Bring Him Here to Me (Matthew 17:14–23)
Gerald Largent
“Bring Him Here to Me”: Faith, Prayer, and Fasting
In the Gospel for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, a suffering father approaches Jesus, falls to his knees, and cries, “Lord, have mercy on my son.” The child is tormented and repeatedly thrown into fire and water. The father had brought him to Christ’s disciples, but they were unable to heal him. Christ commands that the boy be brought to Him, rebukes the demon, and immediately restores the child. Later, the disciples privately ask why they had failed. The Lord answers that it was because of their unbelief, teaching them about faith like a mustard seed and the necessity of prayer and fasting.
The father’s first words have become the prayer of the Church: “Lord, have mercy.” He does not present Christ with an argument or attempt to hide the desperation of his condition. He simply kneels and asks for mercy. His prayer teaches us what to do when our own wisdom and strength have reached their limits.
Parents may recognize themselves in this father. He suffers because his son suffers. He has watched someone he loves fall repeatedly into danger, and he cannot save him. Many people carry a similar pain for children, spouses, friends, or relatives struggling with illness, addiction, despair, anger, or unbelief. At times, every effort seems to fail. The Gospel does not dismiss that anguish. Instead, it directs the sufferer to Christ: “Bring him here to Me.”
Those words contain the heart of Christian intercession. We bring others to Christ in prayer. We speak their names before God. We remember them during the Divine Liturgy. We ask the saints to intercede for them. We bring them to the Church when possible, but even when they are distant or unwilling, we may still carry them in love before the Lord.
The disciples’ failure also deserves attention. They had already been given authority to heal and cast out demons, yet in this instance they could do nothing. Their earlier spiritual experiences did not guarantee success apart from a continuing life of dependence upon God. Spiritual authority is not a possession that we control. Grace is never magic. The disciple must remain united to Christ in humility, faith, prayer, repentance, and obedience.
When Christ speaks of faith like a mustard seed, He is not praising self-confidence or positive thinking. Christian faith is trust in the living God. Even a small but genuine faith has power because its strength comes not from the person who believes, but from the Lord in whom that person places his trust. The “mountains” before us may be entrenched sins, fear, resentment, pride, or hopelessness. We cannot move them by willpower alone, but God can transform what appears immovable.
Christ joins this faith to prayer and fasting. Orthodox fasting is not a punishment, a diet, or an attempt to earn God’s favor. It is a means of freedom. By restraining the body, we learn not to obey every appetite and impulse. Prayer turns our attention toward God, while fasting weakens the tyranny of the passions. The Church therefore teaches that fasting must be united with prayer, repentance, mercy, and growth in virtue.
The Gospel ends with Christ foretelling His betrayal, death, and Resurrection. This shows us where true healing is found. The Lord does not save humanity from a safe distance. He enters our suffering, bears the Cross, descends into death, and rises victorious.
Whatever burden we carry, the invitation remains the same: bring it to Christ. Bring Him the suffering person, the wounded relationship, the stubborn sin, and the faith that seems painfully small. Let that faith be nourished through prayer and fasting, and trust the mercy of the One for whom nothing is impossible.
From the St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach bulletin for August 9, 2026.