NOTES: Dancing with Porcupines, Part 4

Sermon: Dancing with Porcupines 4- Conflict Triage

Text: Matthew 17:14–20 (ESV)

Date: Sunday May 7, 2023

Matthew 17:14–20 (ESV)

14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Let’s Connect:

The many challenges of connecting with those with different opinions and beliefs:

Text Explained:

Story context:

16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.

Is Jesus being dismissive?

Eph. 4:1-3 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Bearing with one another: to endure something difficult on behalf of someone else.

The faith that was absent and present:

-     Unbelief

-     Weak

-     Desperate

What does it mean for Jesus to “bear” with them?

            Love if fully present:

            Truth is fully present:

            Bearing with one another like Jesus is the union of Truth in Love

Eph. 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Let’s Relate:

Learning how to bear with each other in love:

Extended Listening

Practice Conflict triage

Give space for grace

Here’s Our Challenge:

Let’s extend our “one another’s” to one or two more persons outside our present circle.

Matt. 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

In the midst of our differences and problems, we offer people not what we have, but what He has.