Faith for the impossible:

Context:

• Jesus is coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration.

• There’s a crowd there, arguing with the scribes (Mark).

Mark 9:16 “...And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?...”

• A man kneels before Him and asks Him to heal his son.
• He was having what we would call epileptic seizures.
• The man explains how the disciples couldn’t heal him.

Matthew 17:17 “...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...”

Mark 9:19 “...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...”

What did Jesus think of the situation?

• He seemed a bit annoyed, but was simply exposing a major problem.
• He accused the generation of being faithless and twisted.

What is a twisted (perverse) generation?

• People who hold opinions turned or perverted from the truth.

• People who respond to life in an incorrect way.

How do you think Jesus would view our generation?

What happened when they brought the boy to Jesus?

• Mark 9:20 “...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...”

What additional information did Jesus obtain?

• Mark 9:21-22 “...And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 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...”

• The destructive behavior had been going on since childhood.

• A concerned father was hoping Jesus could do something about it.

How did Jesus respond to the father’s request?

• Mark 9:23 “...And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes...”

Do you believe that Jesus can heal epileptics?

How did the father then respond to the comment of Jesus?

• I believe, help my unbelief.

What did Jesus do?

• Mark 9:25 “...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...”

• Matthew 17:18 “...And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly...”

• He rebuked the demon and it came out of the boy.

• The boy was healed instantly.

• The Mark account describes a terrible convulsion, and the boy appearing dead, before Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up.

Why couldn’t the disciples get the job done?

• Matthew 17:20 “...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...”

• Mark 9:29 “...And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer...”

• Focusing on one’s own power or ability won’t work.

• Connection with the Kingdom of Heaven is required.

• Believing the connection is possible is a prerequisite.

Why do people normally want to move mountains?

• For their personal gain or gratification.

Why did Jesus move this mountain?

• To liberate someone from captivity.

• For the benefit of another person.

• To bring the Father’s good will into reality on earth.

How do people try to remove this particular type of mountain?

• By the power of health care education.

• By medication.

How do the results differ from the results of Jesus?

• Life long drug use with side effects.

• Failure to liberate from captivity.

Are we a faithless and twisted generation?

• We have sincere people, who really care, who do the best they can.

• We are not bringing the power of heaven into our earthly struggles.

Without faith, we find many things are not possible.