Down From The Mountain
Moving Through Matthew • Sermon • Submitted
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Read Matthew 17:14-20
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.” 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?” 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.”
As you may notice, I have stopped at verse 20, because in my translation of the Bible verse 20 of Matthew 17 is the end of this story of the healing of this boy. In my Bible it goes from verse 20 to verse 22, there is no verse 21. But if you have a King James Bible, you will notice that after verse 20 is verse 21. So in your King James Version bible verse 21 says...
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
So why is this verse not in my modern translation, but it is included in the KJV? I will explain that a little later, but for now, let get to the text.
Jesus, James, John and Peter are coming down the mountain in which Jesus’ body was glorified and there were Moses and Elijah as well.
They had seen the glorified body of Jesus and perhaps Peter thought that it was time for the Messiah to do his work. Many Jews of that time and even the disciples did not understand that the kingdom coming wasn’t an actual earthly kingdom where Jesus would sit on a throne in Jerusalem and battle against their enemies. Maybe that is why Peter wanted to build tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. But Jesus’ purpose here was complete. He was showing them his glory, a glory that they would see forever and they entered into heaven
So as they are coming down, a man comes to Jesus, falls on his knees and begs Jesus to heal his son. The boy had a demon in him. The disciples (the other 9) had tried to cast out the demon, but they couldn’t. Jesus looks at them and is disappointed in them. Jesus then casts the demon out and the boys was healed. As they were going Matthew then shows us a question posed to Jesus from the disciples...
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 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.”
This is the account of Jesus healing the boy with a demonic spirit after he had come down the mountain from being transfigured. This is Matthews telling of this event. And we know that there are four accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus…this Matthew, also Mark, Luke and John. Both Mark and Luke also write about this event. What we have here in Matthew and in Luke are brief tellings compared t Mark’s account. When Mark writes, he gives more details. He information is more and includes more verse telling this account.
So even though we are Moving Through Matthew, lets Move to the Side with Mark, then we will once again get back on the Matthew Road.
14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
Mark 9:14–29 (ESV)
14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
See all the areas that are underlined…these are details that Mark included that Matthew did not. Why? I don’t know. But i believe this is one of the benefits we have that there are four different views of Jesus’ life. We we come to these different accounts and we put them together, sometime we are able to get a bigger picture of what happened.
Now we could stay in Matthew and still see what happened and still understand what it means for us today as we walk with God here on earth. But this morning I want to stay here in Mark and look at four statements that Jesus said.
1. He calls someone faithless.
19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”
If it were the Scribes.... they have been shown the evidence, both in the Scriptures and in the flesh by Jesus and his miracles. Yet, they did not want to see him as the Messiah. Teh hope the the Law and the Prophets had been speaking of for over 1000 years.
If it was the disciples… they had no reason to be faithless. They were there when Peter proclaimed that he was the Christ the Son of the Living God. They were when Jesus gave him the authority to heal. Do you remember what he said to them back in Matthew 10?
1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
They had the power, they had the authority, yet now they could not heal. Why? Had they become to relaxed? Had they now been thinking that it was their power, not the power of God?
Sometimes we get to relaxed. We fall back. We don’t take the time to seek him as we first did. He is not a priority in our lives like before. We still know he is God, but he is just not that important to us like he was before. But just like Jesus was grieved because his maybe his disciples were not depending on him, he grieves when we step back from him and don’t give him the honor and glory he is due in our lives. But he does leave us… he offers grace…patiently he waits for you to return to him.
The second statement that Jesus makes here comes from verse 23
2. All Things Are Possible For One Who Believes
23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Now this statement may be difficult to understand. The man says, I believe, but then he says help me in my unbelief. First thing we need to understand here is when he says “help me in my unbelief” this does not mean that he does not believe in Jesus. I know today we would pray for the unbelievers that they may come to Christ and begin a relationship with him. He is not saying I don’t believe. In fact he is saying I do believe. So what does all of this mean?
There is a difference in believing in something and actually believing in something. In other words, you can believe that if you take the time to study vary well, when you get home, in the evening you study and not play football or not do this or that, but in yoru mind if you really take time to study, it will help you make a better mark on your exam. You may believe that is true.
But, you can believe that, but not do it. You can think that is the best way to improve your marks, but you don’t do it, and yoru marks don’t improve.
So now look back at what the man says.... I believe....i know....i understand… help me in my unbelief. This man after years of his boy being like this, came to the man he knew could help. He knew he was the Messiah, he had evidently heard of the miracles, but this man shows us there is a difference between believing in something and believing IN something.
How many of us are like that. We say we believe, but do we really believe IN him?
IN is the key to believing.
----->The third statement that Jesus made takes us back to Matthew 17...
3. Small Faith = Small Results
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.”
It is by faith that we believe. If you believe that Jesus died 2000 years ago, and three days later was raised. If you believe that he did that for you, and now you have taken your life, given it over to him, made him the Lord of your…and if you believe that because of that, one day you will spend forever with him in heaven....
All of this has been done because you have faith. To believe something is true that you cannot touch or see means that you have faith that it happened.
And Jesus says that small faith will produce small results, or maybe no results. But if you would have just enough faith, you could move mountains, the impossible can be possible.
Now do you know anyone who has ever moved a mountain? No? Me either. Jesus is giving the example of moving a mountain and comparing it to something that may look impossible, but with God all things are possible. I have known some people with a lot of faith, but they never looked at a mountain and moved it from here to here. But I have seen the impossible become possible.
Mom and I have friends in America and their names are Randy & Jeana.
*****Some of you will remember their daughter Morgan who came with Sadie about 5 years ago*****
About 12 years ago, Randy had been working and Jeanna was at our house. We had a meal together, and as it got late in the evening, she got in her car and was driving home. That night, something wasn’t right in her body. She wasn’t getting herself in her head, and she went to the hospital. It wasn’t long before they did test and discovered that she had a cancer tumor growing in her brain. It wasn’t good. The doctor told her that it could kill her. Even the surgery to remove it could kill her. The Dr said that if she did live after the surgery, it would not be long.
So many people prayed. Our church prayed and many people prayed. Its been 12 years since her surgery, and her was a picture we took with Randy and Jeanna last year back in America. She is living proof that God still does miracles.
And just like the belief of the father, because of our belief, Jesus can do miracles. Sometimes God doesn’t do the miracle we want. Sometimes God doesn’t answer yes to our prayers. In those times, we need to leave it to his will and his purpose and his reasons, but…we serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords....the way maker....the miracle worker. But it is with our belief, that he can do it, that it will even be possible.
4. Prayer is the Master Key
28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
The disciples were not able to push the demon out, even though Jesus had already given them the authority. Maybe this was a reminder that they were trying to act on their own human will to cast out the demon, and were not relying on the one who could do it through them…Jesus.
Jesus said that this miracle can only be done with prayer. Prayer is when we give up what we want, and place it before the Father. In prayer to him, we realize that we can do nothing without him. He was reminding the that the real power was not in themselves, but was from him. That why he gave them authority… his authority.
I can tell you, from my own experience, I have seen it… by prayer, I have seen a demon cast out of a person. A demon was tormenting this person, making them mad, and by the power of prayer and Scripture God removed that demon and today, when you look at that person, you would never think that a demon was ever there. Today that person now lives for Jesus. Jesus fills them, not a demon. And because of the Spirit of God is in that person, the demon can never enter again.
All of that was made possible by prayer!
What if today you began to take prayer more seriously. What if today you began to live a life that prayer was a major influence on it. Not just to begin your day or end your day.... but fill your day.
What if today you began to live a life by faith. Placing everything before God, knowing that whatever the circumstance, by faith you are praying that his will be done.
And what if today, you take that belief in who he is and make a part of every moment of your life.
If you re a believer, you have the power of God living inside you, don’t take prayer for granted. Talk to him, listen for him, and bring yoru requests and petitions before him. He is listening.