The Lord Jesus was transfigured on Mount Tabor, revealing His divine nature to His disciples. Immediately after the manifestation of His glory, He began to speak of the coming suffering and death He was to experience, followed by His Resurrection. In this way, He not only prepared His disciples for the most significant trial to come, but He also taught them about faith and hope. After the Transfiguration, as Jesus and the disciples come down from the mountain and continue their travels around the region of Galilee, a desperate father seeks out the Lord to help his son. The boy is possessed by an evil spirit which causes seizures and prevents him from speaking. Besides the tremendous suffering the boy and his family are enduring, his life is also in danger. At the time of his greatest need, the boy’s father has some measure of hope, which is why he brings his son to Christ’s disciples. The father is desperate for help because he loves his son, and he had heard that Jesus was known for healing those who came to Him. However, the disciples were not able to help, and when Jesus returns, He rebukes them. “O faithless generation,” the Lord says, “how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” They bring the boy to Him, and when the evil spirit is in the presence of the Lord, it immediately causes convulsions in the boy. The father tells the Lord that this has been happening since the boy’s childhood. He pleads for pity and help, hoping that Jesus could do something for them. The Lord teaches us that all things are possible for those who have faith in Him. Faith is the key to our spiritual life. Faith needs to be nurtured, so that it develops and grows. On the other hand, the absence of faith can be a stumbling block in our lives. Faith connects us to God and becomes the channel through which our lives can be transformed. It is through faith that we draw near to the Lord and open ourselves to His will. By faith, we “entrust ourselves and one another, and our whole lives to Christ our God,” as we petition in the Divine Liturgy. It is through faith that the grace of God enters our lives and fills our whole being, enabling us to turn away from sin and towards God, even when we face challenging trials and powerful temptations. As Saint Paul writes, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:1-2). The disciples could not help the boy because they did not yet completely trust the Lord, and so their faith was faltering. When the boy’s father brought his son to the Lord, he also was unsure that Jesus could help. The Lord answers him, and tells him not to doubt, because all things are possible for those who believe. Immediately the father cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” The Lord satisfies the father’s request because of His great love and mercy. This simple yet honest and powerful prayer — I believe; help my unbelief! — can become our own prayer as our confidence and faith in Christ continue to grow every day, with His help and guidance. The Lord says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). The father in the Gospel lesson seeks to increase his faith so that his son may be healed, and the Lord responds with love and compassion. He answers the prayer, and it becomes a kind of resurrection for the boy. The son who could not speak and appeared lifeless is healed by the Son of God, who would Himself rise from the dead, forever changing the course of humankind. Faith in Christ requires trust in Him, and through faith, He who rose from the dead also restores our lives to renewal. Sickness in Scripture is often connected to demonic possession because the physical world is intertwined with the unseen world. As human beings, we are comprised of soul and body. The spiritual and physical worlds are united within us in ways that transcend our understanding. Ultimately, our goal is to draw near to God as integrated human beings — in soul and body with faith and love. In this way, we can be healed of our spiritual infirmities and be transfigured by the grace of the Lord. This begins with repentance and humility. Metaphorically, it is a journey to scale the mountain of faith and climb the ladder of spiritual ascent. The father in the Gospel lesson shows humility by kneeling, but he still lacked faith. The disciples also lacked faith, but Christ rebukes the man for reproaching the disciples since the boy’s healing was prevented by his own lack of faith. In effect, Jesus publicly defends His disciples, only to rebuke them privately later. We are similarly encouraged to graciously correct others first in private and avoid publicly embarrassing them. In this regard, Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia generally instructs us to “exercise ourselves in patience and endurance,” and to approach all situations “with love, kindness, meekness, patience and humility.” When the disciples ask the Lord why they could not cast out the spirit from the boy, Jesus says that kind of spiritual bondage can only be broken by prayer and fasting. The banishment of spiritual enemies requires an inclusive approach based on faith, prayer, and fasting. In this light, we come to understand the spiritual purpose of fasting. As Saint Nektarios of Aegina explains, “Fasting is recommended as a means of preparing the mind and the heart for divine worship, for long prayer, for rising from the earthly, and for spiritualization.” During this time of Great Lent, we have been given the opportunity to increase our efforts in the spiritual disciplines — fasting, praying, and almsgiving — and grow in faith. If we trust in the Lord when we ask for His help, He will answer us according to our spiritual needs. He will come to our rescue because the Lord is always with us. He loves us and longs for our salvation.
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