Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 8 March 2026

Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, Matthew 17:22

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And they, overturning in the Galilee, Jesus, He said to them, ‘The Son of Man, He is about to be surrendered into men’s hands’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus finished His words concerning casting out the demon, saying that such a kind would only depart through prayer and fasting. Matthew next says, “And they, overturning in the Galilee.”

A new word is seen in some texts, anastrephó. It is derived from ana, up, and strephó to turn. Thus, it signifies an overturning. The sense is close to returning, but rather than being used adverbially, it is a verb carrying more weight than that. One can return without any intent or change in the way things are, or one can return while considering, making changes, redirecting to something new, etc. It is also used as a word indicating contrast.

For example, the word is used in Acts 15:16 where the Lord promises to return and build again the tabernacle of David that had fallen down. God abandoned Israel, but He will come again to them, “unabandoning” them. Thus, there is a sense of overturning in action.

In the case of Matthew 17:22, it appears the word is used to indicate that, because of the instruction from Jesus concerning the demon, the disciples’ direction in thinking is “overturned” to align with how things should be.

Because of the complicated nature of the word in relation to the surrounding words, some texts use another new word, sustrephó, to twist together. As such, it would mean they were gathering together in the Galilee. This is a convenient change, but it seems unnatural. The only other time it is used is when Paul gathered sticks together to make a fire. Regardless of this, it next says, “Jesus, He said to them, ‘The Son of Man, He is about to be surrendered into men’s hands.’”

This is now the second time Jesus speaks of the coming passion He would endure. He is preparing the disciples for what is to come, but they seem to miss the import of what He is conveying. When the events finally take place, they will seem wholly unprepared for them.

Life application: There are times when a word is used, and it is hard to pin down what is being said. Even with an explanation of the word, what was said seems insufficient to define the meaning. In such a case, it is good to look at the other uses of that word and try to determine a common thread. In the case of anastrephó, here are all of its uses –

“But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they overturned and reported…” Acts 5:22

“After this I will overturn
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will set it up.” Acts 15:16

“For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we overturned ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.” 2 Corinthians 1:12

“…among whom also we all once overturned ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:3

“but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to overturn yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” 1 Timothy 3:15

“…partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so overturned.” Hebrews 10:22

“Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to overturn honorably.” Hebrews 13:18

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, overturn yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.” 1 Peter 1:17

“For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who overturning in error.” 2 Peter 2:18

These examples show that the word carries a sense of conducting oneself in a particular way, which is somewhat in contrast to another way. In many cases, through research of synonyms, a word may come up that carries all of the intent of the word. At other times, it may be best to literally translate the word (such as overturn) and let the chips fall where they may in the minds of the reader.

But remember this tool. Going to the other uses of an unusual word is a great way to better understand how that word fits into the broader panorama of its intended use.

Lord God, give us the desire to want to know every nuance of Your wonderful word. As it reflects You and what You intend for us, then when we rightly understand it and apply it to our thinking, we know it will help mold us into Your image. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.

Saturday, 7 March 2026

However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And this kind it departs not if not in prayer and fasting” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples the reason why they couldn’t eject the demon, explaining to them the power of faith, even the size of a mustard seed. Having said that, He now speaks of the importance of matters related to their faith, saying, “And this kind it departs not if not in prayer and fasting.”

There are two new words in this verse. The first is proseuché, prayer. It is derived from prós, towards or exchange, and euché, a wish or prayer. Thus, it signifies an exchange of wishes. The second is nésteia, abstinence. This can be both from a lack of food (such as in 2 Corinthians 6:5), or for a voluntary or religious purpose (such as in Acts 14:23).

It is to be noted that this verse is not included in some texts, and it is either footnoted as such or left out entirely from some translations. If the omission of the verse is not footnoted, it means that the verse number is lacking as well. This can be confusing to those who do not understand such nuances.

Jesus’ point here is not that all demons required their special prayers and fasting, but that this particular type of demon did. This, then, should probably be taken as a type of upbraiding. The disciples, having failed to eject the demon, should have gathered in prayer instead of disputing with the scribes.

However, the lack of ability to cast the demon out probably embarrassed them, and instead of going to their knees, pride stepped in, and they spent their time trying to justify themselves by past deeds or through the sure thought that their Master could take care of the matter in a snap.

Despite this, nothing is said about what type of fasting would be required, be it a promise to fast, a half day, a full day, etc. Therefore, without knowing what was meant, the disciples would have to do their best to seek the Lord’s power to resolve the matter.

Life application: A main point to consider is that these men could not expect to arbitrarily walk up to any malady or affliction and snap their fingers to obtain their anticipated results. Instead, they were subject to the will of the Lord. This subjugation meant that when things did not go as expected, they were to stop and seek His face.

Although there is no prescription concerning casting out demons for the church today, there are hurdles that we will face, and we should seek the face of the Lord when we meet them. It is better that we come to the Lord with all of the needs of the day ahead, asking for His guidance. But when roadblocks appear, that is when we should re-seek His face, asking Him to guide our steps anew.

A second point about this verse is the omission of it in some Bibles. This is not a conspiracy by someone to degrade the importance of the word. Scholars translate based on various texts and textual differences. This is normally explained in the preface, if one is included.

However, it is rather shoddy to omit a verse without any explanation at all. Numbers increase one after another. This is standard for all people. When a number is missing, without an explanation, it violates the set rules of numerical progression. This is annoying and even troublesome, depending on who the reader is.

If you come to such a situation in your Bible reading, highlight or mark it so that the next person who reads that Bible doesn’t have to fret over the missing verse. Bibles can get passed along any number of times. Notes for clarity can be a real blessing to the next person into whose hands it comes.

Lord God, give us the wisdom to seek You in prayer each day. And when times of extra trial and difficulty arise, help us to remember to stop, drop (even if only mentally), and petition You for greater assistance and insight into the difficulty we face. Yes, Lord, give us wisdom in this. Amen.

Friday, 6 March 2026

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, He said to them, ‘Through your faithlessness. For amen! I say to you, if you should have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “You depart hence thither,” and it will depart. And nothing, it will be impossible for you.’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the disciples came to Jesus and asked why they couldn’t cast out the demon. In response, Matthew records, “And Jesus, He said to them, ‘Through your faithlessness.’”

Some texts use a word meaning “little faith,” others use the word indicating unbelief or faithlessness. The point of the wording is that the disciples were unfaithful to the faith. They had seen Jesus perform miracles. They had also been given the power to perform miracles. And yet, they allowed their faith to wane in the presence of such a determined demon.

The power they possessed was not actually theirs. It was the power of God bestowed on them to perform duties on behalf of Jesus. Thus, this was not so much little faith as it was faithlessness, even if their faith was also little.

Despite this, concerning the little faith they possessed, which is evident from having been able to heal at other times, Jesus continues, saying, “For amen! I say to you, if you should have faith as a mustard seed.”

Almost all translations incorrectly say, “if you have faith.” The verb is subjunctive, “if you should (may, might) have.” Jesus knows they have faith based on their previous interactions with healing and casting out demons.

Thus, His words now are showing how teeny their faith actually is. “You may have this much faith, but if your faith was as big as a single mustard seed, then…” Next, He tells them what the result would be, saying, “…you will say to this mountain, ‘You depart hence thither,’ and it will depart.”

A new word is seen here in some texts, enteuthen. It signifies the thought of “on both sides,” thus, it gives the sense of the word “hence.” The smallest grain of faith would allow them to move mountains. This is certainly why some texts say, “little faith” rather than “faithlessness.” But Jesus’ point is that they were unfaithful, as if unbelieving, concerning the faith.

Jesus continues. Not only would they be able to move mountains, but He also goes further, saying, “And nothing, it will be impossible for you.”

Another new word is seen, adunateó, to be unable. As such, passively, it means impossible. The word will only be seen again in Luke 1:37. Jesus words here must be qualified. There are things that are in one’s sphere of authority, and there are things that are outside of that sphere.

An example of this is found in Luke 9 when James and John asked Jesus if He wanted them to command fire to come down on the Samaritans. The implication is that they felt they could have done it, but they were forbidden from doing so.

Life application: The words of Jesus in this verse are quite often taken to unhealthy and unintended extremes. People use the words to claim things they will not receive, and they use them to diminish others in their eyes because of their supposed lack of faith.

As noted, there are things in one’s sphere of authority that will restrain him from doing things. It was true with the disciples, even though they were given authority to do things, they were not given absolute authority.

Their ministry called for healing and casting out demons to validate Jesus’ ministry. This is no longer required. His ministry was validated, and He is the Messiah of Israel. This is not in question from a biblical perspective.

As this is so, we can extend the truth concerning faith to any situation. If God does not want something to happen, our faith will not circumvent God’s will. As the Bible tells us that we live by faith and not by sight, it means that our faith is restricted to matters where faith remains faith.

When something occurs because we asked for it in faith, there is still the issue of our needing faith to accept that our petition was granted by God, not merely by chance or by our own power. We cannot go around claiming things, expecting that God is going to do everything we think we have faith to perform.

Using reason, along with proper biblical understanding, is necessary to know what our allowances are. The dispensation in which we live is one that calls for faith that Jesus is the Messiah. The Bible proclaims it is so, and we are expected to believe that. Anything we desire beyond that is something that we should strive for, but it is not something we can claim into existence.

Lord God, may our walk with You be one that is reasonable. May our lives be faith-filled and glorifying of You, not arrogant and presumptuous. Help us to remember that You are our hope and place of security. Understanding this, our faith will be properly directed. Amen.

Thursday, 5 March 2026

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” Matthew 17:19

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Then, the disciples having come to Jesus off alone, they said, ‘Through what we – not we could eject it?’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus admonished the demon, and it came out of the boy, curing the boy immediately. Matthew next records, “Then, the disciples having come to Jesus off alone.”

Matthew’s gospel does not give the location of this verse, as if it could have been right there where the boy was cured. However, Mark says, “And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately…”

It appears they were embarrassed about their public failure, and probably timid because of His admonishment of them. As such, they departed to a house, at which time they could readdress the matter without any pokes of laughter or ridicule from the people. With them gathered in the house, “they said, ‘Through what we – not we could eject it?’”

It is an obvious question. The twelve had been sent out to tend to the ministry in Matthew 10 with the words, “Being feeble – you cure, leprous – you cleanse, dead – you rouse, demons – you eject. Freely you received, freely you give” (CG). In Luke 10, at the return of the seventy, it said, “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’”

So this was a part of the ministry they participated in. Despite this, they were collectively unable to cast out this boy’s demon, and they didn’t know why.

Life application: As noted, it seems the disciples were ashamed of their inability to do what they had previously been charged to do. And yet, some of these same men either wrote or were certainly consulted about the events regarding their time with Jesus.

This is common among people. We don’t want to look dumb in front of others. However, with the passing of time, we openly speak about how stupid, naive, etc., we were in the past. It is as if the past gives us a buffer from the state we once were in, allowing us to convey things that we wouldn’t have dreamt of mentioning when the event occurred.

Time is both a teacher and a healer. As we get older, we gain more experience in matters (well, if we are willing to learn from our mistakes and those we see in others), and we also mature in our ability to let go of things that we once held close.

Time allows us to process events and resolve them in our minds. It is common after a war for soldiers to come home and refuse to mention any of the horrors they experienced. And yet, after considering the events over months or years, it normally becomes easier to open up and share what happened with others.

The disciples took in the things that happened and were able to convey them to us with notes concerning their own imperfections to teach us that it is ok to accept our own failings. This is true with the events of those in the Old Testament as well.

David’s failings, along with his victories, times of anger, and so forth, were put into psalms. He was able to express to us how those events affected his life. From there, God chose these recorded events to place in His word, having inspired them for us to learn from.

Keep reading the Bible. As events in our lives occur, we can see similar events occurring in the lives of others from the past. From there, we can see how God used those events to reveal many things to us, if we are willing to learn what He is telling us.

The Bible is an ever-relevant manual on how we can more perfectly run our lives if we will take advantage of its contents.

Lord God, thank You that Your word is so open and frank about human activity. We can learn so much about our own lives and how to deal with our personal circumstances by knowing what Your word says about such things. What a great life manual You have given to us. Thank You for this wonderful word. Amen.

Wednesday, 4 March 2026

And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Matthew 17:18

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, He admonished it, and the demon, it proceeded from him, and the boy, he was cured from that hour” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus called those who were unable to heal the boy a perverse generation, wondering how long He would have to be with them and uphold them. He then asked them to bring the boy to Him. Matthew next records, “And Jesus, He admonished it.”

The verb is masculine, as is the next verb, which refers to the demon. Therefore, it is debated who is being referred to. The Pulpit Commentary says, “Some take the pronoun as masculine, and refer it to the diseased boy; but it is more natural that the rebuke should be addressed to the possessing demon.”

They are right. Despite the boy being the nearest antecedent (Bring him here to Me) of the previous verse, Mark tells us who Jesus was speaking to –

“When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!’ ²⁶ Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, ‘He is dead.’ ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.” Mark 9:25-27

One would normally assume that the nearest antecedent, the boy, would be the subject, but Matthew took the additional care of explaining the verb after the fact, saying, “and the demon, it proceeded from him.”

Though this is not the usual way grammar is used, it is acceptable, especially if one knows there is another gospel record to be referred to. Though each gospel is a standalone account, together they form a larger tapestry of what is happening in accounts such as this. With the demon out of the boy, it next says, “and the boy, he was cured from that hour.”

The meaning of “from that hour” is “immediately.” That is to be understood from Mark as well.

Life application: Whatever specifics the scribes and the disciples were arguing over (as indicated in Mark 9), the fact is that none of them were able to restore the boy to normalcy. And more, the father wouldn’t have just waited around hoping the Messiah would show up someday. He would have consulted physicians, those at the local synagogue, and anyone else who might be able to help.

And yet, his son remained in his tragic state. But when Jesus arrived on the scene, it was a few moments of discussion and then instant healing. This is just the same as our salvation. We may entreat eastern religions, seek out spiritualists, meet up with mediums, consult the Koran, or open up the Upanishads, but there is no light and no healing in them.

But the moment we come to Christ, accepting the gospel of our salvation, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 14). There is no delay, no second-guessing, and no “taking it back” by God at a later date. Rather, there is immediate relief from the burden of sin and total healing of the soul. The connection to God is restored, and we are – from that moment and forever – accepted into His kingdom.

Try to always remember the joy of that moment. Carry it with you and remind yourself of it often. The more you hold close the wonder of that day, the better off you will be when times of trial and trouble trickle into your life. They will not be able to overtake you when you remember that everything here is just a temporary step on the way to eternal glory.

Lord God, how grateful we are for the immediate and eternal salvation that came to us the day we believed. Thank You for the assurance we possess. We are saved! Yes, saved forever because of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Hallelujah and amen.