Good Sunday morning. After they come down from the mount of Transfiguration, a man comes up to Jesus and falls on his knees. He begs Jesus to heal his son because the disciples were not able to do so. Jesus casts out the demon, and the boy is cured. The disciples want to know why they could not cast it out. It was because of the littleness of their faith. They only needed the faith of a mustard seed to even move a mountain. A mustard seed does not have to do anything special to grow – it just knows that it will! We should be the same way in the exercise of our faith. (some manuscripts add that this kind does not come out by anything except prayer and fasting). Jesus reminds them that He’s going to be delivered up; killed; and raised on the third day. They are deeply grieved. They are expecting Jesus to set up His kingdom here and now. Then we have the fish story – you know, the one where Peter cast the hook into the sea, and the fish has a coin in its mouth. The disciples want to know who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Of course they were expecting Jesus to name some great person (can anyone say me, me, me like the seagulls in finding Nemo). But Jesus tells them they have to become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven. Father thank You that the reader has the faith of a mustard seed. He/she can even command a mountain to move, and it will obey him/her. Nothing will be impossible for him/her!

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