“You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you?

Matthew 17:17

It was an important time in Jesus’ ministry. He had just been to the mountain top with his closest disciples, where he was transfigured. He comes down from the mountain and turns his face toward Jerusalem. This is the beginning of the long journey to the cross. But first…

He encounters his other disciples, who apparently couldn’t heal a boy with epilepsy. That’s when he utters this frustrated statement, above. It seems he has lost his patience with us humans in general.

But “faithless and perverse?” That’s harsh! And “how much longer must I be with you?” Those are some pretty damning words. Is Jesus really that fed up? And do these words still apply? Apparently, Jesus saw some of these traits back in his day–even among his followers. Would he say the same thing about us today?

Are we faithless? Certainly, our country is undergoing the most massive decline in church attendance in history. People are staying away in droves. I think lots of people believe in God and have some sort of spiritual connection in their lives, but the modern world has crowded going to church out of folks’ hectic weekly schedules. Some would say we have less of an emphasis on community, on loving “the other”, and that we’re failing to instill those values into our kids. Does that make people “faithless”?

Are we perverse? Well… one definition of the word “perverse” is “showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences” (oxford languages). When I look at our rampant consumerism, our mistreatment of the planet, our polarization and tendency toward war, on top of our frequent betrayal of our own values, I think the definition may fit.

So, aside from the harshness of the words, one could make the argument that Jesus is not wrong about us. We’re a pretty messed up people, a lot of the time.

But, “how long must I put up with you” sounds like he hates his job! It’s like he’s had enough with this miserable mess of humanity. Could that be right?

I actually love this verse, because, to me, it shows Jesus at his most human. What human wouldn’t be fed up by crowds who only want to see miracles, religious leaders who don’t get it, and a message that can’t seem to break through to even his trusted disciples? Jesus is on a mission, and the mission is hard. It will eventually take his life.

But in the meantime, he has to struggle to make a connection, to make an impact with those around him. He wants them to catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God, to understand the power of faith. When it seems like they just don’t get it again and again, I begin to understand this moment of frustration.

But it was just a moment. And then, he kept going. Teaching, telling parables, challenging authority and spreading a message of radical love. He never stopped, until the very end…and beyond.

The truth is, the cross is where we really learn what Jesus thought of us.

Let’s give him this moment of exasperation for what it is: he is lamenting just how far we still have to go and letting us know it. Just because Jesus died for our sins doesn’t mean our work is complete. We must dedicate our lives to growing in our faith and reframing our actions from perverting the Gospel.

Yes, those are tough words to hear,

but maybe we’re due for a little

tough love.

Have a great week,

Mitch