Breaking the Word

When they came to the crowd a man approached, knelt down before him, and said, "Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him." Jesus said in reply, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him here to me." Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured. Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, "Why could we not drive it out?"  He said to them, "Because of your little faith. Amen, 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. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Mt 17:14-20)

When people suffer severely, they always approach God, Godly persons or disciples of Godly persons. Man accepts that there are situations which are beyond the control of man and man on his own will not be able to overcome it. Man accepts that such situations need the help and the assistance from above (divine).

God can certainly overcome such situations because nothing is impossible for God. Now what about Godly persons? Godly persons will be able to do only with the help of faith. But many a times Godly persons appear to be Godly but without faith. “O faithless and perverse generations”. Yes there could be Godly persons without faith.

This is the lesson that Jesus gives his disciples. He advices his disciples, that they could not do the needful because of their lack of faith. Faith, not in the sense of great quantity. But a little faith: faith in the size of a mustard seed. Jesus also says that nothing is impossible for a man of faith (nothing is impossible for God).   

About eight days after he said this, he took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." … (Lk 9:28-36)

Moses and Elijah spoke of his exodus in Jerusalem. Jesus ministry in Jerusalem is compared to exodus. Exodus was for the people of Israel a peak experience of God. It was an event that took place once in their life time but had significance for life long and for history to come. This was a pivotal event. This event was the source and summit of their life. With exodus they come from slavery as once freed people with faith in one God.

Moses appeared in transfiguration to make this exodus more significant. Moses was the one who had a God experience and communicated this God experience to the people. He called the father of the Judaic religion. It was Moses who formed the people into one nation basing on the belief in one God.

Elijah was also there at the transfiguration. He was the prophet who re-confirmed the faith of the people in one God. (1 Kings Chapter 18). It was the time when the people were carried away by false prophets. People began to believe in many other gods. This prophet come in to renew the faith of the people in YAHWEH.

Transfiguration tells us that Jesus is like Moses and Elijah who united the people in the faith of YAHWEH. Work and life of Jesus is similar to exodus in as far as it directs the people to Jerusalem to experience one God.