No Freedom Without Faith Luke 9:37-43

Jesus came to establish a Kingdom. The kingdom Is and is Not Yet The world as it was – Genesis 1-2 The world as it is – Genesis 3 The world as it will be – Genesis 3:15 How do we live free in the mean time?

Luke 9: On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 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. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

Luke 9:41 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” Who is Jesus rebuking?

Faces of Faithlessness Irreligious – Not represented in this account –Problem: system (govt., religion, biology) –Solution: fix the systems… Moralist – Jewish Scribes –Problem: bad people. –Solution: fix the bad people (or get rid of them). Churchanity – Disciples –Problem: sin. –Solution: just “add” Jesus…

Mark 9:20 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.

Mark 9: And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Luke 9:42-43a 42 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. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.

Matthew 17: Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Mark 9: And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”