From the desk of Pastor Ben

A Perverse Faithlessness

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.”
                                (Matthew 17:17)

Here Jesus gives us a rare glimpse into the depths of His divine heart and soul. Having been accustomed to having angels instantly do his bidding, He was grieved at the blindness and faithlessness of God’s people Israel, especially His disciples, whom He had personally chosen, taught, and endowed with unique power and authority.

The entire generation of Jews was faithless, represented on this occasion by the crowd, the disciples, and the self-righteous scribes who were there to entrap and discredit the Lord if they could.

The people were not only unbelieving but perverted as well. Although many of His listeners were also morally perverted, Jesus was here speaking primarily of the spiritual perversion that is inevitable in those who are unbelieving. Any person who does not genuinely trust God cannot escape having a distorted view of Him and His will.

But Jesus would not vary from His divine mission nor give in to Satan’s temptation to despair over the faithlessness of the people. He was on earth to do His Father’s business, from which nothing would deter Him. So he said to the boy’s father, “Bring him here to Me.”

Ask Yourself:
What do you make of Jesus’ frustration? Do you sometimes sense His frustration with you? Do you not know that even though His every action toward you is love, true love can sometimes be demanding — because true love is intent on taking you where you really need to be?