All right, well as we come to the word this morning, last Sunday just as a reminder we heard about what happened with Jesus up on the mountain.
! Witnessed by Peter, James, and John. They saw the glory of Jesus. They were enveloped by that bright cloud from which God spoke and gave testimony to his son.
And then Jesus ordered Peter, James, and John not to say anything about what they saw until after he had risen from the dead.
Well, the next day they made their way back down the mountain only to find that Jesus' disciples, the rest of them, other than Peter, James, and John, were surrounded by this great crowd of people.
We pick up the story in Luke chapter 9, verse 37.
The next day when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.
A man in the crowd called out,
Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams.
It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth.
It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.
I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.
Mark, in his gospel, actually gives the most detail about what happened here, including the moment when Jesus and the three who are with him first arrive.
Listen to how Mark tells us in Mark chapter 9, verse 14.
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
What are you arguing with them about?
Jesus asked.
And a man in the crowd answered,
Teacher, I brought you my son.
You can almost picture this.
There's this commotion happening in the crowd.
Jesus' other nine disciples are right in the middle of this.
And then the teachers of the law are there too.
And they're arguing with Jesus' disciples.
And then there's this one man here.
And all the people are standing around and kind of caught up in this moment.
And then all of a sudden, Jesus approaches with Peter, James, and John.
And this feeling of excitement just sweeps over all of them.
And they run to him.
And I can't help but wonder what they're thinking in this moment as Jesus arrives.
Perhaps for the nine disciples that Jesus had left behind,
you know, I imagine them feeling utterly relieved.
Like, oh, here comes Jesus.
He's going to sort all this out.
He always knows just what to say to the teachers of the law.
And he's going to know what to do about this man's son as well.
And then for the people, perhaps, look, there's Jesus.
Let's see what he has to say about all this.
Maybe he can help this man's son.
I don't know.
Maybe some of them even thought that Jesus might meet his match with this particular spirit.
The disciples couldn't do anything about it.
And then for this man, the father of the afflicted son.
You know, I imagine that he had this deep mixture of disappointment.
That these disciples of Jesus couldn't help.
But maybe there was also a spark of hope with Jesus' arrival that maybe he can do what his apprentices can't.
And Jesus walks up to his disciples.
At this point, as we just heard from Luke, the father comes before Jesus.
Matthew tells us that he actually knelt before Jesus.
And he begins to explain to Jesus what this is all about.
There's this spirit.
And it seizes my son.
And when it happens, he suddenly screams.
And the spirit throws him into convulsions.
And he foams at the mouth.
Mark includes even more details.
This spirit has robbed him of speech.
And when it seizes him, it throws him to the ground.
He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.
Also in Mark, a little bit later in the conversation,
the man, the father says,
it has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him.
The father says that this spirit scarcely ever leaves him.
And it's destroying him.
Some translations say it severely bruises him.
It's heart-wrenching even to think about this happening to a young boy.
One of the things that many have noticed here
is that some of the symptoms that this boy is experiencing
are the same as what people with epilepsy experience
when they have a seizure.
And I think we should just talk about that for a minute.
Matthew in his gospel actually uses the ancient term for epilepsy here.
Quite literally, he was moonstruck.
That was their word for it.
Moonstruck.
That's what we get the term lunatic from.
And back then, it's because they associated that behavior,
the seizures,
with sort of the transcendent powers of the moon
in their understanding of things.
So they had this very specific word to describe these symptoms.
And even today, we know that people with epilepsy
sometimes have grand mal seizures,
which leads to convulsions on the ground
and even foaming at the mouth.
And the foaming at the mouth
is caused by the clamping of the jaw muscles,
which makes it impossible to swallow normally.
And then the rapid breathing and the shaking
lead to saliva frothing or foaming in the mouth.
But we also notice that all three gospels
are quite clear that what this boy is experiencing
is caused by this evil spirit,
this demon.
Now that might make us wonder
if there's a connection between evil spirits
and certain disabilities
or health conditions.
As Mark says in his gospel,
the spirit also robbed him of his speech.
It made him mute.
And so naturally, we may wonder
how many severe disabilities or disorders
are caused by evil spirits.
And I think we need to be very careful here.
First, there's nothing here to say
that all mute people
or all people who have epilepsy
are possessed or demonized.
But second, there is evidence here
that demon possession can result
in severe bodily harm or disability.
So we don't want to deny the effects
of the spirit altogether
because it clearly can happen
and did in this boy's life.
Neither do we want to take it
to the other extreme
and assume that all or even most disabilities
are caused by evil spirits.
If we look at some of the other accounts
of evil spirits in the New Testament,
demon possession,
one thing that seems obvious
is that when a person is possessed
by an evil spirit,
they do seem to lose some measure of control
over their own bodies
to the spirit.
The spirit seems to be able
to make them do or say things
that they wouldn't otherwise do or say.
And so did this boy have epilepsy
or was it just the demon
having its way with him?
We don't know exactly.
Could it have been both?
One of the disturbing things mentioned here
that really points to the spirit
as an explanation for all this
is in Mark's gospel,
Mark 9.22,
where Mark tells us
what the father said,
it has often thrown him
into fire or water
to kill him.
So this is a deliberateness.
If he just had epilepsy,
you know,
we wouldn't see that.
But this is clearly
more than just epilepsy.
One of the worst things
I think though we can do
from this account
is to begin assuming
that most disabilities
or illnesses
that we see in people
are demon caused.
And then even worse,
to try and cast demons
out of people with disabilities
who aren't possessed.
Sadly, this has happened
far too often
by people
in the name of Christ.
There's more than one reason
why a person
may come to have
a serious illness
or disability.
And nowhere does Jesus teach
that it's always
an evil spirit.
Though we see an account
such as this
that it could be.
Well, after explaining
the boy's condition
to Jesus,
we hear the father
say these words
back in Luke 9 verse 40.
I begged your disciples
to drive it out,
but they could not.
And here's probably
where the argument
and the commotion began.
This raises questions
for us,
doesn't it?
Why couldn't the disciples
drive out the demon?
At the beginning
of this very chapter
in Luke 9,
the first verse,
we heard about
how Jesus gave
the twelve
power and authority
to drive out
all demons
and to cure diseases
and he sent them out.
And so what's going on here?
Why are they not
able to do
what they had been
able to do before?
Did Jesus just give them
power and authority
to do those things
for the duration
of that missions trip
and now that they've returned
they no longer have it?
I imagine the disciples
themselves being
somewhat baffled
and even embarrassed
by this.
Like it worked before.
Why isn't it working
this time?
I'm doing,
I'm saying the same
things I did before,
but it isn't working.
How come it isn't working?
And the teachers
of the law
are probably
all over this.
Finally,
something that has
Jesus' name on it
that seems to have failed.
And then the father.
Did he feel
just deeply
disappointed
and disillusioned
that they couldn't
drive it out?
Well,
most of these questions
aren't really answered here,
but we do get
some ideas
and some hints
as things unfold.
At this point,
Jesus says something
quite unexpected.
You unbelieving
and perverse generation,
Jesus replied.
How long
shall I stay
with you
and put up
with you?
Bring your son
here.
That's not
what we're used
to hearing
from Jesus
in moments
like this.
Jesus usually
seems to meet
this kind
of human desperation
with compassion
and tenderness.
But instead,
Jesus seems
to rebuke
everyone
with a tone
of frustration.
I imagine
different ones
in the audience,
the crowd,
the disciples,
the man,
all wondering,
is he talking
about me?
Is it because
we couldn't
cast out the demon?
Who is this
pointed at,
these words?
Well,
in Jesus'
own words,
he points
it at this
generation,
which seems
to include
all of them.
He says
they are
unbelieving
and perverse.
Now,
nowadays,
perverse
has taken
on more
of the meaning
of sexual
impropriety.
Jesus is not
talking about
that,
but about
general
depravity,
corruptness,
twistedness
of the people.
And this
is a lament.
There's a sense
of holy
frustration here
as Jesus,
the very
Son of God,
comes face
to face
with people
who are just
bent away
from God
and who
utterly lack
faith in him.
And this
lack of faith,
as we'll see
in a moment,
is present
both in
Jesus'
disciples
and in
the father
of this
boy.
So,
Jesus summons
the boy
and as the
boy is coming,
the demon
inside of him
does what
it has often
done.
Back in
Luke 9,
verse 42,
even while
the boy
was coming,
the demon
threw him
to the ground
in a
convulsion.
Or if we
flip over to
Mark and
read it from
his words,
so they
brought the
boy to
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.
Jesus
asked the
boy's father,
how long
has he been
like this?
from
childhood,
he answered.
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.
If you
can,
said Jesus,
everything
is possible
for one
who believes.
God
is
so right
here we
see that
there is
the lack
of faith,
there is a
faith struggle
of some
kind in
the boy's
father.
I mean,
we might
blame the
disciples who
tried to
cast it
out earlier
and failed
for his
doubt,
but at the
end of the
day,
his faith
needed to
be in
Jesus.
It needed
to be in
God.
And he
does express
a lack
of faith
as to
whether
Jesus is
able to
do anything
for his
son.
And Jesus
basically says,
of course it
can happen
for anyone
who believes.
Everything
is possible
for one
who believes.
And then we
come to these
favorite words
of mine in
Mark's
gospel.
Immediately
the boy's
father exclaimed,
I do
believe.
Help me
overcome
my unbelief.
I do
believe.
Help me
overcome
my
unbelief.
Sometimes
we recognize
our own
lack of
faith,
but we
feel
powerless
to remedy
it.
We believe
to some
degree,
but what
can we do
about the
doubt that's
still there
in our
heart?
what can
we do
except cry
out to
Jesus
for help
to believe
as we
ought to
with a
full faith?
I'm
convinced
that this
is one
of those
prayers
that God
loves to
hear.
do you
struggle to
believe?
Or to
take Jesus
at his
word?
These
words,
I think,
are for
us in
those
moments.
Jesus,
I do
believe.
Help me
overcome
my
unbelief.
sometimes
all we
see is
the grim
and
seemingly
hopeless
realities
of sin
and
brokenness
all around
us.
We see
it in
the lives
of the
people we
love.
We see
it in
our
community,
in our
country,
in our
world,
and it's
overwhelming.
And we
lose sight
of God
and his
goodness
and his
power.
Well,
when Jesus
saw that a
crowd was
running to
the scene,
he rebuked
the impure
spirit.
You deaf
and mute
spirit,
he said,
I command
you,
come out
of him
and never
enter him
again.
The
spirit
shrieked,
convulsed
him violently,
and came
out.
The boy
looked so
much like a
corpse that
many said,
he's dead.
But Jesus
took him
by the
hand and
lifted him
to his
feet,
and he
stood up.
If we go
back to
Luke's
gospel,
we read
that Jesus
rebuked the
impure spirit,
healed the
boy,
and gave
him back
to his
father.
And they
were all
amazed at
the
greatness
of God.
There was
an
astonishment
that just
swept over
all of
them.
They had
just
witnessed
something
of the
majesty,
of the
awesomeness
of God.
His
power was
unleashed
when Jesus
spoke.
And this
deeply
entrenched
and stubborn
spirit came
out at the
command of
Jesus like
it had no
choice in
the matter.
One minute
this poor
boy was
writhing on
the ground
in pain,
and the
next moment
he was
back to
normal,
as good
as new,
standing
with his
dad.
Amazing.
Well,
Luke doesn't
mention this
in his
gospel,
but Matthew
and Mark
do.
Later,
after this
is over,
the disciples
asked Jesus
privately about
why they
couldn't cast
out the
demon.
Matthew 17
verse 19.
Then the
disciples came
to Jesus in
private and
asked,
why couldn't
we drive
it out?
Jesus replied,
because you
have so
little faith.
Truly,
I tell you,
if you have
faith as
small as a
mustard seed,
you can say
to this
mountain,
move from
here to
there,
and it
will move.
Nothing will
be impossible
for you.
I bring in
this part of
Matthew because
it answers that
question we
asked earlier
about why
they couldn't
cast it
out.
And it
seems it
wasn't because
they didn't
have the
authority and
power to
do it,
but because
they lacked
faith.
because you
have so
little faith,
said Jesus.
Were they
trying to
invoke the
name of
Jesus to
cast the
spirit out,
but at the
same time
not inwardly
believing that
it would
work?
There was a
lack of
faith in
these disciples
of Jesus.
and I
think it's
a lesson
for us
as well.
Not that
we've all
been given
power and
authority to
heal and
cast out
demons,
but how
often do we
invoke the
name of
Jesus and
claim the
name of
Jesus and
yet don't
really believe
and have
faith in
him as we
should?
God.
Maybe we're
coming at
an issue
or problem
in our
lives with
everything that
we've got at
our disposal
except we're
just not
really trusting
God or
looking to
him for
the solution.
We're
meeting it
with our
own strength
and our
own resources,
everything we
have, but
deep down
are we
doubting that
God would
really care
to intervene?
They
couldn't
cast it
out because
they lacked
faith.
And then if
we flip over
to Mark's
account, we
read a little
bit more
about this,
Mark 9,
28.
After Jesus
had gone
indoors,
his disciples
asked him
privately,
why couldn't
we drive it
out?
He replied,
this kind
can come
out only
by prayer.
Now, there's
lots of
discussion about
this answer.
Is Jesus
saying that
there's
different
kinds of
demons,
some stronger
or more
resistant than
others.
Some of the
disciples can
simply cast
out with
their words
like Jesus
did and
others that
require prayer.
A lot of
people have
proposed all
kinds of
things from
these words
and some
things are
more wild
than others.
But a lot
of this is
just speculation
and guessing.
I think the
most important
part of this
statement of
Jesus that we
don't want to
miss is that
prayer is
required to
drive demons
out.
And this
says even
more about
where the
disciples failed
in the first
place,
doesn't it?
Did they
not pray and
ask God to
remove it?
They invoked
the name of
Jesus, it
seems, but
not in a
prayerful
dependence on
God kind
of way.
how often
do we do
the same
thing?
Do we go
through the
motions,
say the
words,
but is
our heart
actually
engaged?
Are we
really looking
to God
and talking
to God,
asking for
His help
because we
know we
need it
in a
situation?
are we
believing that
He has
what we
need to
deal with
what He's
put before
us?
I find
myself
convicted,
as I read
all this,
of my own
unbelief and
lack of
faith,
of my own
forgetfulness
to pray and
to talk to
God about the
things in front
of me.
how often
do I worry
about things
and forget?
How often
do I look at
my own
troubles as
insurmountable
until I'm
past them?
How often
do I look at
the lives of
people I love
and resign
myself that
there's not
likely to be
a breakthrough
or change
for them?
Maybe I've
prayed for them
in the past,
but is there
any point to
praying for
them again?
about the
same thing?
That's why
these words
of the
Father and
Mark are
so precious
to me.
I believe.
Help me
overcome my
unbelief.
I can't think
of a better
response to
all of this
than that
prayer.
So let's
pray it
together.
Father in
heaven,
Holy Spirit,
God,
we
forgive us
our
Lord.
Would you
forgive us
for our
lack of
faith,
all the
ways it
shows up
in our
lives
this past
week.
Forgive us
for the
unbelief in
our hearts.
We believe,
God,
we thank you
for the
love.
Help us in
our
unbelief.
Help us with
our doubts.
grace.
We thank you
for another
glimpse of
your greatness
and your
awesome power
and your
love here in
these words.
And we thank
you that your
name and
your power
is unrivaled.
We ask that
you would
increase our
faith,
Lord.
Refine it.
Make it
grow.
And we want
that for your
praise and
your glory.
Amen.