Wednesday Night, May 12, 2021 PM

The Healing of the Demon-Possessed Boy and the Disciples’ Confusion

Professors chapter story how very often the and ends with this is. This one is no different I'd say even a little bit more organized as far as off by the casting out of a demon. And then we're actually going to.

And that kind of lets us know what section to. So let me pray for us. They'll read the text together. Father I thank you so much for our time together tonight. I pray that we would call trust in Christ our Savior our righteousness.

You buy your home. And even if we don't know us with groanings which are too deep just come and you are good we are weak and you are strong. And you have given for his name and in his name we pray. I'll be reading verses 37 through 50.

On the next day when they had come down from the mountain met him sudden. I implore you look on my son for he is my only child and behold a spirit seizes him and he suddenly cries so I implored you how long shall I be with you and bear with you.

Bring your son here. And he was still coming. The demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked. The unclean spirits healed the child and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.

But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did he said to his disciples. Let these words sink down into your ears. For the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men does not follow with us.

Humility, Majesty, and the Center of the Story

Not to Bible tells us he was demon-possessed out the demon. The story. Are you a child priest he said. Then we have about. We have an example of this man casting out a demon and disciples expressed in the Word of God.

Circle said he's saying that about the man to you and on the. So you see how the argument you know the big surprise at the end at the end but very often in the scriptures because of the way that the Jews would write they put the most highlighted it with concentric parallels and a structure called chiasm.

What's in the very middle. And they were all all amazed at the majesty of God. Everyone marveled at all the as the centerpiece. And they were marveling. And they are amazed at at what Jesus is doing. He's revealing the power of God.

Yeah of authority. Stay after what. Why is the day after. And from the Mount of Transfiguration the majesty of God. The person of Jesus Christ was. And then he saved the majesty of God is as the only Savior.

This in the notice in the passage that it all hinges on Jesus first the disciples they came. Then when it comes little child me then you receive the one who sent me meant the servant. It's about the Savior.

Jesus is not about being being being in the group the in crowd. It's not that this here's this man who was sons of Sceva who are using it as a superstitious power word. Does he actually worshipped Christ.

Obviously casting out demons in the name of Jesus and the God as he's case. There is no since it's all about him. And he's the one visible God. He's the real who reveals the magic. Since is the he's the one who reveals the majesty of God then.

And there's no there's no room for pride that the disciples have been with Jesus for themselves. I can't only Jesus. And when they when they argue with one another recently Christ God as our father and strong provide.

This is the Jesus. This doesn't fit. And they didn't want to talk about it but it was necessary. Jesus has humbled himself. And the muck in the mess surrounded by sinners. And and what does he say. How long shall I be with you.

And come to humble himself. They're looking for glory. Majesty has come to humble himself. He's telling them they need to do the same elevated. They think he's come to be to be to be lifted up in an honor.

No to sacrifice himself. Now think about what Jesus is doing and helping this man. Look at this. Look at what happens to this. This son his only convulses him so he foams at the mouth and it departs from him with great difficulty bruising him.

Help. And then Jesus helps. That helps the man. Isn't. There's convulsions. Doesn't work. That's messy that he's got disciples arguing about who's the greatest and so on. And Jesus is humbling himself.

He's come to save sinners be saved. That now he is revealing the math bling himself. He is sent from the father for our need. But it is in this revealing the majesty of God simply of his saving work. He is demonstrating the mode in which we receive him humbled and weakness.

Blessed are the mourn. They should be comforted here with his father in this child who he goes to Jesus. And we are to bring all that needs. And there's there's a lot that we need our sins and reconciliation with a holy God.

We need to to grace us with every every blessing that he has every advantage of the Holy Spirit we need with Savior. It's not the the method. It's not some glorified some great one among the followers of Jesus to help us.

He's the one sometimes we think there's things in our lives that that we can handle we can fix we can cleanse things that we can save. And we just don't bring it to Christ. Right. You know we reserve we save him for the big stuff.

To pray for a daily bread from the Heavenly Father. And to pray for the forgiveness of our sins. These are basic everyday when we can assume when we assume that oh I've got my daily bread covered I'll just I'll just reserve God for the big stuff.

That's not humility. That's not humility. Pray him for the pray for the daily things. And humility is the watchword of faith. Here is it's very clear that humility is the watchword of faith. Humility is the great need throughout this text.

Salvation comes through the Savior not the instrument. If there if there is salvation is because of Jesus not child. The good news to somebody's life to to help someone. Blessings are from God through our Savior Christ.

We give him the praise for it. What's casting out demons in the name of Jesus. And then disciples told him to stop it. How are we to apply this master. We saw someone casting out demons in your name. And we forbade him because he does not follow with us.

Well this is they don't. He doesn't follow with us. So what me. What does that mean. He's not opposed to us. He's not against us. Which I think is a very. When you know someone's like well you know. Well the answer here is you know kind of the inclination is to be using this in an ecumenical way.

What does Jesus say. He who is not against us. Okay that that's the important qualification. He who is not against us not against Christ not against the person and work of Jesus Christ is on our side.

And in this case this is not a passage that is telling us that you know Hindu fans of Jesus or you know even people farther out like Joe Osteen we're talking about those who are not against the person and work of Jesus Christ clearly don't forbid him.

He if he's not against us he's on our side. And in this case we see that there there are there going to be limitations to groups of Christians. You can't just have one big massive group. There's going to be groups and in all those who are doing their their work their teaching their preaching their their ministry in the name of Jesus for him in his not against Christ.

Do not forbid him. He's on our side. It's it's against. There were unity's in Christ. Again he's the key. Right. So there's unity in Christ is against uniformity. It's against uniformity where everybody has to be the same way all.

Right. That's that's that's what it's against. And and that's and that's helpful. And I think it gives us a group just just they're not in our group but boy they're for Jesus. So we're in it together.

Right. And that's that's the kind of thing that is being encouraged here and again. That is also an attitude of humility. Yes it's a very good point a mantra or a magic word. David Barton. Yeah. Well I think Barton is squish on that because that's and he gets put on the put on the spot now I would imagine that if somebody sat down with David Barton and kind of laid out some things for him that he would come around to say yeah that's not the same thing.

But yeah. Well consider Apollo's valuable. What a valuable blessing. Apollos ends up being he was preaching zealously but he needed some discipleship. He needed some help. You could also think about think even just in terms of Timothy and encourage him and and guide and direct him and his ministry.

He had to grow up. So I think that or you know you could take examples of John Mark and even Peter himself wherein we see the failures of men. So often we just do I mean they just publicized made you know everything is just out there and we get to see everybody's faults really easily.

You know. I again we should pray for the Savior to to bear them up. I think there's a lot of you know I think I think there's grace. I think there's hope for a lot of them and where we see their failures and failings.

I'm glad I'm not. You know. Okay who do we need to pray for.