesus reminded him that he was the Son of God and therefore was not to be taxed by the King of the Temple who was his father, God.

Mat 17:26 When Peter said, "From strangers," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are exempt. Mat 17:27  "However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me."

Agape

Dave