It’s Impressive!

It was a beautiful day.

Jesus had just gotten off the mountain where He had that awesome transfiguration experience. Peter and the other two disciples had missed part of the experience because they were “heavy with sleep”, then they woke up and saw part of the splendor and Peter couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

So on this beautiful day, when they got off the mountain a big crowd met them. The crowd had a crowd of issues too, but I think the usual protocol was that Jesus attended to their needs as He was led, although many times He taught them first.

However, it was not a beautiful day for a particular man in the crowd who called out to Jesus, breaching protocol. He cried out on behalf of his son; his only child who had been possessed by a demon that threw him into fits of life-threatening convulsions. Then he added, “I asked your disciples to deliver him but they couldn't."¹

How sad. Someone else in Jesus’ shoes would get irate. Why not? Only a few days ago he had called the disciples together and “given them authority and power to deal with all the demons and cure diseases.”²

And then their trip reports were replete with success stories! Even more, in the succeeding verses we read about another man who wasn’t one of the disciples, but was casting out demons in the Name of Jesus!

So why couldn’t they help this man’s son?

Jesus was cross with the crowd concerning the more pressing issue of their unbelief in Him as the Messiah. He had already done so many great things for them; still they persisted in unbelief, seeking more signs, awaiting more spoon-feeding. Secondly, he was unhappy with his disciples for not exercising sufficient faith needed to cure the boy.

Jesus was surrounded by so much faithlessness that could have drowned out the experience on the mountain He just got off, but it didn’t. On the other hand, His experience didn’t put Him on a high horse, oblivious to the needs of the people He came to serve.

So He called for the boy and cured him. Immediately. Then He returned the healed boy back to his father.

Being Jesus, He didn’t stop there, as Matthew’s version³ of this incident shows us that He told the disciples why they couldn’t cast out the demon, and how they could do it next time.

It’s recorded that everyone was impressed with what Jesus did. They were all astonished at the majestic display of God.

Sometimes we get to the end of our rope, having tried everything we know. We may begin to lose faith, and doubt the foundation on which we stand. But Jesus never fails. He impresses every time! He says, even when we are faithless He remains faithful, because He cannot deny Himself.⁴

Sad things occur that could darken our skies and make our days gloomy, but the clouds can’t hide the Son from us, He lives in us!

Tell it to Jesus, you will be impressed. I always am.

¹ Luk 9:40

² Luk 9:1

³ Mat 17:14-21

⁴ 2Ti 2:13