Bible Studies For Life
When Your Faith Falls Short Limited Resources: Unlimited God 7 DEC 25
MATT 17:14-20
(Mat 17:14 RSV) And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and kneeling before him said,
(Mat 17:15 RSV) "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.
(Mat 17:16 RSV) And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him."
(Mat 17:17 RSV) And Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me."
(Mat 17:18 RSV) And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly.
(Mat 17:19 RSV) Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"
(Mat 17:20 RSV) “He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."
Mark tells a clearer and fuller story.
The Failure of the Disciples (MARK 9:14-16)
MARK 9:14-18 As Dr. Herschel H. Hobbs put it in his book an exposition of the gospel of Mark, Baker Book House, 1970, page 135 “Following the scene of glory at the summit of Mt. Hermon, Jesus found a scene of shame at its base. Assuming that the transfiguration happened at night, it was probably the next morning when Jesus and the three disciples returned to the other nine. And it was to discover a scene of frustration.
Mark begins this account with the participle "coming." This suggests that Jesus was approaching the nine and those who had gathered about them. "And coming to the disciples, he saw a great crowd around them" (v. 14). In their midst were scribes questioning with them. The word "questioning" renders a compound verb showing that they were continually doing so with zest. Bruce notes that they were wrangling with the nine. The nine had failed to heal a young man. And the scribes were delighted. If they could not get Jesus in a corner, at least they could make capital of this. They may even have implied that their failure was His also.
When Jesus arrived on the scene unexpectedly the crowd was greatly surprised. But when they recovered from their amazement, "running they began to greet [welcome] him" (v. 15). This is the literal rendering of the text. The crowd forgot the embarrassed nine and the carping critics, and rushed to meet Jesus. Perhaps they wondered what He would do in the situation.
Taking in the scene He asked the scribes why they were wrangling with the nine disciples (v. 16). Perhaps the scribes refused to answer. But one of the crowd did so. And who was he? The father of the young man.
MARK 9:17-18 (Mar 9:17-18 RSV) “And one of the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; {18} and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able."” His was a pathetic story (vv. 17-18). He had brought his son to Jesus. Evidently he thought that He was with the nine. But, of course, he failed to find Him. There is no evidence that he had ever seen Jesus. But likely he had heard of His healing miracles in Galilee.” Likely indeed as this was a major reason crowds followed Jesus, to see miracles.
MARK 9:19 Dr. Hobbs; page 136 “We are not surprised at Jesus' reaction."0 faithless generations, long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring unto me" (v. 19) "Faithless" means "no faith." While He applied this to the entire generation, He also included these impotent disciples. Of course, they had believed in Him, but they no faith to cope with this situation. So in exasperation Jesus wondered how long He could put up with or endure such. With this He told them to bring or bear the son to Him. Apparently the son was some distance away from Jesus. The word rendered "bring" could be either a present indicative or imperative form. In this context it is the latter. Basically the word means to carry something. It is possible that in the son's present state this was necessary”.
MARK 9:20-22 “Dumb spirit” is yet another term for a demon. The demon knew if Jesus acted, he would be cast out or worse. This demon and all demons knew Jesus a Divine Person of God, and not just a personality.
So he did his worst to make it look like any action by Jesus would kill the boy. According to the father, the boy had been demon possessed for his early years until now. The symptoms are indeed like epilepsy which is a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent seizures. There are different types of epilepsy and seizures. [WebMD]
But we know it was a demon because Mark tells us. The father knew Jesus could heal him (he had no idea this was caused by a demon) if Jesus wanted to do so.
MARK 9:23-24 Dr. Hobbs, page “The participle and verb both are aorist (a verb tense, as in Classical Greek, expressing action or, in the indicative mood, past action, without further limitation or implication.) He knows that Jesus has compassion. So he asks for immediate help if such is possible.
In response Jesus shifted the emphasis from His power to the man's faith. The man said, "If thou canst do anything." Jesus said, "If thou canst believe" (v. 23). Actually the Greek text uses what Robertson calls a "neat idiom." The definite article to proceeds "if you can" (ei dunei; to ei dunei). It reads, "With respect to the 'if thou canst,' all things can [are able or possible] to the one believing." So the issue turned not upon Jesus' power but on the man's faith. How often we accuse God of inability when the trouble is our lack of faith! As one has said, we need "a sense of the possible." This takes us then to (James 5:16b RSV) "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects." A righteous person, man or woman, is a faith person.
Jesus' words shocked the father. For immediately he cried out with a loud cry, "I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (v. 24). It is no wonder that he cried out ("with tears" not in best manuscripts), when he heard that his son's healing depended not upon Jesus' power but upon his faith. "I believe," "I do believe," or "I am believing ("Lord" not in the best manuscripts). That is' why he came to Jesus in the first place. And despite the failure of the disciples, he still kept on believing. However, his faith was weak after what had happened and considering his son's chronic condition. So he prayed, "Help [keep on helping] my unbelief." The word "unbelief" (apistiai) means "no faith." Thayer says that, here apistia in this context means "weakness of faith."
MARK 9:25-27 Jesus got rid of the demon permanently through His divine power. Dr. Hobbs, page 138 “Nevertheless, Jesus commanded the spirit to come out of the boy never again to enter into him (v. 25). Note that He spoke to the demon as a real being, not merely a popular superstition. The word "charge" renders a verb used in military commands. Jesus would accept no less than obedience from the spirit. "Enter no more" reads literally, "No more may you enter." This reflects intermittent seizures of the boy. The demon could not enter to size him again.
And while evil spirits do not repent, they must obey the expressed command of God. So "crying with a loud voice and convulsing much it came out." All three verb forms are aorist, testifying to the miracle involved. The spirit had to obey Jesus. But did its worst to the boy before doing so. So much so that the boy "became as dead." The violent convulsion left him in this state. It was such that many said, "He is dead" or "he died" (v. 26) To them the case was hopeless.
"But Jesus." Ah, there is the difference! What men consider to hopeless is not so with Jesus. For He "took him by the hand, lifted him up, and he arose" (v. 27). Again the verbs are all aorists. "Lifted up" may be called an ingressive aorist. Literally, "But Jesus. gripping firmly his hand, began to raise him up, and he stood up immediately."
Mark makes no comment as to the crowd's reaction. But Luke notes that "they were all amazed at the mighty power of God" (9:43) "Mighty power" should read "majesty, magnificence, glory." So that which the three disciples had seen on top of the mountain, crowd saw demonstrated at its base. The nine disciples had failed, but Jesus had prevailed.”
We should recall that earlier in His ministry, when these nine disciples (Apostles) were called, Jesus had sent them out with power to heal. MARK 6:12-13
MARK 9:28-29 Dr. Hobbs answered the reason for failure, page 138-139 “These disciples were a subdued group. On their tour of Galilee they had cast out demons (6:13). But here they had failed. Swete says that they failed because they felt that they possessed a "quasi-magical power," since Jesus had given them this power previously. Thus they had not prepared themselves spiritually for this challenge. He adds further, "Spirits of such malignity ["this kind"] were quick to discern the lack of moral power and would yield to no other." Bruce points out the need for prayer and faith. And then he notes that neither the nine nor the father were hopeful of a cure.
Another thought is suggested by this particular instance. Jesus had taken three disciples into the mountain, leaving the nine behind. Knowing the jealousy for position within the group, one wonders if the nine had not spent their time in grumbling rather than in praying. Such would drain them of spiritual power. Outwardly they were the same men who had gone on a successful, mission for Jesus. But inwardly they were hollow shells when confronted with this spiritual challenge.
This event teaches many lessons. But none is more to the point than that while the Lord's people squabble among themselves, struggling for position and power, they are imperceptibly drained of spiritual power; so that the devil laughs in their faces as they speak words which once achieved for God but which have become but "quasi-magical" phrases to which the evil forces do not respond.
Still the Lord's people ask, "Why could not we cast him out?' And the Lord ever replies, "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer." Lord, we believe; help Thou our unbelief!
While James spoke of Satan, his words are just as true for demons: (James 4:7 RSV) "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." That word “submit” needs a whole new session. But it is a personal action by a saved person.
And note: No Christian can be demon –possessed because every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit!
APPLY THE WHOLE BIBLE BEFORE YOU STATE A DOCTRINE!
Best Study Guide: How to Study the Bible Principles with Bible, A Study Sources by Orin T. Binkley.
https://sites.google.com/view/dma1-ganotemd/home