On the next day, when
they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. And behold, a man
from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my
only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It
convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly
leave him. And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” Jesus
answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and
bear with you? Bring your son here.” While he was coming, the demon threw him
to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and
healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astonished at the
majesty of God (Luke 9:37-43).
There is a hard saying here. Jesus criticized
the faith of the whole generation that had the blessing of the presence of the
incarnate Word of God in their world… “The Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He wondered aloud how long He
would have to be with them. But with a word of rebuke Jesus delivered and
healed the demon possessed boy and restored him to his father. He also demonstrated
here that He will stay with us no matter how long it takes and He’ll do
whatever it takes to instill in us the faith that reveals the majesty of
God.
God’s majesty is revealed by faith in the
presence of Christ. We can take all of our trials and crises to lots of
different places for help. We are quick to go to the doctor, the counselor, and
sometimes the church in our times of need. But this is twisted faith. It is
faith placed in the wrong place. The Son of God took on flesh to compel us to
come to Him. Effective Christian pastors, teachers, and counselors should direct
our hearts toward Jesus when we need help because the purpose of everything in
life, including life’s trials is to help us to know Jesus Christ better… “This
is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
you have sent” (John 17:3). In fact, the trials we face are often intended
to reveal the Glory of God… “This illness does not lead to death. It is
for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John
11:4). Seeking the presence of Christ in the midst of our trials produces faith
that reveals the majesty of God as He reveals Jesus more clearly to us.
God’s majesty is revealed by faith in the power
of Christ. The father and the disciples were not without faith. Their faith was
misplaced. Both the father and the disciples had come to trust the power that
was being revealed in their public ministry. Such misplaced faith let them down
because Christ is the only source of the power and wisdom of God… “We
preach Christ crucified… Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1
Corinthians 1:23-24). In fact, trials are wonderful opportunities for
the revelation of the power Christ in our lives… “He is the radiance of
the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe
by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). Trusting the power of
Christ produces faith that reveals the majesty of God when He answers
our prayer.
God’s majesty is revealed by faith in the persistence
of Christ. Jesus could have punctuated His declaration by leaving the scene. He
could have returned to His Father with a report about the faithlessness of the
generation that rejected Him. But Jesus remained fully engaged with the needy
people He came to serve. We often forsake Him when our requests go unanswered,
but He will never leave or forsake us… “Keep your life free from love of
money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave
you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5). In fact, it may well be in the
waiting that we get to know Christ better as He sharpens and matures our faith…
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you
have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your
faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be
found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”
(1 Peter 1:6-7). Trusting the persistence of Christ produces faith
that reveals the majesty of God as it glorifies Christ.
As we grow up into Christ we reflect
His glory in the world as we grow in…
The Faith that Reveals the Majesty of God.
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