Matthew 17 Pt. 3 – Is This A Deliverance and Prosperity Sandwich?

by Michael Robson

That title is ‘like a joke’! You see, when Jesus and His disciples descended from the mountain on which Jesus gave Peter, James, and John a glimpse of His glory (Matt.17:1-4), they were met with a multitude and from that multitude there was a man who had a son who was terribly inflicted with epilepsy and had a demon. The two may be rolled up into one or seen as two things that needed to be addressed – his being set free from the demon and being cured or healed of epilepsy. Usually ‘healing’ is not a term given to exorcisms. The 9 disciples who had stayed at the bottom of the mountain had failed to cure or cast the demon out, which is strange because they had been given the power to do so, and there is no record of them having failed thus far (See Matt.10:1; Lk.10:18-20).

Naturally, after Jesus very easily rebuked the demon and ‘cured’ the boy, the disciples wanted to know where they had gone wrong and why on this occasion they had not succeeded. Jesus told them that it was basically down to unbelief. That was something that Jesus said was characteristic of that generation. Actually, just as Moses came down from the mount having met with the LORD and having received the Law and instructions concerning the Tabernacle, he met with a scene of rebellion and idolatry. So likewise Jesus meets with a generation who He described as a faithless and perverse generation (Matt.17:17-18). And we should ask what would characterize today’s generation? Surely in our day things are very wicked indeed, and filled with unbelief and perversion!

And Jesus seems to be saying that His disciples hadn’t very much faith either. Although it is hard to reconcile that statement with the fact that only a little faith is required to cast a mountain into the sea or cast out one demon. And yet there is one clause that may or may not be original to Matthew’s Gospel, which is where Jesus said, “However this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting (Matt.17:20-21). Though it is true that many manuscripts do not contain this clause, it is found and attested to be in Mark 9:29, and therefore found its way, we can assume, into Matthew 17:21. The point may simply be that at times you will so dedicate yourselves to prayer that you’ll give up your meals just to continue and pursue God for answers to prayer.

Next, Jesus again predicted His sufferings, death, and resurrection, only adding that someone would betray Him. A fact that He had not introduced up to this point. See Matt.16:21. This mention of suffering, betrayal, death, and resurrection, was sandwiched between an episode of “deliverance“ and “prosperity” Well actually, an incident of curing a boy and providing finances (Matt.17:22-23).

Yes, that last section (Matt.17:24-27), that took place back in Capernaum, isn’t really the go-to place to find a proof text to say that God wants every one of His kids to prosper. But the text does highlight Jesus’ omniscience and God’s Providence!

To watch the video from today, just click on this link!

Michael Robson