Title: Why Couldn't We Drive It Out?
Content: Why couldn't we drive them out? (Matthew 17:14-20)
While Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with his three disciples, the disciples at the bottom of the mountain met a father who had a son suffering from epilepsy. Epilepsy is a convulsions caused by abnormal stimulation of brain cells, and may suffer from various disadvantages from a social point of view. Epilepsy is unlikely to be hereditary and has a large acquired cause.
The disciples cried out in the name of Jesus to be healed, but they did not turn away the demon. They would have been criticized and booed by the crowd.
When Jesus heard the boy's father say, "Lord, have mercy on my son, he suffered from epilepsy, and he often fell into fire and into water. I brought it to your disciples, but they could not heal him." O wretched and rebellious generation, how long I am with you and how long will I endure you? Bring him here.”
One tragic passage in the text is, "I brought you to your disciples, but they could not heal them." If you read the word 'church' and read it here, you can see the Korean church that cannot solve the problems the world wants at all.
The disciples asked why they could not cast out the demons after the father, son, and the crowd had all left (verse 19). Isn't this the groaning of the disciples 2000 years ago ours? Why can't we? Why can't we exercise power? have to ask What is the Lord's answer to this question?
<First> It is because of your little faith.
Matthew 17:20 says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Jesus says that the ointment of unbelief did not cure him.
There are two kinds of beliefs, one is a soteriological belief that results in salvation, and one is a charismatic faith. A charismatic belief is a belief capable of changing lives, solving problems, and working miracles.
We should have both of these beliefs, but Jesus was talking about charismatic faith.
Why are we so shabby and fragile? Because there is no faith like a mustard seed. What is the Mustard Seed Faith? When we see without faith, there are only complaints and groans, but when we look with the eyes of faith, it becomes praise and thanksgiving. This is the mustard seed faith. Faith the size of a mustard seed doesn't just mean little faith, it's that there is life in it. What is really powerful belief? Positive faith, unquestioning faith, obedient faith.
<Second> This kind cannot come out by anything other than prayer.
The same incident occurs in Mark 9 as well, and Jesus said, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”
When I asked the pastors what was the hindrance in their prayer life, they answered ‘pastoral’. It was said that prayer was interrupted because he was busy with pastoral work. It is Satan's work to drive someone to live in order to prevent them from praying. Because without prayer, the power of God is blocked. In the war with Amalek (Exodus 17), the victory or defeat of the war depended on the prayer of Moses praying at the top of the mountain.
In life, there are times when we run into problems that we cannot move on. In this case, if you do not pray continuously, you will surely fail. When the son of the Shunammite woman died, Elijah prayed to the Lord and fell on his stomach, and the child was raised to life.
<Conclusion>
The contrast between Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and the disciples at the bottom of the Mount of Transfiguration is a stark contrast.
I don't know if you are comparing heaven and this world. The disciples could not be healed because they had little faith and did not pray. However, in Matthew 10 and Mark 6, it is recorded that the disciples had already given the power to heal sickness and cast out demons, and they did so. But why was the sick not healed today? Because they did not pray in faith. He also gave us the power to overcome the world, but why fail? Because they did not pray in faith. Let's pray in faith! And let's win!