Why Couldn't We Cast It Out?
Preaching
What Jesus Did:
The Answer To WWJD
Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John, are away on a trip up the mountain. The other disciples are left in charge of the office until Jesus gets back. They should be able to handle things. They have been commissioned by Jesus for various ministries including preaching, teaching, healing, and demon exorcism.
In comes a customer, with a son who is described as epileptic, or demon possessed. Based on the severity of the symptoms and their destructive nature, we presume this is a case of demon possession, manifested in part by epilepsy. In any case, this child has a serious problem. The father brings the boy to Jesus. "I'm sorry, Jesus isn't here right now, but we interns will be glad to take care of this problem." One disciple takes him aside, and tries to exorcise the demon, but nothing happens. "Here, let me try." "Well maybe if three of us try together." As they continue their attempts, a crowd gathers, including some scribes, and an argument breaks out between the scribes and the disciples. We can only guess, but it probably had to do with proper technique and authority. The argument continues, but the boy does not get any better. The disciples knew they were authorized by Jesus. They had done this kind of thing before. But there is no improvement.
• Have you ever had a failure at a spiritual task, like the disciples here? What happened?
As the argument deepens, Jesus appears and the people run to him. He asks about the argument, and the father explains the situation. Jesus laments, "How long must I put up with you?" This is probably directed at the disciples. They had been with Jesus for some time. Haven't they learned anything yet? In their failure, they have become just the same as the rest of their generation.
As the boy is brought to Jesus, the demon convulses him. Jesus' question about the boy's condition is a question of compassion. The evil one comes to destroy life, even the lives of innocent children. Jesus came to give us abundant life and make us innocent as God's children. The father betrays his doubts with the words, "If you can." After all, the disciples failed. How does he know Jesus has the power? What a challenge for the Church! Every time we fail Jesus, we cast doubt on his power in the eyes of unbelievers. Jesus challenges the father back to faith: "All things can be done for the one who believes." Though God's people may fail, God has not lost any of his power. We must continue to believe that nothing is impossible with God. The father's prayer is one we need to pray often, "I believe. Help my unbelief." The father did have some faith. He also confessed his doubt to Jesus. He prayed for his faith to be made stronger. He prayed for faith that his prayer for his son would be answered. With the father's confession of faith, Jesus casts out the demon and all is well again. The crowd is amazed. Everyone praises God.
• Where are your points of unbelief or doubt?
"Why couldn't we cast it out?" You have to love the disciples. At least they are teachable in their moment of failure. When they had some privacy, the disciples ask Jesus why they couldn't cast out this demon. We need to take Matthew's answer and Mark's answer together. In Matthew, Jesus says it is because of their little faith. With faith they could move mountains. In Mark, Jesus says that this kind won't come out except by prayer. (We will talk about the fasting footnote in a moment.) Faith and prayer are the things that go together.
The disciples' failure was first of all a failure of faith. Not that they didn't believe in God or Jesus, but they weren't trusting in God. They were trusting in themselves. The fact that they were arguing with the scribes shows a worldly attitude. Arguing never accomplishes anything. Faith is where the power is. The disciples relied on what they thought was their power. They had cast out demons before, therefore they should be ready to go again.
When we act in faith, we act in complete dependence on God's resources. We will experience God's power the most when we completely run out of our own power and rely totally on him. Jesus challenges the disciples to make their faith real, with no mixture of doubt. When we don't doubt, then we can move mountains. Nothing will be impossible for us because nothing is impossible for God. If we want to avoid failure, we must depend on God alone.
• Where are you trusting in your own power? Are you ready to surrender your power so that you may depend on God's power?
What will we do when we have run out of power and we must depend on God alone? We will pray. The more we feel at our wit's end, the more we will pray. Could our sparse prayer lives stem from the idea that we think we can accomplish things on our own? We can grow this church on our own? We can renovate the building on our own? We can teach, serve on boards, or do ministry on our own power? We can do our jobs in our own power? We can make a strong marriage in our own power? We can raise our children in our own power? We can transform our community in our own power? We can resist sin in our own power? It is not our power; it is God's power. If we are relying on our own power, knowledge, wisdom, strength, sooner or later, we will fail, just as these disciples did.
The disciples had exorcised demons before, but they failed to realize that without ongoing prayer, we lose power with God. We must bring in God's power fresh for every new situation. Until we confess our complete lack of power, we will not find adequate motivation to pray as we should. Maybe we were great parents yesterday. But now we need to pray for today's power. Maybe we were great spouses yesterday. But now we need to pray for today's power. Maybe we ran that board meeting last month perfectly. But now we need to pray for today's power. We need to be as teachable as the disciples in our moments of failure.
• What do you need power for today?
What insurmountable problems are you facing? What demons are you resisting? What miracle do you need from God? This kind does not come out except by prayer. This kind. There are certain problems, situations, temptations, trials, demons that will not go away until we give ourselves to persistent, totally God-dependent prayer. Are you trying to conquer an addiction? Whether it be food, sex, drugs, alcohol, television, or the Internet, addiction is a tough thing to overcome. It won't come out except by prayer. The problem with most addictions is that we like what we are addicted to and we don't necessarily want to get rid of it. So, we don't pray about it.
Are you or your loved one struggling with a serious illness or medical condition? Modern medical science can do wonders, but it can't cure everything yet. Some of our ills need prayer as the major source of their cure. Are you wrestling with a relationship? You and your spouse have problems. You don't get along, and you wonder why you married in the first place. One of Satan's primary attack areas is the family, especially the relationship between husbands and wives. Those demons won't leave until we stop depending on ourselves and depend on God. Let's pray not only separately, but together as well. Is someone you love unsaved and far from God? You must pray fervently for their salvation.
Beyond our own personal lives, we can talk about certain kinds of evil that infect our communities and cities. This is the kind of evil that will not leave with just a whitewash of old buildings and a few new businesses. This situation will change only as we commit ourselves to prayer. Large scale problems -- abortion, crime, unemployment, racism, violence, poverty -- will not come out until we give ourselves to God and rely on prayer as our only strength.
• What problem do you believe needs this kind of concentrated prayer effort?
Now we have to deal with that footnote and ask if prayer alone is enough. Not every manuscript has the part about fasting. Most biblical scholars say it was added later and wasn't part of Jesus' statement. Why was it added? One possible answer is that the early church was so committed to fasting, some scribe added it in.1
Is fasting important? Is it a Christian practice? Jesus said, "... When the bridegroom is taken away from them ... then they will fast" (Matthew 9:15 NRSV). Jesus fasted in the wilderness before his battle with Satan (Matthew 4:2). The church in Antioch fasted as part of their worship service (Acts 13:2). Many of the saints through church history who practiced fasting attest to the power that was added to their prayer.
While fasting may be a scribal footnote in this passage, I recommend that, as we are led by the Spirit, we should fast and pray. Sometimes the problems in our lives need that extra focus and devotion to God. I will tell you I have fasted many times myself and I have seen God work wonders. Certainly, the most important part is the prayer, but when coupled with fasting, the prayer effect is magnified. Fasting is not a cure-all or a surefire way to get what you want. It is not magic. It does not obligate God to answer your prayer in your favor. However, fasting done in the right attitude of faith can make our prayers extremely effective.
There are various kinds of fasts. Fasting from food is mentioned most often in the Bible. A food fast can last for varying lengths of time. Paul fasted three days. Moses, Elijah, and Jesus fasted forty days. Daniel fasted for varying lengths of time. Fasting from sleep comes from Luke 6:12, which tells us that Jesus spent a night in prayer. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7 that we can fast from sex to engage in a time of prayer.
Why couldn't we cast it out? How often has that question been our question? Why won't this sickness heal? Why won't this problem get resolved? Why won't this person believe in Jesus? How can I get my family back again? We need to have a pure faith that is demonstrated in prayer. We need to recognize our total dependence upon God's power and not on our own strength. We need to be persistent and fervent in our prayer lives, because some things will not get solved until we do. Sometimes, when the problem or the challenge is great, we must add fasting to our prayers to show God our commitment to seeing an answer come.
WWJD -- Plan a day of prayer and fasting. Remember that even a fast for one meal can be of value. Or try a "Daniel Fast," limiting your intake of rich food.
____________
1.ÊWilliam Lane, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974), p. 335.
In comes a customer, with a son who is described as epileptic, or demon possessed. Based on the severity of the symptoms and their destructive nature, we presume this is a case of demon possession, manifested in part by epilepsy. In any case, this child has a serious problem. The father brings the boy to Jesus. "I'm sorry, Jesus isn't here right now, but we interns will be glad to take care of this problem." One disciple takes him aside, and tries to exorcise the demon, but nothing happens. "Here, let me try." "Well maybe if three of us try together." As they continue their attempts, a crowd gathers, including some scribes, and an argument breaks out between the scribes and the disciples. We can only guess, but it probably had to do with proper technique and authority. The argument continues, but the boy does not get any better. The disciples knew they were authorized by Jesus. They had done this kind of thing before. But there is no improvement.
• Have you ever had a failure at a spiritual task, like the disciples here? What happened?
As the argument deepens, Jesus appears and the people run to him. He asks about the argument, and the father explains the situation. Jesus laments, "How long must I put up with you?" This is probably directed at the disciples. They had been with Jesus for some time. Haven't they learned anything yet? In their failure, they have become just the same as the rest of their generation.
As the boy is brought to Jesus, the demon convulses him. Jesus' question about the boy's condition is a question of compassion. The evil one comes to destroy life, even the lives of innocent children. Jesus came to give us abundant life and make us innocent as God's children. The father betrays his doubts with the words, "If you can." After all, the disciples failed. How does he know Jesus has the power? What a challenge for the Church! Every time we fail Jesus, we cast doubt on his power in the eyes of unbelievers. Jesus challenges the father back to faith: "All things can be done for the one who believes." Though God's people may fail, God has not lost any of his power. We must continue to believe that nothing is impossible with God. The father's prayer is one we need to pray often, "I believe. Help my unbelief." The father did have some faith. He also confessed his doubt to Jesus. He prayed for his faith to be made stronger. He prayed for faith that his prayer for his son would be answered. With the father's confession of faith, Jesus casts out the demon and all is well again. The crowd is amazed. Everyone praises God.
• Where are your points of unbelief or doubt?
"Why couldn't we cast it out?" You have to love the disciples. At least they are teachable in their moment of failure. When they had some privacy, the disciples ask Jesus why they couldn't cast out this demon. We need to take Matthew's answer and Mark's answer together. In Matthew, Jesus says it is because of their little faith. With faith they could move mountains. In Mark, Jesus says that this kind won't come out except by prayer. (We will talk about the fasting footnote in a moment.) Faith and prayer are the things that go together.
The disciples' failure was first of all a failure of faith. Not that they didn't believe in God or Jesus, but they weren't trusting in God. They were trusting in themselves. The fact that they were arguing with the scribes shows a worldly attitude. Arguing never accomplishes anything. Faith is where the power is. The disciples relied on what they thought was their power. They had cast out demons before, therefore they should be ready to go again.
When we act in faith, we act in complete dependence on God's resources. We will experience God's power the most when we completely run out of our own power and rely totally on him. Jesus challenges the disciples to make their faith real, with no mixture of doubt. When we don't doubt, then we can move mountains. Nothing will be impossible for us because nothing is impossible for God. If we want to avoid failure, we must depend on God alone.
• Where are you trusting in your own power? Are you ready to surrender your power so that you may depend on God's power?
What will we do when we have run out of power and we must depend on God alone? We will pray. The more we feel at our wit's end, the more we will pray. Could our sparse prayer lives stem from the idea that we think we can accomplish things on our own? We can grow this church on our own? We can renovate the building on our own? We can teach, serve on boards, or do ministry on our own power? We can do our jobs in our own power? We can make a strong marriage in our own power? We can raise our children in our own power? We can transform our community in our own power? We can resist sin in our own power? It is not our power; it is God's power. If we are relying on our own power, knowledge, wisdom, strength, sooner or later, we will fail, just as these disciples did.
The disciples had exorcised demons before, but they failed to realize that without ongoing prayer, we lose power with God. We must bring in God's power fresh for every new situation. Until we confess our complete lack of power, we will not find adequate motivation to pray as we should. Maybe we were great parents yesterday. But now we need to pray for today's power. Maybe we were great spouses yesterday. But now we need to pray for today's power. Maybe we ran that board meeting last month perfectly. But now we need to pray for today's power. We need to be as teachable as the disciples in our moments of failure.
• What do you need power for today?
What insurmountable problems are you facing? What demons are you resisting? What miracle do you need from God? This kind does not come out except by prayer. This kind. There are certain problems, situations, temptations, trials, demons that will not go away until we give ourselves to persistent, totally God-dependent prayer. Are you trying to conquer an addiction? Whether it be food, sex, drugs, alcohol, television, or the Internet, addiction is a tough thing to overcome. It won't come out except by prayer. The problem with most addictions is that we like what we are addicted to and we don't necessarily want to get rid of it. So, we don't pray about it.
Are you or your loved one struggling with a serious illness or medical condition? Modern medical science can do wonders, but it can't cure everything yet. Some of our ills need prayer as the major source of their cure. Are you wrestling with a relationship? You and your spouse have problems. You don't get along, and you wonder why you married in the first place. One of Satan's primary attack areas is the family, especially the relationship between husbands and wives. Those demons won't leave until we stop depending on ourselves and depend on God. Let's pray not only separately, but together as well. Is someone you love unsaved and far from God? You must pray fervently for their salvation.
Beyond our own personal lives, we can talk about certain kinds of evil that infect our communities and cities. This is the kind of evil that will not leave with just a whitewash of old buildings and a few new businesses. This situation will change only as we commit ourselves to prayer. Large scale problems -- abortion, crime, unemployment, racism, violence, poverty -- will not come out until we give ourselves to God and rely on prayer as our only strength.
• What problem do you believe needs this kind of concentrated prayer effort?
Now we have to deal with that footnote and ask if prayer alone is enough. Not every manuscript has the part about fasting. Most biblical scholars say it was added later and wasn't part of Jesus' statement. Why was it added? One possible answer is that the early church was so committed to fasting, some scribe added it in.1
Is fasting important? Is it a Christian practice? Jesus said, "... When the bridegroom is taken away from them ... then they will fast" (Matthew 9:15 NRSV). Jesus fasted in the wilderness before his battle with Satan (Matthew 4:2). The church in Antioch fasted as part of their worship service (Acts 13:2). Many of the saints through church history who practiced fasting attest to the power that was added to their prayer.
While fasting may be a scribal footnote in this passage, I recommend that, as we are led by the Spirit, we should fast and pray. Sometimes the problems in our lives need that extra focus and devotion to God. I will tell you I have fasted many times myself and I have seen God work wonders. Certainly, the most important part is the prayer, but when coupled with fasting, the prayer effect is magnified. Fasting is not a cure-all or a surefire way to get what you want. It is not magic. It does not obligate God to answer your prayer in your favor. However, fasting done in the right attitude of faith can make our prayers extremely effective.
There are various kinds of fasts. Fasting from food is mentioned most often in the Bible. A food fast can last for varying lengths of time. Paul fasted three days. Moses, Elijah, and Jesus fasted forty days. Daniel fasted for varying lengths of time. Fasting from sleep comes from Luke 6:12, which tells us that Jesus spent a night in prayer. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7 that we can fast from sex to engage in a time of prayer.
Why couldn't we cast it out? How often has that question been our question? Why won't this sickness heal? Why won't this problem get resolved? Why won't this person believe in Jesus? How can I get my family back again? We need to have a pure faith that is demonstrated in prayer. We need to recognize our total dependence upon God's power and not on our own strength. We need to be persistent and fervent in our prayer lives, because some things will not get solved until we do. Sometimes, when the problem or the challenge is great, we must add fasting to our prayers to show God our commitment to seeing an answer come.
WWJD -- Plan a day of prayer and fasting. Remember that even a fast for one meal can be of value. Or try a "Daniel Fast," limiting your intake of rich food.
____________
1.ÊWilliam Lane, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974), p. 335.
