An Evil Spirit Cast Out (Based on Matthew 17 and Mark 9)

When Jesus came down from the mountain after His transfiguration, He saw a great crowd of people standing around the disciples, talking to them. As soon as the people saw Jesus, they ran to Him, and one of them said, “Lord, I have brought my son to thee to be cured. He has a deaf and dumb spirit. I asked Thy disciples to cast it out, but they could not do it.”

Then Jesus said, “Bring the child unto Me,” so the hoy’s father went to fetch him, but as the boy was coming to Jesus, the evil spirit tore him and threw him on the ground.

Then Jesus asked, “How long has he been troubled in this way?”

The father answered, “From when he was a little child. The evil spirit tries to destroy him; sometimes it throws him into the water and sometimes into the fire. If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” The father’s faith was very weak; he did not feel quite sure that Jesus was able to save his child.

Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

Then the father cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”

Jesus was willing to heal the child. He spoke to the evil spirit, and said, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.”

The evil spirit had to obey Jesus’ command, but he cried out and tormented the child one last time; the boy was left so weak and ill that the people said, “He is dead.” Then Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

It was a blessing for this boy that his father brought him to Jesus. All parents and teachers should do the same with their children. They need to bring them to Jesus as this father brought his poor, afflicted boy. All children have, by nature, an evil spirit in them. This spirit is in us because we fell in Paradise with Adam. Even today, without God’s saving grace, Satan and our evil hearts fill us with angry, sinful thoughts, words, and actions. He tries to destroy our souls as this deaf and dumb spirit tried to destroy the body of the poor boy. Only Jesus can cast out the evil spirit. Only His grace can take away our hard hearts and wicked natures and give us humble, teachable spirits. Should we not ask Him for His grace?

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