Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy ~
The disciples are still having trouble with their faith. They have a lack of understanding. They've seen what Jesus can do, they've received training and have been sent out as Jesus' representatives. But it seems to me they are trying to mimic Jesus' actions instead of believing they have the ability themselves. "Well, Jesus put His hand here and said these words, so if I do the same thing, I'll get the same results." I find it interesting that Jesus tells them that prayer was the key. Three of the disciples had just come home from the transfiguration where they had trouble staying focused during prayer. See, we aren't performing miracles under our own power, it has nothing to do with our ability. It has everything to do with God's ability. Prayer leads to a closer relationship with God. When you have a close relationship with God, you know His ways, His thoughts, His desires and He knows yours.
As Jesus says, with faith like a mustard seed you can move a mountain. This is a common metaphor found in Jewish literature for doing what seems impossible. A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds, yet is produces a huge plant. Faith is the same - it starts out small, but through prayer and a close relationship with God, it will grow and mature. When your faith is mature, when you know the mind of God, when you are walking in His Will, the impossible becomes possible.
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