Unity in the Spirit #2 - Casting Out Demons
During my morning Bible reading, I came across this
verse:
I know that most Bible scholars teach that Jesus rebuked
the "demon" and therefore the demon came out of the boy. But, what if they
are wrong and God actually rebuked the boy for the sin that gave the demons a
foothold. Repentance would have destroyed the foothold and required the demons
to vacate the premises. This certainly is not the most popular interpretation of
the pronouns used in this passage, but popularity does not equal validity. So,
let's take a closer look at the possibility of this alleged reality.
The book of Matthew was written several years after Jesus ascended to the right hand of God. This fact alone is enough to understand that Matthew wrote chapter 17 with hind-sight which is more closely measured at 20/20 than foresight is measured. Perhaps by this time, Matthew no longer wanted to draw attention to the boy's sin. Such attention may have spread gossip about the boy wherever Matthews words were read and love covers over a multitude of sin. After all, Jesus had just called the people present an unbelieving and perverted generation.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Matthew understood that Jesus did not come into the world to judge it but rather to save it, John 3. Jesus modeled this attitude for us in John 4, and 9:3. Matthew may have simply refused to publicly expose the boy's sin. Knowing full well that weak and broken people would snob the boy for it.
Perhaps, Matthew knew Jesus commanded us not to judge or we would be judged by the standard we use, Matthew 7:2, and Matthew did not want his own standard levied against himself. Paul said it best in Romans 2:1. When we judge others, we condemn ourselves of doing the very same thing. Oh, how wonderful and marvelous it is that there is now no condemnation for those who remain IN Christ Jesus.
Another possibility for the lack of written detail in Matthew's account could be the fact that spiritual matters are spiritually discerned, 1 Corinthians 2:14. Matthew could have been attempting to make the point that a wicked and perverse generation cannot see signs and wonders, Matthew 12:39, John 1:6. After all this is the very reason we are baptized into John's water baptism, John 1:31.
One final "perhaps" can be in the idea that Matthew's purpose for this particular true story was to simply point to the fact that faith in Jesus requires prayer and fasting. Regardless of Matthew's motives for using pronouns instead of specific nouns, God's house will be called a house of prayer, Isaiah 56:7, or it will not be God's house. Jesus, himself, equates prayer and fasting to faith in Matthew 17:20. Is it no wonder the disciples met in the upper room after Jesus' resurrection to pray and fast before the Holy Spirit baptized them with spirit and fire, Acts 1-2.
Now let's get rid of all the speculative "perhaps" ideas about this passage and use the Bible to prove the Bible. Luke may have recorded the same events in Luke 9 where Luke testifies that Jesus actually rebuked the demon and not the boy. This is why it is very important to take each story in context with multiple testimonies throughout the entire Bible without speculating on just one part especially since speculations cause arguments, 2 Timothy 2:23, and pervert the unity in the body necessary for standing firm against demons, Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25, Luke 11:17.
Jesus told us in John 17:21 that the only way to demonstrate to the world that Jesus came from God is through unity in the body of Christ. That unity requires the joy of the Lord found in Jesus' words, John 15:11, John 16:24. Unity also requires God to show up and testify about Jesus through us in the same manner in which God testified about Jesus while Jesus was on earth, John 15:8, 17:22-23, Acts 2:43, 4:30, 5:12, 6:8, 7:36.
In fact God has commanded us to NOT believe eloquent speeches from humans unless God testifies in agreement to their words. John 10:37. God testified with signs and wonders in unity with Moses' words, Jesus' words, Acts 2:22, and through the apostle's words. Signs and wonders are the result of God showing up and testifying that the spoken words are true. For example, Jesus is the one who said:
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Humans are the ones who fall down the slippery slope of disagreements which exalt human interpretations over what is written in the Holy Bible. So remember when God grants power for a task and later that power seems gone, as it was for the disciples, it wasn't God who slipped up. The good news is, however, that such "fading glory" is real even now and on this side of Jesus' return. So is increasing glory to glory. The key is John 8:31-32.
"I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him." Matthew 17:16 (NASB)
Apparently, the disciples whom Jesus gave power
and authority to cast out demons and heal the sick in Matthew
10;1 were struggling to continue to do
so later on in Matthew 17:16, but, why?
The book of Matthew was written several years after Jesus ascended to the right hand of God. This fact alone is enough to understand that Matthew wrote chapter 17 with hind-sight which is more closely measured at 20/20 than foresight is measured. Perhaps by this time, Matthew no longer wanted to draw attention to the boy's sin. Such attention may have spread gossip about the boy wherever Matthews words were read and love covers over a multitude of sin. After all, Jesus had just called the people present an unbelieving and perverted generation.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Matthew understood that Jesus did not come into the world to judge it but rather to save it, John 3. Jesus modeled this attitude for us in John 4, and 9:3. Matthew may have simply refused to publicly expose the boy's sin. Knowing full well that weak and broken people would snob the boy for it.
Perhaps, Matthew knew Jesus commanded us not to judge or we would be judged by the standard we use, Matthew 7:2, and Matthew did not want his own standard levied against himself. Paul said it best in Romans 2:1. When we judge others, we condemn ourselves of doing the very same thing. Oh, how wonderful and marvelous it is that there is now no condemnation for those who remain IN Christ Jesus.
Another possibility for the lack of written detail in Matthew's account could be the fact that spiritual matters are spiritually discerned, 1 Corinthians 2:14. Matthew could have been attempting to make the point that a wicked and perverse generation cannot see signs and wonders, Matthew 12:39, John 1:6. After all this is the very reason we are baptized into John's water baptism, John 1:31.
One final "perhaps" can be in the idea that Matthew's purpose for this particular true story was to simply point to the fact that faith in Jesus requires prayer and fasting. Regardless of Matthew's motives for using pronouns instead of specific nouns, God's house will be called a house of prayer, Isaiah 56:7, or it will not be God's house. Jesus, himself, equates prayer and fasting to faith in Matthew 17:20. Is it no wonder the disciples met in the upper room after Jesus' resurrection to pray and fast before the Holy Spirit baptized them with spirit and fire, Acts 1-2.
Now let's get rid of all the speculative "perhaps" ideas about this passage and use the Bible to prove the Bible. Luke may have recorded the same events in Luke 9 where Luke testifies that Jesus actually rebuked the demon and not the boy. This is why it is very important to take each story in context with multiple testimonies throughout the entire Bible without speculating on just one part especially since speculations cause arguments, 2 Timothy 2:23, and pervert the unity in the body necessary for standing firm against demons, Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25, Luke 11:17.
Jesus told us in John 17:21 that the only way to demonstrate to the world that Jesus came from God is through unity in the body of Christ. That unity requires the joy of the Lord found in Jesus' words, John 15:11, John 16:24. Unity also requires God to show up and testify about Jesus through us in the same manner in which God testified about Jesus while Jesus was on earth, John 15:8, 17:22-23, Acts 2:43, 4:30, 5:12, 6:8, 7:36.
In fact God has commanded us to NOT believe eloquent speeches from humans unless God testifies in agreement to their words. John 10:37. God testified with signs and wonders in unity with Moses' words, Jesus' words, Acts 2:22, and through the apostle's words. Signs and wonders are the result of God showing up and testifying that the spoken words are true. For example, Jesus is the one who said:
But if I cast out demons [a sign or a wonder] by the Spirit of God [the word of truth], then the kingdom of God has come upon you [God showed up]. Matthew 12:28 (NASB)
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Humans are the ones who fall down the slippery slope of disagreements which exalt human interpretations over what is written in the Holy Bible. So remember when God grants power for a task and later that power seems gone, as it was for the disciples, it wasn't God who slipped up. The good news is, however, that such "fading glory" is real even now and on this side of Jesus' return. So is increasing glory to glory. The key is John 8:31-32.
Copyright (c) 2014 by Diane Pebley All rights reserved, no use granted without the express written permission of the author, Diane Pebley
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