Miracles of Jesus: Healing a boy possessed by a demon • Catching a fish with a coin in its mouth

1. Miracles of Jesus – 19th October 2016
 Healing a boy possessed by a demon - (Matthew 17:14-20, Mark 9:17-29, Luke 9:37-
43).
 Catching a fish with a coin in its mouth - (Matthew 17:24-27)
Healing a boy possessed by a demon - (Matthew17:14-20).
He replied, “Because you haveso little faith.Truly I tell you,if you havefaith assmall as a mustard
seed, you can sayto this mountain,‘Movefrom here to there,’ andit will move. Nothingwill be
impossibleforyou.” (Matthew17:14-20).
The Gospelsof Matthew, Mark and Luke describe amiracle inwhichJesusandsome of hisfollowers
approach a crowdof people andJesusmiraculouslyhealsaboywhowas possessedbyademon.As
describedinthe Gospel of Matthew:
“Whenthey came to the crowd,a man approachedJesus andknelt before him. 15
“Lord,have mercy on
my son,” he said.“He has seizures andis sufferinggreatly.He often fallsintothe fire or into the water.
16
I broughthim to your disciples,butthey couldnot heal him.”
17
“Youunbelievingandperverse generation,” Jesusreplied, “howlong shall I staywith you? How long
shall I put up withyou? Bring the boy here to me.” 18
Jesusrebuked the demon,and it came out ofthe
boy,and he was healed at that moment.
19
Then the disciplescame to Jesus inprivate and asked,“Whycouldn’twe drive it out?” 20
He replied,
“Because youhave so little faith.Truly I tell you,if youhave faithas small as a mustardseed, you can
say to thismountain,‘Movefrom here to there,’ and it will move. Nothingwill be impossibleforyou.”
(Matthew 17:14-20).
Catching a fish with a coin in its mouth - (Matthew17:24-27)
“But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first
fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to
them for my tax and yours.” (Matthew 17: 27)
Duringa time whenJesusandPeterwere inthe townof Capernaum, whichisinthe regionof Galilee in
the northernpart of the Biblical landof Israel,tax collectors approachedPeterandaskedfortaxesfor
the Temple.JesustoldPetertocatch a fishandthat the firstfishhe wouldcatch wouldhave enough
moneyinitsmouthto pay the taxesforPeterand Jesus.The firstfishthathe caught had a four-drachma
coinin itsmouth,enoughtopay the taxes.Asexplainedinthe Gospel of Matthew:
“After Jesusand hisdisciplesarrived inCapernaum,the collectors ofthe two-drachmatempletax
came to Peter and asked,"Doesn'tyour teacher paythe temple tax?" "Yes,he does," he replied.

2. WhenPeter came into the house,Jesus was the first to speak. "Whatdoyou think,Simon?" he asked.
"Fromwhom do the kingsof the earth collect duty andtaxes-fromtheir own childrenor from others?"
"Fromothers," Peter answered.
"Then the childrenare exempt," Jesus saidto him."But so that we may not cause offense,go to the
lake andthrow out your line. Take the firstfishyou catch; open itsmouth andyou will finda four-
drachmacoin. Take it and give it to them for my tax andyours." (Matthew 17:24-27).