Joel M Bradshaw

37On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39And 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. 40And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42While 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. 43And all were astonished at the majesty of God.–Luke 9

CONCERNING THE MAN: He seems to have done the right thing. He brought his son to Jesus’ disciples and then pleaded for mercy from Jesus. He appears to have had faith. Going to Jesus for mercy in your impossible situation with the right attitude is never wrong.

CONCERNING THE ‘GENERATION’: The Greek word for ‘twisted’ is used only by Jesus in the New Testament in this story (repeated in Matthew 17). It can also mean ‘perverted’ or to ‘draw away’. It is loosely linked to the idea of instruction. I see this rebuke going towards the disciples and what they were instructing the people concerning faith and trust.

CONCERNING THE DEMON: The demon submitted to Jesus instantly. Jesus once again showed his identity and authority.

CONCERNING THE DISCIPLES: We read the New Testament and see Samson and Jephthah and their apparent little faith being recognized in a a faith record like Hebrews 11 and wonder why the rebuke here in Luke 9? Was the disciples’ faith that small? Isn’t the right kind of faith right even if it is in small amounts? I think that is the point. Faith always has an object. And it sounds like the disciples were a more of themselves and their exorcising ability than about Jesus. In the Matthew version of this miracle, Jesus mentioned prayer. As if the disciples were making their exorcising all about themselves and not about Jesus. They only had that power in Jesus name, and not in their own! Thus they were twisting or perverting something they shouldn’t. Jesus was instructing them about their hearts and priorities.

A little of the right thing is more important than a lot of the wrong.–JMB