Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Welcome back to the corona chronicles. In our last session, we were looking at the contrast between Jesus on the mount transfiguration. It's a very glorious heavenly scene, but then he comes down into the valley and he sees that there is evil and there is unbelief. And there is this poor boy who has been possessed with an evil spirit, and there is an even poorer generation who are not willing to look to God for help. And we're picking up the story there in verse 20.

So they brought him. That's the boy to Jesus. 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. Jesus asked the boy's father how long has he been like this?

From childhood he answered, 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. If you can, said Jesus, everything is possible for 1 who believes. Immediately, the boy's father explained, I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief. When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked to the impure spirit.

You deaf and mute spirit, he said. I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again. The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, He's dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet and he stood up.

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked in privately. Why couldn't we drive his apps? He replied, this kind can only come out by prayer. Yeah. I mean, we've got the real hearth of things going on here, haven't we?

So again, we've got the what the what what the evil world we're in, the possession of Satan, the lies of Satan, the destruction of Satan. And the only place that can sort this wicked satanic lying world out. That is all about death, really, is Jesus isn't it? And this man knows this, and this is what the disciples should have known, and they're still learning. But he knows this.

And so, he comes to Jesus with his boy. Jesus asks him, you know, it's very kind, isn't it? What You know, tell them to tell me about this issue. And, and the man sort of opens up. I think there's feeling and emotion and he's compassionate towards this And then, and then there's, can you can you help?

And so Jesus draws him out. And this is where the disciples should have been really, but he draws this man out if I can help. You know, what was going on here? This isn't a rebuke. No.

Everything is possible for the 1 who believes. Now that's the sort of verse that people rip out, don't they? Say, everything's possible for the 1 we believe. I believe I can conquer the world and be the singer of win x factor. Right?

But even myself and all this nonsense. But it's believing not yourselves. No. It's believing who I am, who Jesus is, isn't it? Yeah.

And, yeah, yeah, I think that's I think that's absolutely right. And, yeah, I mean, you can you you you do feel for the man, don't you? The father, because and you can even understand his expression, you know, if you can do anything, take pity on us. Because if last As we saw in our last session, What we've got here is large crowds, including teachers of the law and disciples who presumably have all had a go. Yeah.

You know? And, you know, so this father has been maybe taken his sons to lots of different people who thought they knew what to do. And so now, he's, you know, he's been around, and he's and he's now saying to Jesus. So, if you can you can do anything, take pity on us, you know, almost like, this is my last option, Jesus, you know. Please don't tell me you're like the others, you know, if if if you can, and and Jesus, as you say, yeah, wants to draw him out and draw that faith out of him.

And then when Jesus when Jesus does sort of says that to him. He responds by with just this wonderful sentence, doesn't he? I do believe help me overcome my sleep. It's such a fantastic thing. Yeah.

And it's it's 1 of the ones that you you you can just sort of lift out. You can apply in lots of different places. It's such a good breath. So often as Christians. We feel that way, don't we?

Yeah. Where we we we basically know and love that Jesus of the bible. We want to live his way. We do believe it, but so often our lives are marked by inconsistency and unbelief, and we I'm saying, oh, no. I did.

I know I believe this. I do believe it's help me help me live, help me live it out. And you can tell that's the cry of genuine faith, isn't it? I think so. Because it's it's not a trust in yourself, isn't it?

No. It's an utter, explicit trust in Jesus there. So I do believe you. I do believe you can do this, but help me. Help me believe you.

And that's the belief, isn't it? Not believing myself. No. Which is just nonsense, because this is all about not believing in yourself. Yeah.

And so then Jesus goes on and he There seems to be people running, you know. And before it becomes a sort of impersonal frenzy of big crowd. He just gets on with me, sees the people running, and he gets on with this personal, basically resurrection of this boy. Casting the demon out. You've got a boy who looks like he's dead, and Jesus basically brings him to life, doesn't he, and brings him.

And he's standing there. And then, you've got the disciples, and this is the big teaching point of to the disciples, isn't it? Or why couldn't we do it? Why couldn't we do it? And he says, this kind comes out only by prayer.

Yeah. Yeah. Which is exactly what the father did. Yeah. So the father is a rebuke to all of these religious blokes and the disciples.

That actually And then it's back to that ministry we're talking about last time we are going to do Christian ministry in this world of darkness and evil and satan, we can only do it by coming to Jesus ourselves. We pray, we speak to God. And and ask him to help us specifically do this work. And that's the message we've got, isn't it, into a broken world. It is.

Yeah. I think I think, as you as you pointed out, you know, the the asking of Jesus is the key point here, isn't it? You know, so even although in verse 20 too, if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. Even if we say, well, that request is slightly tainted by unbelief, actually, he has he has come and he has asked Jesus for help. And that is the key thing, isn't it?

You know, it's not what the disciples at the crowds were doing in verse 14 thing. They were just arguing about the situation, trusting in themselves. And then right at the end, yeah, this type can only come out by freight. If you're gonna be about pushing back evil and proclaiming the kingdom of God. In this world, you you have to rely on me at any stage.

Yeah. And it's funny, isn't it? Because so often, we don't ask, and we should ask. And it's the beauty of Jesus, he wants us to ask. Ask how do I do this?

How how can the Would would you would you allow us to be able to hear a demon possessed boy, would you allow us to be able to preach the good news of Jesus. So I think I think the father's got it really right. I believe. Help my unbelief. And that in itself, the lord will answer.