Evil Spirits, Greatest & Least, Sons of Thunder

Luke 9:37-40 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
Matt. 17:14-16 Whey they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
Mark 9:14-18 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to great him. “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
What we have studied so far on the topic of evil spirits: they take advantage of weaknesses in the human mind and find footholds here; they attempt to separate the human from others; they can stimulate regular illness symptoms or manipulate preexisting symptoms.
What is NOT true of evil spirits: the presence of symptoms does NOT mean there is an evil spirit!!! I cannot emphasize this enough. Pay attention to your symptoms and validate them accordingly.
Symptoms: screams, convulses, foams at the mouth, gnashes teeth, becomes rigid, loss of speech
There are many disorders that carry these symptoms. The more symptoms you add the narrower the list becomes. With all these symptoms input into a search engine the list produced offered 50 separate disorders. The type of disorders listed are currently recognized as incurable. This does not mean that some day we won’t find a cure, I just want to emphasize the power Jesus demonstrated in this instance when confronted with this disorder. Please make note that the evil spirit and the symptoms are separate.
What is a seizure: A seizure is a symptom, not a disease. It happens when nerve cells in the brain function abnormally and there is a sudden abnormal electrical signal in the brain. The seizure can cause strange sensations and behavior and sometimes muscle spasms and a change in or loss of consciousness.
Grand mal seizure: a generalized seizure that starts with a loss of consciousness and falling down, followed by a brief period of rigid muscles and a 1 to 2 minute period of violent, rhythmic jerking. The seizure ends with a few minutes of deep sleep before you return to consciousness.
Luke 9:41-45 “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
Matt. 17:17-20 “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Mark 9:19-29 “O unbelieving generation”, Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “ I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “this kind can come out only by prayer”.
Two things were happening here. First off the boy had a legitimate medical condition. Secondly, an evil spirit was doing as they always do and taking advantage of a preexisting situation of weakness. Jesus proceeded to rebuke first the spirit and then heal the boy’s condition.
In my own personal life the spirit I am often faced with is one of fear. The spirit does not allow for healing or correction in my life because fear often overwhelms, paralyzes, incapacitates or immobilizes me. The evil spirit had done the same for the boy. The spirit needed to be dealt with first and then Jesus could heal the disorder. We are all plagued with bombardment from spirits. Satan does not decide to just take a break. Each day is a day requiring commitment to Christ, dressing in the armor of God, and guarding our minds from harm.
Questions?
Luke 9:43-45 “While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Matt 17:22-23 “When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
The view they had of the Messiah, as we discussed last week, did not include plans for death. Through this announcement and the later fulfillment of this, the disciples were forced to abandon their preconceived notions of what the Messiah was in actuality here to do. I have a rising suspicion that at Christ’s return we may be equally surprised and may have to witness the death of our own preconceived notions on what Christ is truly here to accomplish. We must strive hard not to attempt to box Christ into a set pattern of events but we must also be sure that we KNOW the Word of God so that when events do begin to occur we are able to recognize and see them for what they are. Let us learn from the mistakes of the disciples and NOT repeat their errors.
Luke 9:46-50 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is greatest.” “Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Discussion:
What does it mean to be least? What does it NOT mean to be least?
To be least means to SERVE God and SERVE others. Throughout Church history, “being least” was often associated with self deprivation. But there comes a point where self deprivation can inhibit a person from serving God and serving others. We are called to “deny ourselves” but what does it mean to deny oneself?
Luke 9:51-56 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.
Note: other versions include Jesus words in this rebuke as being, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
Who has the evil spirit now??? What does this tell you about the ease with which evil spirits can suggest things and ideas to us? What do we do with these suggestions?

Miracles of Jesus

Luke 8:26-39 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot, and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. A large her of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Vs. 29 “Driven into solitary places”. What does God say about man being alone? “It is not good for man to be alone.”

Typical attitude of evil spirits throughout Scripture is “Leave me alone”. Beware of attitudes that may rise up within you that persuade you to retreat into solitude. (If topic arises turn to Ecc. 3:1-8 in that there is a time to be alone but we are not to live in solitude).

What is the intent of Satan? John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

What may we assume then of the evil spirits’ intent?

Did they succeed in killing the man?

Did they succeed in killing the pigs?

What made the difference? Man vs. animal

Neocortex or Cerebral Cortex – Layer of neural tissue that covers the surface of the forebrain. The frontal lobe is especially large and is involved in executive functions such as self-control, planning, reasoning and abstract thought. Frontal lobe is involved in the ability to recognize future consequences, resulting from current actions, to choose between good and bad actions, override and suppress unacceptable social responses, determine similarities and differences between things or events. Speech is in the parietal lobe of the neocortex.

Cortisol – triggers fight or flight response to emotional or physical threat. Long term exposure to cortisol can result in permanent damage to neurons and can wear down the nylon sheath.

How this applies to me and where it has in the past broken down my ability to rationalize and think correctly.

Renewing the mind:

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 7:25 “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”

1 Cor. 2:9-16 “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

Eph. 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Phil 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“

Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (NT refers to Christ as ruling over the earth with an iron scepter.)

1 Pet 4:1 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.”

2 Cor 10:4-5 “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (This is a huge area of work for me personally.)

An evil spirit is like gangrenous infection. It cannot take up residence where there is not already a division or gash in our minds. It is the cracks in our minds that offer up a residence for evil. But the Word of God offers healing and wholeness to us. The Word (Christ) does not merely route out the infection and leave a gaping wound so that evil can return.

Luke 11:24-26 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left’. When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

Christ’s goal is to clean out the infection and heal the wound fully and completely. But this takes initiative on our part to actively guard and protect our minds with the Word of God.

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

Luke 8:40-48 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

As a synagogue leader, Jairus would have been doing something completely unorthodox by coming to Jesus for healing in the first place; especially given the controversial nature of Jesus ministry. Priests frequently served as synagogue leaders. If Jairus was a priest such as this he would have been a Levite and intimately aware of Levitical law concerning bleeding women. According to Leviticus 15:25 “When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period… Whoever touches them will be unclean; he must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.” So according to law the fact that she touched Jesus meant in the eyes of Jairus that Jesus was unclean until the evening… and now he was going to go lay hands on his daughter… this just kept getting better and better.

It is in the times when we feel most unworthy to touch Jesus that is most important that we do touch him. For only in that act of faith to reach out and touch him can we truly become whole again. From what we know medically today, healing a twelve year bleeding problem is no small feat. What Jesus accomplished in that ONE touch is something not even multiple surgeries today can heal with guaranteed accuracy let alone leave a woman whole and intact.

Luke 8:49-56 “While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher any more.” Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Little things first… why did Jesus say to give her something to eat? Luke 24:40-43 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. (Proof that she was not a ghost… he did the same thing at his own resurrection.)

Now for the bigger question: Why did Jesus perform this miracle in particular? It was not for public display. It was done in private. What can we learn of Jesus’ character from this miracle in particular.

At times Jesus will manifest miraculously in our lives to strengthen our faith; it does not always hinge on already existing faith. In the words of C.S. Lewis from Prince Caspian as Aslan speaks to Lucy, “…things never happen the same way twice.” (pg. 143)

Circumstances and people are constantly changing. Our minds also constantly change according to what happens in our surrounding environment. It is important to cling to the Word of God so that as we change Scripture is always there to support us, heal us, and make us whole.

Are there areas in our lives where we are not yet whole? There are in mine. But it is a daily struggle to be renewed and transformed and be ever changing into the image of Christ; to have the mind of Christ.