A desperate dad
| A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." 19 "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." 20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. 22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." 23 " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. " (Mark9:17-29) |
The case which perplexed the disciples, brought before him.
He asked the scribes, who, he knew, were always bothersome to his disciples, and teasing them upon every occasion, "What question ye with them? What is the quarrel now?" The scribes made no answer, for they were baffled at his presence; the disciples made none, for they were comforted, and now left it all to him. But the father of the child opened the case.
The terrible condition that the child was in, when he was brought to Christ, and the sad representation the father made of it.
When the child saw Christ, he fell into a fit; as if the devil would set Christ at defiance, and hoped to be too hard for him too, and to keep possession in spite of him. The child fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. Put in other words - that the devil raged, and had so much wrath, because he knew that his time was short. Christ asked, How long since this came to him? And, it seems, the disease had been with him since childhood. The father was desperate as he narrates pressing instances to Christ in pleading for a cure; The leper was confident of Christ's power, but put an if upon his will; This poor man referred himself to his good-will, but put an if upon his power, because his disciples, who cast out devils in his name, had been non-effective in this case. Thus Christ suffers in his honour by the difficulties and follies of his disciples.
The answer Christ gave to his address;
The profession of faith which the poor man made here; He cried out, "Lord, I believe; I am fully persuaded both of thy power and of thy pity; my cure shall not be prevented by the want of faith; Lord, I believe." He adds a prayer for grace to enable him more firmly to rely upon the assurances he had of the ability and willingness of Christ to save; Help thou my unbelief.
And in Christ he finds compassion, deliverance and peace...
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The Rev Armando Sontange is married to Shumikazi. Armando has a blessed calling indeed:
Shumikazi calls him Honey
Kwezi, Litha and Khanyo call him Dad
Mithali and Oyama call him Grand Dad
The folks at Kagiso Presbyterian Church call him their Moruti and preacher
And God calls him His.
Not bad Huh??
