Today we look at an amazing story that occurs in the valley after the Transfiguration on Mt. Hermon! We see Jesus returning with Peter, James and John to his other 9 disciples around Ceasarea Philippi where the Gates of Hell or Hades are located in the northern part of Galilee and finds crowds gathered and his disciples arguing with the scribes:
Mark 9:14-29
The Healing of a Boy With an Evil Spirit
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19 “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil[a] spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.[b]”
It is telling how the people run to meet Jesus. Jesus then asked the disciples what they were arguing about? They and the scribes seem mute? They don't answer. The man in the crowd then explains how he had brought his demon possessed son to be healed by having the demon driven out. He must have known that the disciples have cast out demons and healed people. We hear in Mark 6
8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
They had experience but they could not cast out this demon. They are on the defensive and they are surrounded by their critics and they are not able.
Jesus takes over and asks the father "How long has he been like this?" It is a really important question because Jesus wants to hear the story. He knows the answer, but as our loving God he wants us to tell the story. He is not just a magician or a dispenser of power and healing. As a matter of fact after the Transfiguration he does not want to be the center of attention. For in a few months the disciples will need to be on their own and they will need the faith that does not see. Jesus wants the father to know he is helping because he is a personal savior and has compassion for this man and his son!!
After he hears the father's story and hears how the demon has, from childhood, taken over his son at times so as to cause brain damage which manifested in these violent seizures. The man says something that many people who have been hurt and unsure of success say: "if you can." This causes Jesus to respond in an exclamation and divine frustration and responds "IF YOU CAN??" He is frustrated by this mans lack of faith. The man doesn't say "if you will" but "if you can." Realizing what he is saying: probably one of the most honest and transparent sentences in Scripture, he replies: "I DO BELIEVE! HELP ME OVERCOME MY UNBELIEF!!" May we be so honest, if we do not have the spiritual gift of faith, to admit that even when we believe we still have doubt, as sinful human beings we will have to deal with doubt all our lives!
After this statement of sincere faith it says in Luke 9:42 that as soon as Jesus sees the boy the demon starts to cause him to do his convulsions. Jesus commands the demon to leave and rebukes it. The spirit leaves and never comes back. The boy is so relaxed by the exit he looks dead. Jesus gives the son back to his father and then leaves before he is overwhelmed by the crowd. After all this is the time he has to prepare his disciples for his departure he will bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem that Jesus discussed with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Mark continues by telling us they went away from the crowd and the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast this demon out when they had cast out many. Jesus says something that is so essential for us today:
"This kind can only come out by prayer (and fasting)". I think this means they were trying to do things on their own and Jesus was out of sight and out of mind. They tried to follow the formula, like the Sons of Sceva in Acts 19 at Ephesus, but they were trying to do things on their own strength, in their own power.
We in the church act like this when we ask God to bless what we are doing rather than do what God is blessing! We need to connect with our God through prayer and yes, fasting, to align our will with HIS WILL, HIS PASSION, and HIS DESIRE! May we be open to spending time in the Word, partaking of the Sacraments which offer us proof of who we are and the Grace that saves us so that we can use this relationship through the "means of POWER," that is prayer to walk in our Lord's strength and power.
This is a great story for us to understand the posture we are to have with the Lord: "I believe, help my unbelief!" and then spending the time in worship, prayer and fasting to connect with our Lord in order to be the ambassadors we are called to be!
May God bless each one of us with such transparent and honest faith!
Pastor Bryan
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.
8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
They had experience but they could not cast out this demon. They are on the defensive and they are surrounded by their critics and they are not able.
Jesus takes over and asks the father "How long has he been like this?" It is a really important question because Jesus wants to hear the story. He knows the answer, but as our loving God he wants us to tell the story. He is not just a magician or a dispenser of power and healing. As a matter of fact after the Transfiguration he does not want to be the center of attention. For in a few months the disciples will need to be on their own and they will need the faith that does not see. Jesus wants the father to know he is helping because he is a personal savior and has compassion for this man and his son!!
After he hears the father's story and hears how the demon has, from childhood, taken over his son at times so as to cause brain damage which manifested in these violent seizures. The man says something that many people who have been hurt and unsure of success say: "if you can." This causes Jesus to respond in an exclamation and divine frustration and responds "IF YOU CAN??" He is frustrated by this mans lack of faith. The man doesn't say "if you will" but "if you can." Realizing what he is saying: probably one of the most honest and transparent sentences in Scripture, he replies: "I DO BELIEVE! HELP ME OVERCOME MY UNBELIEF!!" May we be so honest, if we do not have the spiritual gift of faith, to admit that even when we believe we still have doubt, as sinful human beings we will have to deal with doubt all our lives!
After this statement of sincere faith it says in Luke 9:42 that as soon as Jesus sees the boy the demon starts to cause him to do his convulsions. Jesus commands the demon to leave and rebukes it. The spirit leaves and never comes back. The boy is so relaxed by the exit he looks dead. Jesus gives the son back to his father and then leaves before he is overwhelmed by the crowd. After all this is the time he has to prepare his disciples for his departure he will bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem that Jesus discussed with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Mark continues by telling us they went away from the crowd and the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast this demon out when they had cast out many. Jesus says something that is so essential for us today:
"This kind can only come out by prayer (and fasting)". I think this means they were trying to do things on their own and Jesus was out of sight and out of mind. They tried to follow the formula, like the Sons of Sceva in Acts 19 at Ephesus, but they were trying to do things on their own strength, in their own power.
We in the church act like this when we ask God to bless what we are doing rather than do what God is blessing! We need to connect with our God through prayer and yes, fasting, to align our will with HIS WILL, HIS PASSION, and HIS DESIRE! May we be open to spending time in the Word, partaking of the Sacraments which offer us proof of who we are and the Grace that saves us so that we can use this relationship through the "means of POWER," that is prayer to walk in our Lord's strength and power.
This is a great story for us to understand the posture we are to have with the Lord: "I believe, help my unbelief!" and then spending the time in worship, prayer and fasting to connect with our Lord in order to be the ambassadors we are called to be!
May God bless each one of us with such transparent and honest faith!
Pastor Bryan
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ReplyDeleteI have been dissapointed with my efforts to find discussion regarding the building of faith.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking online, it seems what I find are people of faith, who say (in essence) things such as 'believing is as simple as believing', or 'everything you need is in the Bible'. In other words, just read the Bible, find a good church and you will be miraculously transformed. Oh yes, and you are basically screwed if you don't believe, without acknowledgement of the real struggle so many of us have.
I have not been raised in faith, and have not been granted the gift of faith, so I struggle everyday. I move between 'God is pretty cool', and 'I can't believe I waste my time on this stuff, maybe I should just read a self help book'.
My point is it seems to me that many Christians must either be be born (or raised) with faith, and therefore can't relate to a very real struggle; were struck with a life changing event or revelation that has made belief in God very obvious to them; or they simply forget what the struggle was like, and can't relate to what I assume are millions of struggling believers.
Thanks for this post, it at leasts hints at the fact that many struggle with little faith and unbelief. There are many of us who want to believe, who really desire salvation. We say the words, we pray, we read the Bible, we beg. The doubt stays, and often can grow louder.
When dealing with struggling Christians, believers should not assume it is so easy, or that those who struggle must simply not be doing enough. I must be doing something wrong, the question becomes will I figure it out or will I simply fall away.