The persistent father, part 8

And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, (Luke 9:43 NASB)

There were two groups present that day, the crowd and the disciples. The crowd knew His hands. They marveled and were amazed at what they had seen. They delighted in what Jesus could do for them. The disciples were also delighted and amazed by what they had seen, but they had been invited into a greater intimacy with Christ. They delighted in Who He was. 

We will soon see that the disciples did not understand all that Jesus said to them, but they understood that He spoke the words of life. They were willing to leave home and family, livelihood and security to be with Jesus. Following Him became the highest priority in their lives. 

The crowd knew His hands. The disciples knew His heart. That distinction made an eternal difference for those men who followed the Master. The question we must answer is which do we want to know? Christ's hands or His heart? Are we part of the crowd, following to be entertained and to be on the periphery of the miraculous, simply along to eat the loaves and fish? Are we, instead, disciples who want to know the heart of the One who can not only transform our eternal destiny but transform our daily lives? Do we want to follow and obey the One who came to set us free? The difference is of vital importance and we do well to seriously evaluate our commitment. 

Are we disciples or not? Our answer to that simple question makes all the difference, both now and in the life to come. Be sure, dear ones, that you follow the heart, and not merely the hands, of Christ. 

The persistent father, part 7

And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." (Luke 9:43-44 NASB)

A demon-possessed boy had been dramatically healed. The people were amazed, and rightly so. It was an amazing task. While the people were standing around, talking to each other about all the marvelous things Jesus was doing, He spoke to His disciples about something even more amazing than what they had just seen. The Son of Man who was the Son of God was about to do something utterly breathtaking, something totally incredible. He would be "delivered into the hands of men". The march to the cross was under way, and it was an astounding thing. 

Two thousand years later, the cross has, in some ways, become a decorative item to us. We wear it as jewelry and attach it to household items. This symbol of execution has been diminished by the casual way in which we treat it. The cross was a horrendous thing, made much worse, made unthinkably worse, by the sin Jesus bore in our place. 

Jesus was right. Healing a child is an amazing thing, but the cross is unspeakable in its greatness. If we are amazed by healing, how much more should we be amazed by the cross? We have a tendency to embrace the miracles of healing and feeding, yet reject the miracle of mercy that held our Lord on that cross. That cross is the miracle that gives meaning to all the other miracles. It is the miracle that brings hope and healing to a lost and dying world. 

In this season of thanksgiving, let us focus our attention on the one blessing that supersedes all others. The cross. It purchased our pardon, bought our redemption, set us free. Thank God it did! We are redeemed, but only by the greatness of the work that was done at Calvary. That, dear ones, was a miracle we should never forget!

The persistent father, part 6

While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. (Luke 9:42-43 NASB)

Admittedly, it was a very dramatic scenario. The upset father brought his son to Jesus with complaints about the disciples, who had proved inadequate to the need, the demon attacked, the child convulsed, Jesus cast out the demon, healed the child, and returned a whole, healed boy to his loving father. In a matter a moments, a family had their lives turned right side up by the power of Jesus. 

It was an exciting time, and the people were amazed. I love the way this Scripture shares their response. "And they were all amazed at the greatness of God." In the midst of a healing move of God, people focused their eyes on the Almighty, rather than on the demon that had caused the problem in the first place. Despite the demon's dramatic attempt to keep the boy from Jesus, they kept their eyes toward Christ. It was a good thing, as only Christ could impact the situation and heal the child. Only Christ could save him. When He did, everyone was amazed at God's greatness. 

It is appropriate to be amazed when God performs signs and wonders in our midst. It is also appropriate to be amazed by the greatness of God in giving us breath on a minute by minute basis. Every moment that we remain on earth is a miracle of His grace. One day, we will enter eternity in heaven and that, dear friends, is the ultimate miracle of grace and mercy. 

Why is it that we wait to be amazed by a dramatic display of power, yet fail to be amazed by the equally amazing displays of His grace and love that come to us on a daily basis? We must open our hearts and allow God to give us the eyes of Christ to see Him and His works in all their greatness. We who are so unworthy to stand in the presence of the Nazarene should be utterly amazed by His grace. 

As we begin our day, let us unite in asking God to reveal Himself in such a way that we are undone and filled with wonder by His amazing greatness, mercy, and love. 

The persistent father, part 5

And Jesus answered and said, "... Bring your son here." While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. (Luke 9:41-42 NASB)

From the moment that Jesus called the boy to Himself, it was clear He intended to heal him. Judging from what He had done in other circumstances, there is no other assumption that can be drawn. The enemy, of course, knew that as well, because he knew Jesus. 

The enemy was not willing to give up even a bit of the territory he held, especially not the boy, through whom he had terrorized not only the lad, but an entire family. In an act of utter defiance so typical of the rebellious one, the demon slammed the boy to the ground in a vicious attack. Perhaps the demon intended to kill the child rather than allow Jesus to have him. 

Jesus, however, had called the boy and, just as God's word does not return to Him void, so the calling of Christ did not return without accomplishing that for which it was given. There was one key point that made freedom not only possible but certain for the boy. When the demon slammed the child to the ground, his father scooped him up and carried him the rest of the way. Scripture doesn't tell us this, but how else would the child on the ground have covered the remaining distance? 

That demonic attack was the final attack, as Jesus rebuked the demon, healed the child, and returned him to his father. What would have happened, though, if the father, seeing the child falling to the ground, had failed to take his son those last few steps to Jesus? What if he had given up, thinking that the enemy had won? What if he had interpreted the child on the ground, looking more dead than alive, as a hopeless situation? Could Jesus have healed the boy if the father had given up hope and turned aside with his son? Yes. Would He? We don't know that. 

This story not only demonstrates the power of Christ over illness and demonic attack. This story demonstrates the importance of pressing through, of the relentless persistence of a loving parent who refuses to cede territory to the enemy of our souls. Dear ones, when we pray for those we love, the enemy will fight to hold territory, and fight hard. That battle does not render Our Lord powerless. When Jesus calls those we love to Himself, we must be willing to continue to carry them before our Lord in prayer until He has accomplished all for which He called them. Do not mistake this one very important point. The boy had such a battle raging in him, there was very little chance that he could bring himself to Jesus. The father's role was not just important but utterly critical in the healing and freedom of his son. 

Are you praying for someone you love? Do not stop. Do not cede territory. Do not give up. Press on, for The One to whom we pray did not stop until our own redemption was accomplished, and we must be willing to do the same for those we love. Press on.

The persistent father, part 2

And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, (Luke 9:38 NASB)

The father, bringing his son to Jesus, asked a beautiful thing of Him. "Look at him," he said. He understood what many of us do not. When Jesus looked at the need in that boy's life, He would see him with compassion and would respond to the need. The father wanted his boy healed. There is no doubt about that. He had asked the disciples to heal the boy already. Because of his faith, he simply asked Jesus to respond to the need He saw, knowing that whatever Jesus did would be enough. 

The word here indicates a turning of the eyes with compassion and intent. It implies turning the gaze away from the sights before one and turning toward something else in a way that allows not just sight, but sight with insight and understanding. What a beautiful word picture to consider Jesus turning His gaze toward us with insight and understanding, seeing our need and responding to it! May He turn His gaze to us and our loved ones, responding to our deepest needs with whatever solution is best! 

This turning of our gaze from that which distracts is how we should "look" at Jesus, as well. Our looking to Him should be with such intensity that we gain understanding and insight into His ways. Our looking should cause us to become more like Him. 

The prophet Hannai was speaking to King Asa, but his words are no less true for us today. "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (2 Chronicles 16:9 NASB)

If we turn our eyes to the Lord so fully that our hearts are completely His, when He looks at us, He will not just take delight in us, but also have compassion for the heart of love He sees. 

Oh, dear ones, "turn your eyes upon. Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

Look to Jesus. 

The persistent father, part 3

I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not." And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here." (Luke 9:40-41 NASB)

This is a sad commentary on the disciples. The father begged the disciples to cast out the illness (or demon) that afflicted his son, but they could not. In Luke 9:1, Jesus had clearly given the disciples authority over unclean spirits (demons). They had the authority to cast the demon out of the boy, but not the power. This story is related in Matthew 17, and that passage includes Jesus' rebuke of the disciples as well as a discussion between Jesus and these failed disciples. "Why couldn't we cast it out?" they asked. "Because of the littleness of your faith," Jesus replied. 

We will look more at this tomorrow but for today, look at the rebuke Jesus gave them. "You unbelieving and perverted generation" he called them. The word translated as unbelieving is also translated "faithless". The word translated as "perverted" is not used here to indicate sexual deviant, but "twisted" or "turned away". Jesus was saying that, although He had equipped them with all they needed to heal the boy, they had turned away from the faith in Christ that would have been sufficient for the task. 

How far away were they from their faith? A mustard seed's distance. Not far at all. It behooves us to stay close to our Lord. A task they had accomplished with ease on their journey was impossible when they moved away from their Lord just a bit. In fact, they were still right in the midst of the crowd. Still ostensibly close to Christ. An onlooker would not have been able to tell that they had moved away, but it became apparent when their power was gone 

What a truth for us! We must be diligent to stay close beside our Lord, consistently and constantly faithful in order to have the power to accomplish the tasks God has given us. Perhaps this is the reason we see so little of the miraculous in our churches today, so little of divine intervention. We have the appearance of disciples, but not the power. 

The words of Jesus could well be words for us today. "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you?" What is it we lack? Faith. We lack a mustard seed sized faith, and it separates us from the power our Lord would so freely give. Oh dear ones, step closer, move in, embrace our Lord and the life of faith He longs to give us. 

The persistent father

On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not." (Luke 9:37-40 NASB)

The next day, after the transfiguration, Jesus with Peter, James, and John, came down from the mountain prayer retreat, and, as usual, a large crowd had gathered. In that crowd, there was a father whose son had seizures. They were severe and unpredictable. No one had been able to help him. In desperation, the father had brought the boy to the disciples (the ones who were not at the prayer retreat). They had tried to heal him without success, but the disciples had not been able to help the boy either. 

We will look at this passage in greater detail later, but there is a lesson in the father's perseverance. He did not lose hope because the disciples failed. He clearly understood that Jesus had greater power than the disciples and that a failure on the part of a disciple was not a failure on the part of Jesus. That sounds intuitive, doesn't it? 

It's surprising, though, how many of us become angry with God when one of His servants fails us in some way. We equate man's failure with God's failure (a lie from the enemy of our souls), and allow the hurt, disappointment, and anger to create a stronghold in our lives that becomes a barrier between us and God. It weakens our relationship with our Lord and robs us of the joy He longs to give. 

All too often, we encounter a "disciple", whether clergy or laity, who fails in a spectacular way. They may even have hurt us or one we love. It is easy to assume all ministers, all laity, all disciples, are the same as the one who has failed. We may even, in some mixed up way, equate God with the one who has failed, but how foolish this is. Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us that God will never fail us or forsake us. Even when His answer to our prayers is not the one we want, He does not leave us nor fail us. 

This father took his son to the disciples and, when they failed to help, he took his boy directly to Jesus. He wasn't angry because of the failure. He was simply seeking a solution from the One he knew could help. This father did exactly what we should do with our needs. He was not discouraged by man's failure. His trust and his hope were in Christ alone, and that is exactly where he took his need. 

Do you have a need or concern for which you have been unable to find help? Take it to Jesus, like the persistent father, and let Him do what only He can do. He may not do what you "want", but He will neither fail you nor forsake you.