Matthew the apostle wrote when Jesus and His disciples, “were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falls into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove from here to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you”, and in chapter seventeen and verse twenty-one of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus told His disciples, “this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting” where we read:
Howbeit this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.
The verse reads, “Howbeit this kind goes not out ...”. Matthew began with the words, “Howbeit” or “nevertheless, moreover and” “this kind” which means “this diversity, offspring and stock” “goes not out” or “does not go forth or depart”. Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples the type of demon this man's son had within him does not “depart” without the following measures being taken.
The verse goes on to say, “... but by prayer and fasting.” Matthew continued with the word, “but” or “whether and except” “by prayer” which means “through earnest worship and oratory addressed to God” “and fasting” or “refraining and abstinence from food”. Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples the type of “demon” that possessed the man's son would not “depart” from him without there being a time of “worship addressed to God” and “voluntary abstinence” from “food”.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how “prayer and fasting” are necessary practices for making this “stock or type” of “demon” leave a person. Jesus had the power to make this “demon” leave, and although the disciples previously cast out “demons”, this one was different. God wants all people to know that He is an omnipotent God who has no problem making the “demonic” world submit to Him. Through “prayer and fasting” those who have submitted their lives to Jesus Christ may receive the power to subject the power of “demons”, and God Himself shall be the One to receive the glory for providing these things.
Next time Matthew shares how Jesus tells His disciples, “The Son of man shall be betrayed”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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