Seen In Suffering, Seen In Service

In this message from Mark 9:14–29, David Platt reminds us that although the enemy wants to destroy us, Jesus sees us and can restore us.

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Transcript

Welcome And Opening Prayer

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You are listening to David Platt Messages, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from pastor, author, and teacher David Platt.

A Father Brings His Son

The Bad News About The Enemy

Jesus Holds Total Authority

Jesus Sees Every Kind Of Pain

Faith Without Treating God Like A Genie

The Gospel Hope Beyond Death

Help For Caregivers Who Are Worn Down

Keep Praying And Do Not Lose Heart

Guided Prayer Response And Closing

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Today we're gonna read a story where Jesus sees a dad and a son who are both hurting. And it's gonna lead us to some time in extended prayer together. So, in preparation for that time, I just want to invite all of us to bow our heads and ask God to speak to each one of our hearts in any way he wants to today. So would you just take a moment just to bow your head and just say personally from your heart to God, God, please speak to me however you want today. I invite you to do that now. Oh God, with all we have going on in each of our lives, I pray that over the next few minutes every single one of us would feel in a fresh way that we are seen by you. I pray that you would speak to each one of us supernaturally through your word. And we pray for humility to respond in prayer however you lead us a few minutes from now. In Jesus' name. Amen. Alright, let's start by reading this story. So we'll start in Mark chapter 9, verse 14. The Bible says, When they came to the disciples, and they is referring to Jesus and three of the disciples, Peter, James, and John. So when they came to the rest of the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw Jesus, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And Jesus asked them, What are you arguing about with them? And someone from the crowd answered him, Teacher, I've brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able. And Jesus answered them, O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me. And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy. And he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, How long has this been happening to him? And his father said, From childhood. And it's often cast him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. And Jesus said to him, If you can, all things are possible for one who believes. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, I believe, help my unbelief. And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out. And the boy was like a corpse. So that most of them said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered his house, the disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast it out? And he said to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer. So there's a lot here. Let me summarize this story by showing you the bad news and the good news in the story. Because it's bad news and good news that applies to all of our stories. So if you're taking notes, first here's the bad news. There is a demonic adversary who wants to destroy you and people around you. That is the bad news. So think with me about the condition of the son in this story. We don't know his exact age. He could be a preteen, maybe early teenager. And listen to this description of him. He has a spirit in him that Jesus later in verse 25 calls an unclean spirit. In Matthew and Luke's account of this same story, they call it a demon. So this is an evil, unclean, demonic spirit that makes this boy mute. He's unable to speak intelligibly, which doesn't mean he can't make noise. Luke chapter 9, verse 39 says this spirit makes the son cry out or scream uncontrollably. So he can't speak intelligibly, but he does scream uncontrollably. And later in verse 25, we read that this is a mute and deaf spirit, which makes the boy unable to hear. And this spirit seizes him and throws him down to the ground. Just imagine that. The spirit thrusts him to the ground where he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth as his limbs become rigid, stiff. That's the dad's explanation of what happens to his son. And then, when the son is brought to Jesus, as soon as the spirit sees Jesus, immediately it convulses the boy. So the language is violent convulsion. Luke 9 says it shatters him, so that he falls on the ground, rolling around, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asks, How long has this been happening to him? And the dad says, since childhood. In other words, for years. And the spirit often casts him into fire and into water. Just imagine seeing burn marks on this boy's arms and legs and body, maybe even his face, where he's thrown himself into fires. Or imagine him plunging into a pool of water with no capacity to swim, and his dad having to dive in after him. And the dad says, it is clear that the purpose of this evil spirit is to destroy him. So here's the picture. If I could summarize it with these categories, this evil spirit is working to destroy this boy in multiple ways. Spiritually, mentally, physically, and relationally. So think about it. This is a boy who cannot interact with other kids or adults in healthy typical ways. He suffers socially, relationally, physically in all the ways we just read. He suffers mentally. Some commentators have talked about how this looks a lot like epilepsy, which is a disorder of the brain, a neurological condition that affects how nerve cells in the brain send signals to the body. And he suffers spiritually under the influence of this evil, demonic spirit. Now, I want to be clear to point out that the Bible's not teaching here that every mental or physical or relational struggle someone might experience is due to a demonic spirit inside them. The Bible never teaches that just because someone has seizures, they must be oppressed by a demon. Or if someone is not able to hear or speak or has any disability or mental illness or physical sickness, that's demonic oppression. We know that's not true. But this story is showing us a picture of a boy who tragically portrays what the Bible explicitly says is Satan's desire for every person, destruction at every level. You think about another place where Jesus uses the same word destroy, talking about the devil? Jesus says in John 10, 10, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. Revelation chapter 9, verse 11 says of demons, their king is the angel from the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon, the destroyer. That's what his name is. The clear teaching of the Bible, exemplified in this story of this boy in Mark chapter 9, is that there is a demonic adversary who wants to destroy you and people around you in all these ways. This is what he does. 1 Peter 5, 8. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. The word means to destroy completely. And we don't think like this. We just think if we can't see it, if it's not real, but we saw this a few months ago when we were studying Ephesians chapter 6. We don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness and spiritual force of evil in the heavenly places. There are cosmic powers over darkness and spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places who want and are actively working to destroy you and people around you. That is the bad news. So what's the good news? Here's the good news from this story. Jesus has come with divine authority over the devil. And Jesus is able to deliver and restore all who trust in him. That's the good news. The good news is that the demonic adversary does not have all authority. Or even equal authority. Jesus has all authority. Never forget, spiritual warfare is not a dualistic battle between two equal but opposing forces, good and evil. This is not Star Wars. This is not dualism. It is domination. Jesus says to this spirit, he rebukes it, saying, You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out because it had no other option at that point. Jesus has authority over demons, and when he speaks, they flee. And the boy was like a corpse. So most of them said he's dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up and he arose. This is so good. The boy's so calm, in such contrast to that convulsing, that people think he's dead. But Jesus kneels down beside him, takes him by the hand, lifts him up, and Mark adds, he arose. The same word that's used for arose there. If you look three verses later, Jesus uses that word when he talks about how one day he's gonna rise from the dead. So just like that. From the word and touch of Jesus, this boy is delivered and restored. Think about it. Spiritually, mentally, physically, and relationally. Jesus has divine authority, divine ability to do that. And did you notice the contrast? So the dad came to Jesus saying, I asked your disciples to cast the spirit out, and they were not able. Praise God, there is one who is able. The dad later says, If you can, and Jesus emphasizes that in his response, and this word that's can right here, is the same word we studied earlier this year in Ephesians chapter 3, verse 20. Now to him who is able can do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to his power, ability at work within us. And don't miss how good this news is. Let me show you one more thing. If you read the first part of Mark chapter 9, you'll see that right before Jesus heals this boy, he's up on a mountain with Peter, James, and John, where those disciples get a rare glimpse of Jesus in all of his heavenly grandeur. And verses 2 and 3 say he was transfigured before them. His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. So this passage is reminding us that Jesus is God in the flesh. He possesses infinite, transcendent glory and beauty and majesty and splendor. Yet, right after that picture, instead of dwelling in glory above this fallen world, Jesus chooses to come down that mountain straight to the depths of human suffering to heal a hurting boy. This is the good news. Jesus has come to us with divine authority to deliver and restore all who trust in him. So, what does this mean for your life today? Let me give you two personal takeaways. One, Jesus sees you in all your suffering at any and every level, spiritual, mental, physical, and or relational. So just feel this personally. And I I obviously don't know all that you've walked through in your life or all that you're walking through now. But that's kind of the point. I don't know, but he knows. He sees it all. He sees every level at which you're struggling right now. He sees your relational struggles. He sees your broken relationships. Just hear this. Coming straight from him in his word by his spirit to you. Apply to any relationships in your life that are broken. He sees the tension that you are experiencing with your spouse, or a child or children, with a parent, with a sibling, another family member, a friend, a co-worker, whoever it might be, Jesus sees your relational struggles. He sees all the emotions and all the complications that are wrapped up in that relationship better than you do. He sees your relational suffering. He knows every single ache in your body. Whatever in your body is confounding doctors right now, Jesus sees with crystal clear clarity. He sees your mental struggles. He sees your anxiety, your depression, your panic, your post-traumatic stress. He sees far beyond what any counselor or psychiatrist could ever see. And he sees your spiritual struggles. He sees your struggles with sin. With besetting sin, with ongoing sin, with hidden or secret sin. He sees it all. And he sees your struggles with faith. Just like these disciples and this dad, Jesus sees your struggles with doubt. And in this story today, in this moment, God is inviting you to look to Jesus as your help. God is saying to you today, I have not left you alone in this world of suffering. I have come to you. Why? To help you. See the word twice in the story, verse 22 and 24. Jesus, help. So, yes, of course, look to doctors and counselors or pastors or friends or family for help, but above all, look to the one who made all of them and who alone has the authority to deliver and restore you. God has come to you because he wants to walk with you through suffering in this broken world. Look to Jesus as your help and trust in Jesus for your healing. See the picture of Jesus kneeling beside this boy, taking him by the hand, lifting him to rise, and realize this same Jesus has power to bring healing in every way to you. Now, at this point, we do need to pause and point out that this story is not a promise. That if you only have enough faith, Jesus will immediately heal all your physical health sickness or mental health struggles or spiritual battles or relational challenges. Follow this. When Jesus says all things are possible for one who believes, this is definitely not a call to believe that God will do every single thing we ask. In addition to the fact that the Bible never teaches this, on a purely practical level, this would make God a personal genie for each one of us. Which is the last thing we need or the world needs. For imperfect people with imperfect knowledge and imperfect perspective with imperfect motives to have all power over what happens in each of our lives or the world. That would be disastrous. Impossible. How would that even work? No, we want, and we need the perfect God who has perfect knowledge and perfect perspective and perfect motives. And by the way, his motive is always to work for the good of those who trust in him. We need the infinitely good, infinitely wise God who is love, sovereignly overseeing everything that happens in our lives and in the world. At the same time, this is not to minimize what Jesus is saying here, because this is clearly a call to believe that God can do any single thing we ask. This story is clearly a call for faith, for trust. This is a call to believe that there is no suffering God cannot redeem. This is a call to believe there is no sickness that God cannot heal. This is a call to believe that there is no soul that God cannot save. Anyone who looks to him, God can do all of this. Which means that ultimately, this is a call to trust the power of God to do anything we ask, while at the same time we trust the love of God to work everything for good for those who trust in him. This is one of the things I love about this dad's requests. If you can do anything, what does he say? I'll come back to this slide in a minute. If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Do you see the appeal here to divine power and divine love? Both of which are worthy of trust in our lives. This is the gospel. This is not just good news, it's the greatest news in the world. The whole reason. We all experience suffering in this world is because we're sinners in this world. We're all separated from God. And if we die in this state of separation from God, we'll experience eternal suffering away from God. But the good news at the center of the Bible is that God has not left us alone in this state of separation, but God has come to us in this fallen world in the person of Jesus. And Jesus has lived the sinless life that none of us could live with authority over Satan himself. And then, even though Jesus had no sin for which to die, he chose to die on a cross to pay the penalty for sinners like you and me. And then three days later, he arose from the grave. Jesus doesn't just have authority over demons, Jesus has authority over death. So that everyone, anyone, no matter who you are or what you've done, if you turn from your sin and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, you will be delivered from the penalty and power of sin and restored to relationship with God, which means that in the end, follow this. For all who trust in Jesus, spiritual defeat will not be the end of your story. And physical suffering will not be the end of your story. And mental struggles will not be the end of your story. And relational challenges will not be the end of your story. Think about it. One day, you'll stop interacting with the people around you in this world. Your brain will stop working, your body will stop breathing. And on that day, Jesus will kneel by your side, take you by the hand, and bring you into glory, where you will be free from sin, sorrow, pain, and death forever. Look to Jesus as your help today. This is what this passage is calling us to do. Look to Jesus as your help and trust in Jesus for your healing. Trust in the one who has the power to heal you today, knowing that even if he does heal you now, you're still gonna die at some point. But it doesn't matter because you've trusted in the one who conquered death and has power to heal you for all of eternity. Jesus sees you in all your suffering. So look to him for help and trust in him for healing. That's one takeaway. And then, let me give you one more. Did you notice? You're in verse 22. Dad doesn't just say to Jesus, if you can do anything, have compassion on my son and help him. Instead, he says, if you can do anything, have compassion on us. And help us. So yes, Jesus sees you in all your suffering. And Jesus sees you in your care for others who are suffering. Spiritually, mentally, physically, and or relationally. Just put yourself in this dad's shoes for a minute. Because yes, his son is suffering, and he is hurting. He's exhausted. He's discouraged. He's in total despair. Just imagine the look in this dad's eyes as Jesus asks him, How long has this been happening? And he says, For years. Ever since I can remember. For years, this dad has done everything he can to keep his son alive. Just imagine the weight this dad has carried day after day after day, thinking, I gotta be there, to help him when he starts convulsing. Or to get him out of the fire, or to keep him from drowning. And moment after moment, day after day, year after year, he's watched his son suffer and he's not been able to help him the way he longs to help him. I read about this dad, and I think about so many different ones of you. I think about the parents of children with special needs who require around the clock attention. And night after night, day after day, year after year, they experience little to no respite, and you experience little to no respite. I think about the husbands and wives who have become caregivers for your spouse. My Aunt Joanne is visiting here today. For years she served day after day by my Uncle John's side through cancer until he recently went to be with the Lord. I think of Deborah Shadows, who I saw last week, hardly ever left her husband's bedside, my spiritual father in ministry, as he slowly died of a brain tumor. I think of different ones of you who are doing this right now for your spouse. I think of the children who are doing this right now for your parents. I think about so many people who are hurting for someone else in your life. A family member, a friend, on any or all of these levels. Someone you love who's spiritually far from God. And your heart aches. It hurts so deeply. You long for them to come to him. Someone you love who's struggling with mental illness. It's just so hard to watch them struggle, and you don't know how best to help. Someone you love who's fighting physical disease or pain, and you just wish you could take it away. Or someone you love who's estranged relationally, and you just don't know how to make things right. And part of the beauty of Mark chapter 9 is that Jesus doesn't just see this boy, Jesus sees this dad. So for all the dads and the moms and the husbands and the wives and the children and the family members and the friends who are hurting for somebody else, hear God speaking to you right now in this story, in your care for others who are suffering, saying to you, look to Jesus as your help. Not just as their help, but as your help. Look to Jesus for the strength you need. Look to Jesus for the peace you long for. Look to Jesus for the wisdom you need. Look to Jesus for the patience you need. Look to Jesus for the compassion you need. Look to Jesus for all the help you need day in and day out to care for that person or those people in your life. Yes, he is their help, and he is your help. Look to Jesus as your help and trust in Jesus through prayer. Did you hear this dad's honest prayer? I believe, help my unbelief. Can we not all identify with that? When you're caring for others who are suffering, you often find yourself in a fight not just for their faith, but for your faith. Because sometimes when you pray, it seems like nothing happens. Or sometimes when you pray, it feels like things get worse. And you start to wonder deep down inside, does it really matter? Does God even hear? And you start to ask questions that rock the core of your faith. And among many ways, God is speaking to us through this text. He is telling all of us who are caring for others in their suffering. I see you and I do hear you, and I am working, so don't give up. Don't stop coming to Jesus. Boldly, ask and keep on asking. Knock and keep on knocking. In the words of Luke 18, 1, keep praying and don't lose heart. Humbly, boldly, keep coming to Jesus, realizing you can't fix things, but you're coming to the one who can and who will one day make all things right. Which means you can trust Him. So pray with faith, believing that God is able, and trusting that, where does this whole passage end? There are some kinds of things that cannot be driven out by anything but prayer. So believe your prayers really do matter. Which is why I want to lead us to spend some concentrated time in prayer today. In light of suffering in our lives, and in light of suffering in others' lives. When Matthew tells this story, he says this dad came running up to Jesus and he fell on his knees, pleading for mercy on his son and him. And it seems like the most proper response for us to this story is not just to read it and kind of move on with our lives. Like we need to come to Jesus and pray for his help and trust in him for the healing only he can bring. So I'm gonna invite us to pray over the next few minutes. And this may feel kind of abrupt for those of you in other locations, but I'm gonna turn things over to leaders at those locations right now to lead you in prayer. However, that best looks there, as we're gonna do the same here. So for those of you in other locations, go for it. I want to invite you to pray in response to God's word, however God leads you.

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