Mat 17;14-18 14 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to [f]Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “[g]Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed [h]at once.
Mark 9;14-26
14 And when they came back to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15 Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16 And He asked them, “What are you disputing with them?” 17 And one person from the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, because he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; 18 and [l]whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff. And I told Your disciples so that they would cast it out, but they could not do it.” 19 And He answered them and *said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20 And they brought [m]the boy to Him. When he saw Him, the spirit immediately threw him into convulsions, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23 But Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was [n]rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I [o]command you, come out of him and do not enter him [p]again!” 26 And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him, and he got up.
This morning, we come to a very strange passage. It’s one of those rare passages in which we find the Son of God—if I may say this with all reverence—He had run out of patience. He lets them know, and the Holy Spirit records that: Matthew 17:17: “And Jesus answered and said, ‘You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?’”
I suspect that many of us provide our Lord with many opportunities to express frustration if He wished to. We are to be very grateful he doesn’t lose patience like men, but he does sometimes, and we see that in this passage. This should make us study this passage carefully so we learn not to frustrate him, and make him lose patience on us.
This is an incident of Jesus healing a demon-possessed boy, and then teaching the disciples a few important lessons of faith. Today we will look at the incident and continue the lessons of faith next week.
This same incident is recorded by Mark 9 and Luke 9. The strange thing is Matthew’s big gospel has the shortest account, just 5 verses. Even Luke’s big gospel records 7 verses, whereas Mark’s small gospel takes 14 verses for the same account. The Holy Spirit has given more details in Mark, so if we look at Mark we will get more details. Keep one finger in Mark 9:14.
Let us understand this event in 3 headings and then look at applications:
- Setting of this miracle.
- Terrible Condition of the boy whom Jesus heals.
- Jesus’ response and miracle.
- Applications.
1. Setting of the Miracle
Who were there?
Mark 9:14-15: “And when they came back to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him.”
Jesus and the three disciples come down from the mountain, they come down to the earth. Verse 14 says, “They came back to the other disciples,” they saw a large crowd around the disciples, and then, amazing, some scribes are there. What are they doing? They are arguing with the disciples. When they left, they must have left 9 disciples. Now when they went, something has happened down… now they are with the crowd and some scribes.
The Scribes are arguing with the disciples. The mass crowd always following Christ… all sections of people… are there. Scribes, bitter enemies, envious of our Lord, always following him, trying to insult him, discredit him before the people. Now, the verse says they are arguing with the disciples, and the crowd is surrounded.
Now verse 15 tells the crowd saw Jesus and they were amazed, blown out of their mind… greatly amazed. What amazed them? Someone said, “Could it be like Moses when he came down from the mountain had the glow of God’s light in his face,” something like that could have caused amazement. Maybe… but when Jesus himself wanted to hide his glory and told the disciples not to tell anyone… he may not come with that reflection.
If you understand the setting, you will understand why they were amazed… keep in mind, we will see as we understand the setting. So we see the audience.
There is a problem here. Verse 16: “And He asked them, “What are you disputing with them?”“
Jesus asks the scribes, “what are you questioning with them?” Maybe to defend them. He says, “what are you disputing with my disciples?” The scribes don’t answer… as it usually happens, the scribes are silent. When Jesus was not there, they very boldly attacked them. The disciples couldn’t handle them or answer them, but now Jesus has come. He comes, asks, “what are you questioning with my disciples?” they don’t open their mouth… silence… why? What is the argument?
Out of the silence, the real issue comes out. The sorrowful father in verse 17:
Verses 17-18 (Mark 9): “And one person from the crowd answered Him, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, because he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff. And I told Your disciples so that they would cast it out, but they could not do it.’”
This is where Matthew starts in 17:14. In Matthew, he falls on his knees before him and says, “Lord…”
In humility, he says, “I brought my son to you,” he explains what happens when the spirit attacks him…
Here, a distraught Father somewhere heard Jesus about Jesus’ works, healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons. This father had heard Jesus was there… He brought his son hoping to get to Jesus. However, when he came, Jesus was not there. He was in the mountain. What will he do? Jesus is gone. So there are disciples and scribes arguing with them, and a sorrowful father.
So we saw the setting of the miracle. Next, the terrible condition of the boy.
2. Terrible Condition of the Boy
Look at his condition. Luke 9:38 says this was his only child… you must imagine how the Father must have spoken as he explains the struggles his boy was having. See, we have seen terrible conditions… see this condition that is frightening and pathetic, a horror condition. If you understand the meaning and verbs, you will feel the horror of the state of this poor child.
- He was having an unclean spirit. Because verse 26, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit. We don’t know his age, maybe a young person, 15 to 17. His body, human personality, and soul were invaded by a demonic spirit… an unclean spirit of the devil and it controls him.
- This spirit caused the boy to be deaf and dumb. Verse 17, 25… this spirit caused the boy to be deaf… sounds cannot come into his ears from the outside world and dumb… no sounds can be admitted from his throat to the outside. The Father says he has a dumb spirit when Jesus talks to him… verse 25, Jesus says “mute and dumb spirit”… the spirit caused him to be shut up in a world of soundless existence… so that communication could not come into his ear and be emitted from him outside… What is happening inside that soul, heart and mind… the spirit is not allowing that boy to express outside… and doesn’t allow him hear anything from outside… he is shut in his demonic world of complete silence.
- This is the cruel thing: At its will, the spirit causes physical and emotional torture. Verse 18: “and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff.”
This is the dreadful condition that this evil spirit had put the boy into. Wherever it takes him… There is a picture of the child’s body and soul, the spirit takes such control of this boy wherever it wills to take him, seize him. What does it do…? Wherever it takes him… It dashes him down… it slams him down… a very strong word… translators tried to explain the difficult word. It dashes and takes a thing and tries to tear it into 2… hitting down here and there… When new wine is poured into old wineskins… it tears it… that is the word used… It is a picture of the spirit taking him wherever it wants, drives him, whatever geographical location it wants, and there throws him down… such vehemence/intensity as to tear him asunder, torn from joint to joint, limb to limb… that is the force of the word… he dashes him to be rent.
As a result of this dashing, the boy does 3 things: verse 18, he foams from his mouth… with abnormal electrical activity in the brain… brain current passes to heart, lungs, hands and feet… the brain could not bear this pressure… he falls into a seizure… and then foams… so unbearable, he grinds his teeth, however long can he do this… then he becomes stiff/withers away/pines away. Like a stony ground hearer… when the sun comes… it withers away. When this seizure captures him… the activities are stirred… it is so violent… he is done foaming… grinding his teeth… he is left it as were like a dead plant.
The father can keep telling so many other things… like we go to the doctor, we cannot tell everything… we forget many things… he says only the main thing… there are so many other things… see then he adds something in verse 22 which he didn’t say in the first instance: “It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to kill him.”
It cast him, again a vigorous word, into the fire and waters to kill him… How many times on many occasions/often. What a sad scene…
As parents, can you imagine how it will be for the Father…? We are so scared someone will kidnap our children, take them somewhere… pull eyes… so scary for us. See here… this father to see your only son watch this scene… only son… an invisible spirit which they cannot see or catch would seize him, take him anywhere… he doesn’t know where… he may run from the house… house people have to run after him… search for him where it took him…
When they go… he will be dashing him here and there on mud, stone, rocks… unbearable injury to the head… electrical signals spike… he falls in fits, foams, grinds teeth, and withers. Often many a times… repeatedly it has cast the boy in fire and water… only the loving deliverance/protection of the Father or mother would save him… keep him from being consumed. Often many times… how many times the Father would have smelt the burnt flesh of his son… how many times the boy had to be taken out of the pond, or lake, river or well… the river when other children were jumping and throwing water and playing… while this one was dumped into the water by the unseen spirit.
What makes it sad… is when Jesus asks, “How long has this been happening to him?” verse 21. And he said, “From childhood.” It seems he was a youngster, maybe 16 or 18 years… This condition didn’t come on him when he had life, deliberately sinned and rejected God’s light… and by degrees went into a deeper one sin after another… until God gave him up… and he became a resting place of a foul spirit of hell… from a little child… from an infant… He has been shut up in this world of no sound… many times cast upon the ground… jerking and writhing physically, foaming at the mouth… grinding teeth and often plucked from fire and water… a desperate boy! What a sad condition!
How long it will stay when it comes… Luke 3:39 tells us that the spirit scarcely ever leaves him and is regularly destroying him/would only depart from the boy with great difficulty; and even then, would cause him great physical harm in the process (Luke 9:39).
The only son’s condition… Imagine the father was also himself suffering unspeakably in anxiety over his precious son. He must have been a very good, responsible father, because in spite of all the times the boy fell into the fire or into the water, he was still alive. But you can imagine this poor man’s sense of helplessness.
It is painful enough to see the bodies of those we love racked by disease. How much more painful must it have been to see body and mind completely under the influence of the devil. “Out of hell,” says Bishop Hall, “there could not be greater misery.”
The man in this desperate condition comes with hope, hearing about Jesus. He sees the crowd and his hopes are raised… “oh, Jesus is here.” When he comes and asks, they tell him, “Jesus is not there… he is gone up the mountain…” Oh, what a disappointment. “Oh, when will he come… we don’t know when he will come… only the disciples are left here…” He must be very discouraged… “oh, when will he come?” Maybe in the crowd someone said, “oh, the 9 disciples are still with us… they have been given special power…” Remember, Jesus once sent them out, having given them authority and power to—among other things—“cast out demons” (Matthew 10:8); but the power and authority was not theirs to use on their own initiative. It was His power and authority delegated to them. Someone says… “I have a relative who had a demon possessed… see there… Andrew… he cast the demon…” Another spoke… “that Judas also cast a demon…” So his hope is raised… he brings his son to them… pleads with them, “please cast this demon.”
He tells Jesus in verse 18: “I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
What they did, how much they tried, we don’t know… all we know is… they were not able.
Now you can understand what the disputing could be. These scribes were there in that crowd… as long as Jesus was with them… they couldn’t find any fault… always beaten… but now the master is gone… oh, what a field they were having… like cricket… the main batsman gone, all duck bowled… seeking to discredit the entire mission of the 12… and also the master.
It is clear why they were arguing. It was because the disciples were accomplishing nothing. “We thought your Master was all-powerful! We thought He had authority over devils! Well; where is His power now? You certainly don’t seem to be accomplishing anything!” “He did all the miracles, we say by the devil, now see you cannot heal this boy…” They were using their helplessness and inability, mocking and arguing that he is a false prophet. Firstly, the disciples were discouraged, not able to do the miracle, and now this argument attacking their faith…
They are in a very tight and difficult spot… unable to answer the crowd… unable to answer the scribes who are arguing and asking all kinds of questions… Have you been in that situation? Puzzled… The crowd is also confused, “did we follow a wrong prophet… whatever we heard like the scribes say is it from the devil… why cannot they heal this boy…?” At this nick moment…
When they see up from the mountain, comes the Master… why will they not be amazed…? While they are arguing and about to discredit the disciples… He comes exactly at the right time. Like we say, “so and so came just in the nick of time.” They were amazed… Unsolved crisis… just like when 5 bullies come to punch my son/daughter… and before they hit him… I come and stand there… and they are amazed… just like in movies… 15 rowdies are about to attack a man… and then the Hero comes… and they are amazed… and the disciples run to meet him… Like we see in the movies… coming at the right time to confront this situation and solve this situation… so they are amazed…
He comes and asks, “what are you arguing with disciples?” “come to me… I will solve it.” Amazed. When he asks that question… no scribe opens his mouth… they know they cannot talk to him, so the Father comes and says, “I came to you, this is my son’s condition. I placed before disciples who are representatives of Christ… to whom he has delegated his power… was unable to heal…”
We saw the setting, the terrible condition of the boy, now finally, the response of Jesus and the miracle.
3. Jesus’ Response and the Miracle
Verse 19: And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”
When Jesus is responding… he is not talking only to the Father, but to them, the entire crowd… a rebuke for all. “Entire generation…” Coming from the Father’s presence and ready to do his great work… the mountain experience of how the Father wants to redeem his people and encouraging him to go to the cross, and to come and see this horrible scene here, for whom he is going to do the great sacrifice… sorrowful father, bitter blind scribes, partially unbelieving disciples.
As he looks, he sees a sea of unbelief… Jesus’ frustration is expressed in shocking words! “O faithless and perverse generation…!” Matthew verse 17: a generation full of unbelief… Indicting them and rebuking them. “O unbelieving generation…” he is speaking to the entire generation… unbelief in its most horrible manifestation.
The word “generation”—which is the general term for the people living in a specific time and in a specific situation—probably refers to the Jewish people as a whole who could actually see Jesus’ demonstrations of power and authority. What’s more, He scolded them for being “perverse”; that is, “twisted” and “turned out of the way.”
Those that are faithless will be perverse and perverseness is sin in its worst colors. Faith is compliance with God; unbelief is opposition and contradiction to God. Israel of old was perverse, because faithless (Psalm 95:9), forward, for in them is no faith, Deuteronomy 32:20.
In the persons of these scribes, knowing so much of the Bible, claiming to be scribes, and who have seen these miracles that was fulfilling everything about the Messiah, but and in spite of all he did… They are blocked… blind… “our minds are made up… don’t confuse us with fact. We don’t believe he is the Messiah… he cannot be.” Hardened hearts and blind scribes… full of unbelief.
Then the disciples. Even the disciples are rebuked for their lack of faith and lack of prayer… If they had received the man with compassion and believed God, with a spirit of prayer and dependent faith on him, they would have cast it out, they would have seen the deliverance… they were part of this unbelieving generation. It may be that the disciples, in Jesus’ absence, had gotten swept up in the attitude of unbelief that prevailed in the hearts of the multitude around them.
Then a heart-wrenching/crushing complaint: “How long I must bear with you.” “How long should I be with you… how long must I bear you…” He looks at them… as a burden… to be among them is a burden to be borne… One of the pathetic statements in the gospels. Insensitivity, unbelief, spiritual blindness, ignorance, worldliness… how long shall I bear with it…
Two things he upbraids them with: (1.) His presence with them so long: “How long shall I be with you? Will you always need my bodily presence, and never come to such maturity as to be fit to be left? Must the child be always carried, and will it never learn to go alone?” The faithlessness and perverseness of those who enjoy the means of grace are a great grief to the Lord Jesus. Thus did he suffer the manners of Israel of old, Acts 13:18. (2.) The longer Christ has borne with a perverse and faithless people, the more he is displeased with their perverseness and unbelief, and he is God, and not man, else he would not suffer so long, nor bear so much, as he does.
The Miracle
End of Verse 19: “Bring him to Me!” A hopeful command… “bring him unto me…” My soul is vexed that I must stand in the midst of a sea of unbelief… how long must I bear it… live in these people’s midst… But because the Father has not yet purposed to take him… he must continue… he has a mission… He has a mission of compassion, mercy, redemption… in the midst of the sea of unbelief… he will manifest his power and grace… in meeting the needs of that lad.
Mark 9:20: “And they brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, the spirit immediately threw him into convulsions, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth.”
They brought the child to Jesus… when the demon saw Jesus… straight way… the spirit tore him grievously… rolling here and there… foaming in his mouth…
A strange thing happens: Jesus asks a question. Verse 21: “And He asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’”
Imagine if you would be there… seeing a child… rolling and foaming… you and I would be tensed… but see what Jesus does… he asked his Father… as though he doesn’t see the child… “How long time he has been like this?” “From childhood.”
And he said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
The earnest plea of the Father… “if you can do anything… help us, having compassion upon us…” “Help us… if you can do anything… I brought to the disciples… but they could not… I wonder now, Lord… since I heard they had cast down earlier… people told me… but they could not… Maybe what I heard about you is not correct… but if you can… help us… having compassion…”
Verse 23: But Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.”
What was Jesus’ response…? “if thou canst” all things are possible for the one who believes… The gist of what Jesus says: Jesus sees the man struggling with doubt… “if you can…” As regards to your remarks of my ability to help your son… I tell you everything depends on your ability to believe… not mine to act.
“If you can…” The issue is not what I am able to do… but whether or not… you can extricate yourself from this prevailing generation of unbelief… and believe that I am able… “All things are possible…” in this context… not foolishly believing 10 crore… “all things are possible…”
The context is: the demon may look impossible to be delivered… that demon I can cast… I am able… but are you prepared to break though the unbelief that paralyzes even my disciples… the unbelief of the scribes…
The Father cried out… he must be crying out with tears… he got the message… it is not ability… but do you believe… so he cries out… “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
Earlier he prayed only for the son under the power of the demon… but now he knows he has been corrupted by prevailing unbelief… He now prays… “I do believe… but I feel the remnant of my unbelief… Help not only my son… but help my unbelief also.“
Action of Jesus:
Verses 25-27: “When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again!” And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him, and he got up.“
When Jesus saw the multitude coming together… people have come closer… “now is this the true Messiah… does he have power to cast out demons… we have to come see that…”
He rebuked the unclean spirit… No lengthy incantations… exorcisms… cross… incense… none of that foolishness… he speaks a word of authority… “come and enter no more… his being permanently barred to you… come out…”
Out of spite… as he was about to go out… he loses his bitterness upon the boy’s larynx… having cried out… he was a dumb spirit… now he takes the voice… in one last spiteful act… uses that as a final act… and comes out… the boy became like dead after this final paralysis… the boy relaxes as he was in death twitches… as if he breathes his last…
Maybe the murmur went in the crowd… “he is dead…” Jesus takes him by the hand… raised him up… and gave him to the Father, says Luke.
Oh, what emotions that must have flowed from the Father… “Thy disciples could not… Lord you can… I do believe, help my unbelief…” Then he watches Jesus with calmness and regal authority, inherently God… rebukes the spirit and commands to leave… the demon leaves… the child left dead… he takes him by the hand and presents him to the Father…
So we have seen the setting, the terrible condition of the boy, and Jesus’ response and the miracle. We will continue the verses and learn important lessons of faith next week. For now, what are the lessons from the incident for us?
4. Applications
What are the applications for us? One bad news, one good news, two lessons for parents from this father.
Bad News: The Devil’s Plan
Every gospel record, if we deeply meditate, the glory of Jesus will brightly shine. This is the gospel, wonderful good news… every verse, event, and chapter is a gospel. What gospel does this incident give us today?
This incident has Bad news… and good news.
Bad News: God has a plan for you… God will take you to glory… Satan also has a plan for you… This Boy’s demon possession condition, this scary picture, is the picture of what Satan wants to make you. When we see some young man terribly sin, get caught in jail, and then die of some disease… we all show that in the newspaper and warn our children. I believe this passage is a warning to all of us. Keenly observe the boy. It is a clear, visible demonstration of the true nature and intention of the Devil.
Satan wants to torture this boy to kill him, so he can cast him into the eternal lake of fire. You need to know this same devil is alive and working in your life… and his only purpose is to somehow cast you into eternal hell. He is your mortal enemy… he works in your life to bring you to this stage either in this life or in eternity.
Here we have a realistic, open exposure of the nature and intention of Satan… Seen as to what he really is… and what he purposes to do with every son of Adam if God allowed him. The reason he hates you is because you are created in the image of God and he wants to destroy that image.
Everyone not united to Jesus Christ in living faith and indwelling Holy Spirit, obeying and growing in Christ… you are under the control of the Devil. Ephesians 2… every unsaved man… walking according to the prince of the power of the air. If you are not a true child of God, you are the devil’s child… Controlled by the devil… Paul says 2 Corinthians 2:11… we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. If we are to grow and grasp truth, we need to have an understanding of the devil and his works… This passage shows the nature and intention of the devil.
The Devil always disguises himself according to the times. At Jesus’ time, he was many a times aggressively working. Rarely the devil shows its true color… he manifests himself 2 Corinthians 11:12 as an angel of light. Tempter, attractive. They don’t come openly. Satan often guises his true nature and true intention… Though he came with different guises, an angel of light… or tempting us to disobey God… and a form where he promises happiness, pleasure… lust… selfishness, world love, covetousness… he makes you addicted to that… all his intention is to destroy the image of God that remains in common grace… and hinder you from coming to Christ.
Satan is wise… he doesn’t do to you what he did to this boy on earth… because it will be very evident to you and others that you are under his control. He is subtly ruling you… keeps you ignorant of your true state… full of self-righteousness… running with the world and its lusts… very subtle controlling… you know inside… you are not what God can be… you just putting up a show… You still love the world and sin… You are not under the control of God’s kingdom and his word… you think you are living an ordinary life like others… oh no… you are being controlled by the devil if you are not by God… and this lifestyle will lead to the condition of this boy… before you die… waste your life in worldly vanity and then cast you into eternal fire… that is his plan. Only two ways… God’s way of glory… Satan’s way of shame…
The Devil is exposed here in clear demonstration. Just like he did to this boy… blinding and dumb… spiritually Satan has neutralized your spiritual senses… of sight, speech, hearing. So you don’t see beauty and glory in spiritual things… your eyes are blind to the value of your soul, don’t see eternity… don’t realize you have to die soon and face God’s judgment… Are you prepared…? You are losing your soul for peanuts… He has made you deaf… it is so difficult hearing God’s word… you cannot hear the voice of God… you are dumb spiritually. The ear is not open to the good truth of God… the voice no longer speaks what is truth… all is like foaming useless coming…
He uses temptations, worldly love passions, covetousness, anger… in your life and throws you down, down, down… why you go out of control…? You think it is only your emotions… no, it is Satan controlling you… he makes you bellow here and there… cannot take a decision… you are controlled by the lusts of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life… here and there rolling… no stability… Why he is doing that…? His purpose is to fully control you and erase all good and the image of God in you… That is his plan… you continue like this… write and keep… this is what you will become.
God is giving a picture of what will happen to you if you give room to Satan…
Look at what is happening around the world… This whole world is controlled by him… See how he is destroying nations with religion, covetousness and sins… There are thousands of young men who seem to have wholly given themselves up to Satan’s temptations, and to be led captive at his will. They cast off all fear of God, and all respect for His commandments. They serve diverse lusts and pleasures. They run wildly into every excess of riot. They refuse to listen to the advice of parents, teachers, or ministers. They fling aside all regard for health, character, or worldly respectability. They do all that lies in their power to ruin themselves, body and soul, for time and eternity. They are willing bondslaves of Satan. Who has not seen such young men? They are to be seen in town and in country. They are to be found among rich and among poor. Surely such young men give mournful proof, that although Satan now-a-days seldom has possession of man’s body, he still exercises a fearful dominion over some men’s souls.
See the world around you… suicide is the number 1 cause of death… men and women literally casting themselves in the fire of hell… Who is behind this…? Spiritually living in a terrible state… oh, beware, Satan wants to make you like this… what is behind pornography, alcohol, drugs, lusts, idolatry… what is behind so many suicides…?
He will do it now… or in hell… that is his plan…
All this is played out today… this is what Satan will do to you… if you give him room… We see Jezebel… a lady… idolatry… a sinful life… she sold herself… then her daughter Athalia… became demon-possessed… trying to destroy the line of David… so the Messiah doesn’t come…
Even in religious circles… “See, don’t use your mind… don’t think… just keep saying Jesus… rababba…” that is tongues… you are opening yourself to demonic powers… The Holy Spirit never leaves rationality… and shuts the faculties he created of thought, common sense, will… never… Only a Demon can control men and women like this… people lose control…
Bad news: Beware, there is a devil out there… to cast you into eternal fire. This picture shows his plan for you.
Good News: The Power and Compassion of Jesus
What is the gospel in this passage? Good news.
Quickly, as points… In this passage… the power of Jesus to deliver any man from this devil and meet sinners’ needs, his compassion, his patience, and voluntary suffering on our behalf. God says this is good news… He is the most suited savior for you…
- The almighty power of Jesus alone can save anyone from the power of this devil. Even though the condition of the boy was in a horrible condition, even though the disciples could not handle it, the devil was powerfully controlling him. But the powerful word of Jesus brought deliverance… Though you may be controlled by the devil, if you sense your life is out of control… not sure what is happening… Lord Jesus is not in your life… he can deliver you from the power of the Devil… See, may this incident create faith in your heart to run to Jesus… What can overcome that power of Satan? This Jesus alone can deliver you like this boy… This same power is working in our midst in the gospel… this incident displays the almighty power of Jesus as the savior of sinners… Be satisfied with nothing else… than true union with Christ… If you are not, then you are under the control of the Devil… Christ who gives a new heart and delivers us from the kingdom of darkness…
- This incident shows the tender compassion of Lord Jesus… The cry of the Father: “help us… have compassion upon us.” He didn’t avoid seeing this dirty, gruesome condition… he sees the suffering of the boy… he says, “bring closer to me…” with tender compassion… He enters sympathetically… the boy writhes… He asks, “how long has been in this condition…” his compassion flows. With one word, he heals him. He is the same today like that day. Today, whatever your condition may be… you too may be held under the power of lust, pride, and ambition… If you go to him, and plead your case… “Lord, from childhood I am struggling with this demonic temptations and habits… I want deliverance… only you can deliver me from this Satan. I am held under the power of guilt… like a ghost haunting you day and night…” What will Jesus do? What will you find in Jesus? You will find compassion in Jesus… Look at how he reaches out in compassion…
- This passage shows his amazing patience towards sinners… Although he is stirred with a mass of unbelief… “oh, how long I must be…” he didn’t turn and go back to the mountain… and go in the cloud… but he continued with them… and said, “bring the boy to me…” The boy’s father, though doubting… “I believe, help my unbelief”… he didn’t rebuke and chase him… “no faith, no miracle.” He didn’t turn to the disciples… “get lost…” and insult them before the crowd… we will see when they went alone… he again taught what was wrong with them… Oh, the infinite, amazing patience of Jesus… right in that crowd of unbelieving generation… horrible, deceptive scribes… in the midst of all this… yet another manifestation of his power is given in front of their eyes… validating his identity… He is Jesus with infinite patience. If you went 10,000 times… go again… he will bear with you and forgive you…
- This incident confirms more the voluntary nature of the suffering and death of Christ. Look at the almighty power of Jesus… If someone can say to a powerful demonic spirit “get out,” and he runs away… What power he must have. He can protect himself from any danger… All he needs to do is speak a word… the world will fall at his feet. How can someone lay their hands on this Jesus, cause him to suffer, be ashamed, be mocked, and crucify such a powerful Savior? The only way is if he voluntarily allows them to do that to him. Jesus was never a victim of Jewish leaders’ injustice, envy, or Pilate’s victim. No, Lord Jesus Christ, this almighty Savior voluntarily went to suffering and die for you and me.
The power of Jesus to meet sinners’ needs, his compassion, his patience, and voluntary suffering on our behalf. God says this is good news… He is the most suited savior for you… How can God make it more plainer… that Jesus is suited to you for you… run to him…
People of God… should this not be the concern of our heart… the knowledge of this Jesus spread to everyone… so this unbelieving generation, held by the power of demonic power like the little boy… They run after idolatry, drugs, drinks, lusts… and no one has the answers… look at the problem… of our society… our state… no food to eat… we shouldn’t kill a cow… Where is our world going…? Here is the gospel… bring this nation to me… in prayer and burden… by your labors… Only Jesus can save.
Two Lessons from the Father to Parents
This passage contains a vivid example of Godly biblical parental concern for the spiritual needs of our children.
See the Father’s concern… he has seen the true condition of the child… felt deeply his problem. When Jesus was asking the scribes… He jumps and answers… he didn’t say, “my son has a small problem… seizure… as he grows it will be alright…” no, he realized… he has a dumb spirit. An evil spirit. Nothing in the world can solve that… “I cannot solve it… growth cannot, only Jesus…”
It was not easy to say in the crowd… that my son is demon possessed… We are all proud of our children, don’t want to reveal our weakness… “I have the best children…” But this man said his son is in the worst condition… “demon seizes, dashes… my son foams, grinds, withers away…” His condition is so bad… even the disciples could not heal. Hopeless condition… “How long it has been?” he says, “from childhood…” “I will tell you more… often times it casts him fire and waters to destroy him.” He didn’t hide… “what will people think… maybe I sinned, that is why such a child… or I didn’t bring him up properly…” no, he properly assessed his child’s condition… that made him drive him to Christ…
What an example of godly parental concern… There was stark realism with respect to his child’s true condition… he didn’t say, “he has a nervous problem…” no, “he has a demon…” and explain all that is happening…
Do you have that kind of realism of your children’s spiritual condition…? Do you think of them biblically…? God says your children are conceived with sin… vile and polluted… depraved nature… they are controlled by the devil… children of the serpent and the devil… living with a sinful, depraved nature… They go astray from the womb, speaking lies… they have an evil heart which has all the seeds of adultery, pride, covetousness, murder, robbery… Foolishness is bound up in the heart of the child…
“Oh… I cannot see my darling little doll…” “I pamper my child…” Oh yes… wait for a few years… if not saved… you see how he will be dashed from one place to one by the devil… foaming… and thrown by the devil.
Until we as a parent have a biblical realism of the true state of our children… A child born is conceived with a capacity, an inbred tendency of every sin that can be committed on earth… Until you see they are demon controlled by nature… and there is Satan who wants to erase the image of God in them… Until you believe that… and see your children in that light… praying for them is not serious… fervent… conducting regular family prayer, lifting them to Christ is not regular… living a life of example to them will not be taken seriously…
God may give them up to hardness of heart in the midst of the church because you never saw them like that.
Not only does the man have a real understanding of the condition of the child… we see an aggressive, determined approach to Jesus…
He brings the child to Jesus… even if Jesus is not there… “okay… let me go back…” no, if he is not there… he goes to the disciples… if the disciples cannot… he did not go… “if these disciples cannot… what use waiting…” he waited, waited, till the Lord came… Then when Jesus was asking the scribes… he jumped into that conversation… This poor man’s address was very importunate; he came kneeling to Christ. Note: A sense of misery will bring people to their knees. Those who see their need of Christ will be earnest, will be in good earnest, in their applications to him and he delights to be thus wrestled with. He breaks right out… do you see the aggressiveness of this man…? Determined approach to Jesus…
Imagine what the first thoughts… “here is my son, the demon in him is quiet… but when it came closer to Jesus… this paroxysm comes over… oh not again… oh… heart breaking to see…”
Jesus for a moment ignores and asks him the question… he doesn’t say, “oh… can you help or no… again it came when we came to you…” “how long… so what…” no, he answers Jesus and gives him more details…
He prays for faith… Then Jesus heals and gave him back to the Father…
Oh parents, this is how you and I need to pray for our children… with our children… come to grips with their true state… they are lost in Adam, under wrath, condemned… they are conceived in sin… Satan, the demonic spirit, controls them… whatever training we can give… whatever similarities we may see from us or our parents… my daughter many times reminds me of my mother… but they are all barriers of common grace… they are good because they are under common grace… the seeds are there… until the special redemptive grace doesn’t save them… they manifest sin in many lives…
Don’t be content they are decent, educated… behave properly… Stop short of nothing else but regeneration and united to Christ… and that salvation experience we see in their life… When the word of God becomes more precious to them… than a TV program, confessing and living for Christ will be determination in life…
Come with Lord Jesus… with an aggressive, determined approach… that you will hold Christ to do this for them… what you cannot do for them…
Desperate as their wickedness now appears, they may yet be healed. They may yet repent, and be converted, like John Newton, and their last state prove better than their first. Who can tell? Let it be a settled principle with us, when we read our Lord’s miracles, never to despair of the conversion of any soul.
This is an encouragement to parents to bring their children to Christ, whose souls are under Satan’s power; he is able to heal them, and as willing as he is able. Not only bring them to Christ by prayer, but bring them to the word of Christ, the ordinary means by which Satan’s strongholds are demolished in the soul. Christ’s rebukes, brought home to the heart, will ruin Satan’s power there.
Another Wonderful Lesson from the Father
There was a willingness of his own sin to be realized, laid bare, and repented of. In the process of seeking the well-being of his child, in the beginning, this man thought there was only one person with a need—that was his demon-possessed son. See his first prayer: Verse 22: “if you can do anything… have compassion and help us.” Help my son… move your bowels of compassion.
His only thought was the condition of the child… but after Jesus deals with the condition of his heart, saying back, “If you can’st?” he then realizes his need that he has no faith… and prays: “Lord, help me with my own sin of unbelief.”
How did that growth in faith happen? It was in the course of aggressively seeking Jesus for his boy… that Jesus laid bare his own sin.
You know why God gives us rebellious children? They are a means to either save us or make us grow in maturity… and repent from our sin… Have you asked, “why are our children so rebellious… we have spoken so much of the gospel…” It is because God is driving you from your sin through your children… He will use them to make you repent… until you realize and repent your sins… he may not save your children.
My parents, if you become serious about pleading for your children… There are only a few things that shine an intense searchlight upon your own heart and life… oh… only this kind of praying for children… God uses to reveal sin in your life… sanctify us a lot…
“Oh God, if there is anything in my life… that is a stumbling block for my children’s salvation, reveal it…” You become earnest about your children… God will reveal your sin.
This man, when God revealed it, didn’t hide… “Lord, I came for my child… save him… I don’t need anything…” No, Jesus turns and says, “If you can’st?” What unbelief…
“All things are possible for him that believes…” The problem is in your heart… not my ability or power… He takes that rebuke… “Lord, you laid bare my sin of unbelief… help me… help my unbelief…“
That is an example of Godly parental concern.
This is the difference between children who are converted… and children who become rebellious and become against the gospel…
Kids don’t believe everything they hear in the church… parents nodding… but notice how parents live at home… “maybe this is just a show… why should I believe them…?” All the pleading of biblical ministry is neutralized by the careless life of the Father or mother… and the blood of those children will be on their Father or Mother.
May God have mercy on us as parents to learn from this.
Children sitting here… why do we preach… pray… we don’t want the devil to take you and make you like this… either in this world or in hell.
Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore 