Mustard Seeds and Faith
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Transfiguration
3 disciples, Peter James and John
Don’t tell anyone what you’ve seen until after the resurrection
As Jesus and the three disciples were coming down the mountain, having discussed Elijah and John the Baptist’s partial fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi 4:5, they are reunited with the other 9 disciples and a multitude. If you were wondering what the other disciples were doing while Jesus and the three were doing on the mountain, this next passage is going to help answer that question. It will also help us understand a little bit more as to why the other 9 might have been left off the invitation list to go up the mountain.
Epileptic Boy with a Demon
Epileptic Boy with a Demon
14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.”
This father came to Jesus in desperation, pleading with Him to “have mercy on my son”, and then he described the “seizures” and the destruction that they would bring. Notice that the father didn’t say that his son had a demon, but Jesus knows what is really going on.
How often does that happen all around us, or even to us as believers. Now, this boy was possessed by a demon, which a believer can’t be. But a believer can experience something called denomination, which is more than a strong hold that a particular sin has on you. It’s a situation where a demon has gained a foothold in your life and uses it to torment you and bring destruction to your life. Most times we are simply going to be dealing with our old fleshly nature that just wants what it wants, but occasionally, and I think it’s increasing as we move closer to the end, we are dealing with a demonic force that has gained a foot hold. The end goal whether possession or demonization, is the same. Destruction.
Most translations really don’t grasp the full meaning of the greek word here that describes him as having seizures. This does a poor job of describing what is actually going on with this boy. They use the word Seizures. It’s actually more closely translated, “he’s a lunatic”.
Stuart K. Weber
This Greek word for seizures (used only here in the New Testament) means literally, “to be moon-struck.” The similarity between the backgrounds of the Greek and English words reveals the belief, common to many cultures, that insanity waxed and waned with the phases of the moon. The symptoms described by the boy’s father were similar to those of epilepsy, but the context makes it clear that the boy’s self-destructive behavior (falling into fire or water) was due to the influence of a demon.
The boy wasn’t being flung into the fire or water just to burn him or dunk him under water. The demon was trying to destroy the boy.
There are true epileptics in this world that aren’t tormented with demons, but we can’t look at everyone that’s not normal and diagnose the situation with science and western medicine. We have to ask the Lord to help us discern whether we are dealing with a demonic spirit.
While Jesus was experiencing his transfiguration on the mountain, the father had brought his son to the nine disciples. They had failed to draw on the authority that Jesus granted them to cast out the demon and cure the boy.
The Rebuke
The Rebuke
17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
Here in Matthew 17, Jesus recognizes that he’s dealing with a demon problem, not a health issue and quickly deals with it, but first he rebukes his own disciples.
Jesus’ harsh rebuke was directed toward the disciples, not the boy or his father. It was not surprising to hear him call them faithless because he had already confronted their lack of faith many times. But for Jesus to address the disciples as part of a faithless and twisted generation was to lump them together with obstinate Israel and its hypocritical leaders.
The disciples had power to draw upon, given to them through His authority to advance the kingdom of heaven. Instead they failed miserably because of their lack of dependence on his power. This was symbolic of the failure of Israel.
There is a definite sense that Jesus is frustrated with these disciples. Being this close to his crucifixion it had to be frustrating that his closest students weren’t displaying more faith.
The disciples may have had a problem casting out the demon, but Jesus didn’t. He cast the demon out so quickly and so naturally it instantly cured the boy of his tormenter.
The Answer
The Answer
20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like 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 for you.”
Ultimately the failure of the disciples, as stated by Jesus, was their unbelief. Literally laking confidence in Christ. To be successful in a battle against demons there must be trust in the Lord God who has complete authority over demons. In addition to this, invoking the name of Jesus Christ to deal with demonic spirits only works if you have the Spirit of God living in you.
5 Reasons God Doesn’t Answer Yes
5 Reasons God Doesn’t Answer Yes
1. We don’t have faith in God. James 1:6-7
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
2. We aren’t asking according to God’s will. 1 John 5:14-15
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
3. Our Prayers are hindered by our behavior. 1 Peter 3:7
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
4. We have the wrong motives James 4:3
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
5. God has a higher purpose. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
God’s power can’t be thrown around.
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.
Oddly enough, this beating lead many exorcists and magicians to faith in Jesus. Both sides realizing the truth and then acting on it in faith.
The faith that we must have has more to do with what kind of faith it is than with how much faith there is. That is why attempting to quantify faith is misleading. There is a common misperception today that “faith” in itself is the source of power, when true faith is actually an admission of powerlessness and a dependence on God’s power. When Jesus spoke of faith as small as a mustard seed, he was encouraging us to let go of our own efforts and to rely instead on God’s power.
A believer’s lack of faith affects his or her ability to appropriate God’s power to do God’s work—to advance God’s kingdom in the world. We are his instruments in this world. But if we choose to act without his power, we become useless to him.
What happened to Verse 21? was it deleted by modern translators that want to alter the word of God? No, earlier manuscripts were found that proved that this verse had in fact been added by scribes over the years. IF we look over at this account in the book of Mark we do see that Mark wrote that Jesus said it was possible through prayer. Again, it’s not a formula. THere’s nothing wrong with fasting if you are going into a situation where you are dealing with a demon. We see the practice of fasting in Jesus own life as he came closer not only to his own personal public ministry but also the temptation of Satan himself. We don’t need to through the baby out with the bath water. We also don’t need to get bent out of shape thinking that this verse was removed from the bible. IT was simply not put in because it wasn’t found in an earlier more accurate and trusted manuscript.
That being said.
Great prayer and fasting displays earnestness before God that brings answer to prayer. We often pray dispassionately, almost asking God to care about things we care little or nothing about.
Prayer and fasting demonstrate:
Great willingness to identify with the afflicted person.
Great appreciation of the strength of the demonic world.
Great dependence upon God.
Great desire to fight and sacrifice for the sake of deliverance.
“He that would overcome the devil in certain instances must first overcome heaven by prayer, and conquer himself by self-denial.” (Spurgeon)
Reminder for the 9
Reminder for the 9
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.
Here we see Jesus once again telling or reminding his disciples about his coming betrayal, death and resurrection. He rarely told them about his death without telling them of his resurrection.
He always wanted to keep that hope before them even if they didn’t comprehend it. Jesus would send his Spirit to them to remind him of the things he said to them.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
This is the same encouragement that we have when we believe Jesus even with a small faith! If we were just going to focus on his death we will be sad and possibly loose heart. But, if we will focus on the hope in His resurrection, we will be filled with hope.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Let’s pray