The state of a severely affected youth healed by the Lord illustrates the serious condition of being away from God and spiritually lost. Here also is the power and kindness of Christ’s saving work, and how it operates in the lives of all who trust in Him.

Sermon details

And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;  And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

Now Peter and James and John had been with Christ up a great hill or mountain where Christ was transfigured before them – an astonishing experience for those disciples, leaving nine elsewhere, and now they descend with Christ and the three that were with him, and they rejoined the other nine disciples. And they find here that the scribes are taunting them and quizzing them about the fact that they had failed to heal a demon-possessed and also epileptic youth, and the scribes were trying to find fault with Christ and with the disciples on this account.

The people, when they saw Christ, ran and gathered around him. One of the multitude answered and said ‘master’, and his form of address is significant: ‘Master’, teacher. He doesn’t call him ‘Lord’, he didn’t seem to realise that he was Messiah. He obviously thought he was a man with great powers given by God, he’s respectful, but he places him no higher.