After the transfiguration Jesus delivers an Epileptic from a demon.
Mat 17:14 When they had returned to the people, there came to Him a man who fell on his knees before Him and besought Him.
Mat 17:15 "Sir," he said, "have pity on my son, for he is an epileptic and is very ill. Often he falls into the fire and often into the water.
Mat 17:16 I have brought him to your disciples, and they have not been able to cure him."
Mat 17:17 "O unbelieving and perverse generation!" replied Jesus; "how long shall I be with you? how long shall I endure you? Bring him to me."
Mat 17:18 Then Jesus reprimanded the demon, and it came out and left him; and the boy was cured from that moment.
Mat 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked Him, "Why could not we expel the demon?"
Mat 17:20 "Because your faith is so small," He replied; "for I solemnly declare to you that if you have faith like a mustard-seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Remove from this place to that,' and it will remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.
Introduction
After descending the Mountain of Transfiguration, Jesus and Peter, James and John were confronted by this demonized Epileptic. The other disciples had been unable to help the lad. This quickly brought them “back to earth” after what had happened on the Mountain. He reasserted His authority over demons and gave some significant teaching on the importance of faith.
Mat 17:14 When they had returned to the people, there came to Him a man who fell on his knees before Him and besought Him.
Mat 17:15 "Sir," he said, "have pity on my son, for he is an epileptic and is very ill. Often he falls into the fire and often into the water.
Notes.
When they were come to the multitude - It appears that a congregation had been collected during our Lord’s stay on the mount: how great must have been the desire of these people to hear the words of Christ! The assembly is self-collected, and no delay on the preacher’s side discourages them - they continue to wait for him. In the present day how rare is this zeal! How few by the most pathetic invitation can be brought together, even at the most convenient times, to hear the same doctrines, and to get their souls healed by the same wonder-working Christ!
Kneeling down to him - Or falling at his knees, γονυπετων. The ancients consecrated the Ear to memory; the Forehead to genius; the Right Hand to faith; and the Knees to mercy: hence those who entreated favour fell at and touched the knees of the person whose kindness they supplicated. A.Clark
"Sir," he said, "have pity on my son, for he is an epileptic and is very ill.
Notes
He asked Jesus to take pity on His son. He says the son is a Lunatic. Carr calls this an epileptic lunatic. Mark and Luke speak of the boy being possessed of a ‘spirit’. They also say thta he has convulsions epileptic seizures while Matthew says he was ‘suffering grievously.’
Mat 17:16 I have brought him to your disciples, and they have not been able to cure him."
Notes
The man explained that that he had brought his son to ‘your disciples.’ He expected that they would be able to cure him. But the boy was not helped and remained in this desperate state.
Mat 17:17 "O unbelieving and perverse generation!" replied Jesus; "how long shall I be with you? how long shall I endure you? Bring him to me."
Notes
Jesus said, "You people are too stubborn to have any faith! How much longer must I be with you? Why do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here." CEV.
Here Jesus was confronted by the difficult situation. A desperate boy with a desperate father and a faithless group of His own disciples. How challenging this is to us? Would we be able to do any better than these faithless disciples?
Jesus complains not just about His disciples but the whole “unbelieving and Perverse generation”.i.e All people alive at that time
Jesus castigates them in two ways. They are Faithless and Perverse .
The former speaks of their wrong attitude towards God; throughout Scripture people are urged to trust God, and when they do then nothing is impossible to them.cp.v.20
He also calls them perverse. which may mean that they were twisted in their thinking.
With these two attitudes they were unable to cure the boy.
"how long shall I be with you? how long shall I endure you? Bring him to me."
He asks how long he was to be with these people? It was very difficult for Jesus to sit amongst such spiritual Pygmies. L. Morris p.447
Mat 17:18 Then Jesus reprimanded the demon, and it came out and left him; and the boy was cured from that moment.
Notes
Then Jesus reprimanded the demon, [or rebuked the demon.]
Here we see that Jesus goes straight to the cause of the problem. It was a demon.
demon G1140 δαιμόνιον daimonion Thayer Definition:
1) the divine power, deity, divinity
2) a spirit, a being inferior to God, superior to men
3) evil spirits or the messengers and ministers of the devil
Mat 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked Him, "Why could not we expel the demon?"
Mat 17:20 "Because your faith is so small," He replied; "for I solemnly declare to you that if you have faith like a mustard-seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Remove from this place to that,' and it will remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.
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