How Long?

Matthew 17: Glory and the Grind (3)

Pray Psalm 13.1, 2.
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Sing Psalm 13.1, 2.
Melita: Eternal Father, Strong to Save
How long, O LORD, O LORD, how long will You forget me and my song?
How long will You conceal Your face and keep from me Your precious grace?
How long must I my soul consult? When shall my weary heart exult?

Read Matthew 17.1-18; meditate on verses 14-18.
What was wrong with the boy? How was he healed?

Prepare.
1. What was the man seeking from Jesus?

2. How did Jesus respond?

Meditate.
There are at least three candidates here for the term “faithless and perverse generation.” The first might be the man—perhaps as a representative of the crowds who were always thronging Jesus. The man came to Jesus imploring Him to deliver his son from spiritually-influenced epilepsy (v. 15). The child was recognizably epileptic, being subject to uncontrollable fits which at times endangered his life. But the real problem back of all this was demonic, as Jesus well knew. I don’t believe the man or the crowd he represented was who Jesus had in mind as a “faithless and perverse generation.”

Perhaps the disciples? They had given it their best shot at healing this child (v. 16). We can imagine them, repeating what they’d seen Jesus do, and what they themselves had done on occasion. But here, to no avail. Was Jesus upset with the disciples? I don’t think so. They were only trying to do the best they could to help this poor boy. Surely Jesus must have been pleased with them for their efforts.

I believe the “faithless and perverse generation” to which Jesus referred here are those spiritual forces of wickedness that just don’t seem to know when they’re beaten. Jesus had defeated and bound their leader (Matt. 4.1-11; 12.22-29). Now He was plundering Satan’s dominion, winning souls, healing the sick, and raising the dead. And still that wicked and perverse generation of heavenly rebels persisted, as if any place they might hide or anything they might do could escape the notice and power of Jesus. In casting out the demon, Jesus cured the child, and reminded Satan once again that his days are numbered.

I don’t mean to suggest that all illness or misfortune is demon-related. It is, however, sin-related, though not necessarily the sin of the sufferer (cf. Jn. 9.1-3). Sin in the world makes the world groan and travail in ways that often bring misery to people (Rom. 8.19-22). How long must this continue? Until Jesus comes and with a Word, dispatches sin and death and sets us firmly in the sweet fields and still waters of the new heaven and new earth. The answer to Jesus’ question, “How long?” is “Not yet; but soon, and very soon.”

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Jesus, in all His holiness and beauty, was using strong language to describe the enemy as 
“faithless and perverse” (Matt. 17.17).

To be faithless is to be one who is not true to a pledged allegiance or duty—disloyal and untrustworthy.
And perverseness explains one who is contrary to righteousness or goodness—wicked and depraved—characterized by willful opposition or a resistance to what is right. As in, completely unreasonable.

That seems to sum up Satan quite nicely.

And our enemy, as we know, has been the enemy of mankind since the very beginning.
He is not one to be trifled or aligned with. He wants you dead. But first miserable and misleading.

As Jesus said to the Pharisees: 
“You are of your father the devil, and 
the desires of your father you want to do. 
He was a murderer from the beginning,
and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. 
When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, 
for he is a liar and the father of it” (Jn. 8.44).

And who in their right mind wants to be associated with someone like that?
So to Jesus we turn, pleading for mercy. 
Longing to be completely free of an enemy perverse and faithless.

“In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and 
by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil” (Prov. 16.6).

“Lord, have mercy on my son…” (Matt. 17.15).
Yes, and Lord,have mercy on me. 
“God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Lk. 18.13)
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Lk. 18.38).

And to our plea for mercy we hear:
“The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression…” (Num. 14.18).
“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all who call upon You” (Ps. 86.5).
“And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation” (Lk. 1.50).

Those who come to Jesus will never be disappointed, for He is everything our enemy is not.
Jesus is faithful, loyal, and trustworthy. He is all righteousness and goodness. And merciful.
He came that we would have life and have it more abundantly (Jn. 10.10).

Those who truly come to Jesus will never be cast aside or unaccepted.
“All that the Father gives to Me will come to Me, and 
the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (Jn. 6.37).

We will most definitely be healed from the deadly effects of sin. 
Now and eternally. And loved by our Savior. 

As He said about the sick child, He says of us, 
“Bring him here to Me” (Matt. 17.17)—
Assuredly cured from that very hour (Matt. 17.18).

Reflect.
1. How should you prepare for today’s spiritual warfare?

2. What does it mean to “resist the devil”?

3. How can believers help one another to be victorious in the spiritual warfare?

The extraordinary power of Satan must not discourage our faith, but quicken us to more earnestness in praying to God for the increase of [faith]. Do we wonder to see Satan’s bodily possession of this young man from a child, when we see his spiritual possession of every son of Adam from the fall! Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 17.17, 18

Pray Psalm 13.2-6.
Give the challenges, trials, and difficulties of the day to the Lord, and call on Him to give you victory in them all.

Sing Psalm 13.2-6.
Melita: Eternal Father, Strong to Save)]
Exalt not, LORD, my enemy; LORD, hear my prayer and answer me!
Give light unto my weary eyes; let not death claim me for its prize. 
Let not my foe rejoice to say that I have fallen in the way.

Yet I have trusted, LORD, in You; Your lovingkindness sees me through. 
My heart breaks forth in happy voice; in Your salvation I rejoice!
Thus I will sing triumphantly: “My God has dealt full well with me!”

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues our readings from the book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column is working through a study of the role of reason in the life of faith. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.