Vol. 3 No. 4 – 1-28-2018
Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy. –Luke 9:38
Almost 52 years ago, the doctor came down the hallway in the hospital. He did not say hi, or anything close. He just said, “Mr. Lightner, you are never going to take that boy home.” Having said that, he turned and walked away. My heart cried, and my body trembled. What was I going to say to Donna? How was I going to be the helpmate God expected me to be; how could I push my emotions back to lovingly speak to the dearest of gifts God could give me?
Religiously speaking, we are hooked on spiritual ecstasy. We are programmed to expect the big, the unusual, and the spectacular; and we often miss the glory God places in our ordinary lives. –Bruce Larson
They had been to the mountain; had a mountain top experience. Then they came down, Jesus and His followers, to the valley floor. It had been a great seminar; it was an advance, not a retreat. Think on that for a moment.
They came upon a father emotionally wrought over his son. The followers fell flat on their spiritual faces trying to help this heart-broken dad. Some of you reading this have been in the dad’s place; just as I was almost 52 years ago.
Perhaps the disciples though inwardly, “we should have stayed on the mountain. We could be worshipping and celebrating; but now we have descended to the plain of conflict and work. From the atmosphere of heaven, to the reality of hell itself. It seems we are in the presence of the devil-possessed. One day we are in the glory of the extraordinary . . . the next day we are in the ordinary! Our mountain-top experience has suddenly faded. Mondays after Sunday are the pits!”
The disciples lost their grip on things. This situation with an epileptic son was out of control. This disgraceful “disease” and the tragedy of demon possession drove the father to a point of despair. Peter, James, and John who knew so many victories now faced failure.
I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they could not. Will you help? (9:40).
Jesus’ response was to have the father bring his boy to Him. Demons were active – they seized the boy, made him scream, threw him into convulsions. He had been thrown into fire and into water, influenced by the demons, all the time foaming at the mouth. The father and mother were in a state of helplessness. The boy would grind his teeth; his body would go rigid, giving the appearance of being deaf and dumb. Jesus was there to help at the right place and the right time – He is never late.
Christ is always equal to the challenge. He, the Son of God, rebukes His disciples for their lack of faith. He, Jesus, dismisses the evil occupant of the young son; Jesus heals the boy, then delivers the man’s only son to the grateful parents.
Awe gripped the crown of people as they saw this display of the power of God (9:43).
Guy King sums up the miracle with this thought:
The dad was sad
For his son was mad
The devil was bad
Then . . .
The crowd was glad
For Jesus had done His thing!
Oh, you might want to know about my son, the one the doctor said would never go home from the hospital. He is almost 52. He was born with heart difficulties, a lung that would not work, paralysis on one side, and a growth on the base of his skull, and a variety of other difficulties. However, God had other plans. He is principal at a Christian School, married to a wonderful young lady, and father of two beautiful girls. God is good. And this son has spent his life as an educator with the focused goal of leading students to Christ, and preparing students to live with a Christian Worldview in our broken world!
Yes, God is good; all the time God is good!
How are your connections with people who suffer in our world; do you take the other fork in the road?
