Comment: Jesus made us to realize that faith is the first condition for receiving divine favours. When a certain man besought Christ to heal his son who was possessed by a demon since his disciples could not do so, our Saviour rebuked the apostles for their faithlessness, meaning that if they had faith, they would have been able to cure him. He then said to the man “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Immediately the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Seeing his faith, he commanded the spirit to leave the boy. – Mark 9:19-29.

Ironically, one of the places where Jesus Christ faced rejection was in Nazareth, among his own people, where he grew up. This was because of lack of faith. Though the people were astonished at his wisdom, they belittled him because they knew him from childhood. They asked, “Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him.”  They were the losers because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:53-58) It would be wise for us to follow the example of the apostles who prayed, “Lord, Increase our faith”. – Luke 17:5.