January 26

Why Unbelief Shows Up After Big Moments With God

The glory fades, the mountain disappears behind them, and reality presses back in. Matthew 17:10–27 shows us what happens when heavenly revelation has to survive everyday life. It is one thing to see Christ transfigured. It is another thing to trust Him when questions, failure, pressure, and ordinary obligations show up.

The disciples start with theology. They ask Jesus why the scribes insist Elijah must come first. Jesus answers plainly. Elijah did come, speaking of John the Baptist, and they did to him whatever they pleased. “They have done unto him whatsoever they listed” ~Matthew 17:12. The problem was not lack of Scripture. The problem was selective belief. They loved prophecy they could admire and rejected repentance that confronted them. That same blindness still operates today. People wait for dramatic moves of God while ignoring the plain truth already written.

Faith as a grain of mustard seed

Immediately the scene shifts from doctrine to desperation. A father brings his tormented son to Jesus and admits the disciples could not help him. Jesus’ response is sharp and revealing. “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?” ~Matthew 17:17. The issue was not the power of darkness. It was the weakness of misplaced faith. Later Jesus explains, “Because of your unbelief” ~Matthew 17:20. Faith is not hype. Faith is dependence. A mustard seed of real trust in God outweighs mountains of religious confidence.

Jesus does not stop there. He again tells them plainly that He will be betrayed, killed, and raised the third day. “They were exceeding sorry” ~Matthew 17:23. Sorrow shows they heard Him, but grief alone is not understanding. The cross still did not fit their expectations. They wanted kingdom glory without suffering. Jesus keeps reminding them that redemption always passes through sacrifice. There is no crown without a cross, no resurrection without death.

Then the passage moves into something almost uncomfortable in its ordinariness. The collectors of the temple tax ask Peter if Jesus pays. Peter answers quickly, without thinking. Jesus uses the moment to teach a kingdom truth. Kings do not tax their own sons. “Then are the children free” ~Matthew 17:26. Jesus is declaring His rightful identity. He owes nothing. He is the Son.

But then comes the line that reveals the heart of Christ. “Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them” ~Matthew 17:27. Jesus chooses humility over entitlement. He does not surrender truth, but He refuses unnecessary offense. Then He sends Peter to the sea, where provision waits in an unexpected place. A coin in a fish’s mouth covers both their needs. The lesson is quiet but powerful. When Christ calls you to obedience, He also supplies what obedience requires.

This passage exposes how faith must operate when life is not dramatic. Faith must endure misunderstanding, admit failure, trust God’s provision, and walk humbly among people who may not recognize who Christ truly is. Jesus is Lord over prophecy, demons, death, money, and daily life. Nothing rattles Him. Nothing surprises Him. Yet He walks in submission to the Father and consideration toward others.

Here is the hard question for us. Does our faith only work when God dazzles us, or does it endure when the moment feels ordinary and costly? Do we trust Christ only when victory is visible, or also when obedience feels inconvenient? Jesus shows us that true faith follows Him down the mountain just as willingly as it followed Him up.

Tomorrow we will hear Jesus redefine greatness itself, not by power or position, but by humility and childlike trust. Stay close to the Word. The real shaping of faith does not happen in flashes of glory. It happens when Christ teaches us how to live faithfully in the everyday weight of obedience.

Matthew 17:10-27
Exodus 2:11-3:22
Psalm 22:1-18
Proverbs 5:7-14

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New Testament: Matthew 17:10-27

Summary:
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection
The Temple Tax

Occasionally, we just have to admit that we can’t figure things out on our own. We need Jesus. Are you trying to navigate a situation on your own? Learn how Jesus grew closer to God through prayer in this video.

Overview: Matthew 14-28 – Click Here

The Power of Faith

Matthew 17:14–21

Now listen, let me sum all four of these up. And you get this, you get the whole lesson here. All these incidents tell us what little faith is. Little faith is the kind of faith that believes in God when you have something in your hand. Got it? “Oh, yes, I believe God. Oh, yes, the Lord provides; here it is, and I’m hanging onto it.” That’s little faith. But little faith can’t believe God when it doesn’t have in hand its resource. That’s little faith.

Great faith says, “I believe God without anything in my hand. I believe God in the middle of the storm. I believe god though the wind is howling. I believe God though there’s nothing on the cupboard. I believe God though I don’t have any clothing. I believe God.” That’s great faith.

Little faith, most of us are really good at little faith. We believe God because we can see what He’s done; it’s right here.