The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 17 Part 4 Lord I Believe; Help Thou My Unbelief

An eager multitude awaited for Christ when He descended from the mountain.

Matthew 17:14-15  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 

After Jesus and His disciples came down from the mountain, a multitude awaited them.

A words "a certain man" alerts us that Matthew is highlighting something unique that happened. 

This phrase is found 11 times in the Old Testament and 21 times in the gospels and Acts, always in connection with some unusual event or circumstance that God wants us to notice.

It appears that a congregation gathered together during while Jesus and His disciples were up on the mount. 

The people had a great desire  to hear the words of Christ! 

They assembled themselves and patiently continued wait for Jesus to come down. 

It is a sad commentary that this kind of passion for the things of God seems lacking in many churches today.

We hosted a missionary serving in Ghana recently and our Pastor came to our home to speak with him before he left.

This man was born and raised in Ghana, came to America for theological training and returned home to preach the gospel and train national pastors for ministry in Ghana.

The Lord has richly blessed his ministry.

Pastor Alvis asked what changes the missionary noticed from being back in America after serving several years in Ghana.

He said that they are striving to teach Christians how to rightly worship God in Spirit and in truth in Ghana.

He shared how his ministry teams are trying to teach people how to dress modestly for the glory of God.

He then stated he was very shocked to see how many churches in America have given up clear Bible standards, specifically mentioning how ungodly music has crept into our churches.

Again, he said knew of many African churches that are teaching a Biblical standard of musical excellence for God's glory.

He noted how dress standards such as modesty have given way to immodest attire in many American churches.

Genuine faith produces the fruit of gladness, joy and faithfulness to God in our heart.

Psalm 63:1-2  A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2  To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 

Last, he noted how Christians in churches he visited seemed very lax in their conduct and attendance.

A redeemed child of God should have a heart overflowing with thanksgiving that Jesus saved us from our sins, from certain condemnation and the flames of Hell.

Our heart should be bursting with joy and gladness because of all God did for us through the sacrifice of His Son.

Being born again by the regenerating work of God's Spirit transforms us into a new creature in Christ.

We should give our all to Him who loved us so.

Our thoughts, words and actions must reflect the God of all grace and endless mercy, who saved us, adopted us for His own children, that He might spend eternity with us in heaven.

Thus, it is noteworthy that this multitude spontaneously gathered and expressed a sincere desire to hear Jesus Christ.

Matthew 17:14-16  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16  And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.  

What about the certain man mentioned by Matthew?

This man's son was afflicted by a demon who made the boy fall into fire or into water in an attempt to end his life.

The Greek word translated  "falleth" literally means  overcome by terror and under the attack of an evil spirit. It describes the act of falling down dead suddenly.

The boy's father described his son as "lunatick" which literally means moon struck or crazy. 

He was literally out of his mind because of the demon inside him and he was literally pushed into fire or water.

We cannot imagine the heartache and pain this father experienced by seeing how horribly his little boy was tormented by a demon. 

He was powerless to do anything other than rescue his son from fire or drowning.

He was overwhelmed by the ferocity of his sons affliction and his own inability to do anything about it.

Spiritual realities: This man came to Jesus with his heartbreaking troubles. 

This reminds us that crisis points in life can bring us to our knees with tearful transparency and utter helplessness in order to seek help Jesus promises to give.

As one person said, "When you are flat on your back, there is no place to look but upward toward heaven!"

Christ's disciples were unable to cast this demon out of the boy.

The father said "I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him." 

Previously, Christ gave His disciples power to cast out demons (See Matthew 10:1; 10:8), and they were successful (See Luke 10:17).

Yet, at this time they failed to cast out the demon even though there were nine of them together, and before a great multitude. 

We can do nothing good at all without abiding in Jesu Christ, the life giving vine.

John 15:4-5  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

Jesus permitted this setback to keep His disciples humble, to show their dependence upon Him, such that without Him they learned that they could do nothing.

Mark 9:14-19  And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 15  And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. 16  And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? 17  And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18  And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19  He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 

Mark' gospel give us additional context for this miracle.

When Jesus, Peter, John and James descended from the mount of transfiguration, Christ saw the Pharisees and scribes disputing with the multitude.

No doubt, they seized upon the fact that nine disciples were unable to cast the demon out of the boy and accused them of being false teachers.

Mark described the evil afflictions suffered by saying the boy was torn and gnashed on himself with his teeth, foaming at the mouth.

The nine disciples on the ground below could not cast out the demon and their powerlessness gave fodder to Christ's critics.

Mark 9:21-24  And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22  And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 

Notice how tenderly and compassionately Jesus spoke to the boy's father.

He asked him how long his son had been afflicted and he said since he was born. 

Thus, this father who loved his son carried a deep anguish of spirit and heaviness of heart for many years.

He pleaded that Jesus would have mercy and compassion on his son.

Jesus replied that if he believed on Jesus all things are possible.

Hear the heart rending cries of this father. who with tears and anguish of heart he sobbed: "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

Spiritual realities: May this man's sincere cry be our response when life's circumstances have deal us a crushing blow. 

Nothing happens to a child of God that our Father does not already know about. 

He will help us as He promises and He does love and care for each one who by faith is in Christ.

We are sometimes brought low so that we recognize our utter dependency upon Christ and so that our prayers become fervent and effectual (See James 5:16).

Matthew 17:17  Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 

Jesus directed His rebuke to those unbelieving critics, the scribes and Pharisees.

Matthew 17:18  And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 

Mark 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26  And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27  But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. 

Jesus rebuked the demon and it had no choice but to immediately leave the child.

Jesus saw all the people running toward Him as His enemies accused His disciples of being false teachers.

The multitude wanted to see what Jesus would say and do.

Christ rebuked the foul spirit, referring to a particularly unclean kind of demon that seeks to destroy a little child.

Jesus alone breaks the power of Satan as One having all authority, who alone acts with the irresistible force His word. 

Christ's victories over Satan are obtained by the power of His word, the sharp sword that comes out of His mouth (See Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:21).

The demon cried out with a loud voice and tore the child one more time a it came out at Christ's command.

People standing around thought that the boy was dead but Jesus took his little hand and lifted him up and gave him to his father.

It was an immediate cure, and a perfect one. 

Spiritual realities: This truth encourages parents to bring their children to Christ, who is able to heal them and save their soul. 

Jesus is both willing and is able to intervene in the lives of our children and grandchildren, when we earnestly pray for the conversion of their soul to Christ. 

Parents must not only bring our children or grandchildren to Christ by prayer, but bring them to the Word of Christ, by which Satan's strongholds in the soul are demolished.

Matthew 17:19-21  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 

Christ's disciples wanted to know whey they were unable to cast out this demon.

Jesus told them that it was due to their own unbelief. 

It would seem that when they were confronted with this very fierce demon, fear and doubt may have crept into their hearts.

When their faith was weakened by doubt, their ability to do as Christ empowered them to do was also weakened.

Spiritual realities: The just shall live by faith. 

We walk by faith not by sight (See 2 Corinthian 5:7). 

Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (See Ephesians 3:17).

Without faith it is impossible to please God (See Hebrews 11:6).

When the disciples forgot how the power of Christ in them enabled them to heal the sick and cast out demons, their faith shrank in the face of doubt and fear. 

We can do all things in Christ by faith not by doubt or fear.

Jesus said that this particular kind of demon required prayer and fasting in order to cast them out.

By Jesus' words we understood that there are different kinds of demons.

The one cast out of the boy was of the worst sort, a fierce and obstinate demon. 

He possessed this boy from birth and was not easily ejected.

It is clear that there is a difference in demons, as some are worse and more wicked than others (See Matthew 12:45).

We learned that without faith we cannot please God.

When our faith is weakened because we are not feeding our inner man the truth of God's Word, we cannot expect to be used of God in a mighty way.

We will become fearful, doubt filled and shrink back from our spiritual duties and blessings.

We learned that those who seek God earnestly and sincerely shall always find Him.

We learned that Christ will supply our needs and send the help we need at the appropriate time.

We learned that Satan our great enemy has many wicked demons he employs to destroy lives and perpetuate human misery on earth.

We must proclaim the gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation, the power to deliver souls from the bondage of sin and loose the grip of the Devil.

Let us earnestly apply ourselves to thee truths.

Let us fall upon our Lord for help and ask that He strengthen our faith such that we can be usable vessels in His hands.

Bob