“Startling.”  “Jesus outside of the Box.”  “Say, what?!”  These could all be appropriate titles for this section.  Just read this first part:

 ¹⁴When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
 ¹⁷“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 

These are strong words from Jesus!  He isn’t this nice, sweet church-lady kind of Jesus we picture.  Yes, he is  kind and gentle–he touches the lepers.  But he’s also fierce–he doesn’t mince words when it comes to addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees,  he’s unpredictable–telling the Canaanite woman that he doesn’t give the childrens’ bread to dogs, and at other times like in this text he’s just plain enigmatic.  I mean who says these kinds of things?  And yet he turns right around and lifts them up, telling them that if they just have faith, “Nothing will be impossible for you.”  So it’s both a slap in the face and an encouragement onward.  Jesus definitely does not fit the box.  But then again, I wouldn’t want him to. Part of the journey is the mystery.

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Memorized:  Matthew 17:14-27 (Feb 19)