So they brought [the boy to Jesus.] When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. … When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead."
//Few scholars doubt the portrayal in the Synoptic Gospels of Jesus as an exorcist, casting out devils. What exactly were these evil spirits whose possession had to be exorcised? We imagine schizophrenia, epilepsy, or hysteria, but we don’t know. What we do know is that Jesus, acting in the name of God and intent upon showing the arrival of the Kingdom of God, battled the demons face-to-face.
Jesus talked directly to them, shouted at them, waved his hands, angered them, and drove them out. Some scholars picture Jesus entering a sort of trance and imitating the demoniacs’ behavior in order to cure them.
John’s Gospel, perhaps embarrassed by the whole thing, reports not a single exorcism by Jesus, but the other gospels do not shy away from the image. At one point, Jesus’ family members come out of Nazareth to take charge of him, believing he has gone out of his mind. What would be more likely to trigger this concern than Jesus’ strange behavior during exorcisms? Others watching the shenanigans laughingly concluded, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.”
Yet Jesus’ fame as an exorcist attests to his success. Did he get them all? Since there seem to be no demons around today, we must conclude that the Kingdom of God has arrived.
They were mocking him. A mocking spirit was operating through those watching.
ReplyDeletethe kingdom of darkness is ruling our heaven. Satan is the prince of the power of the air.
Christ works through his children and as the glory of God increases on earth so the darkness increases.
Matt 3:2 Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near.
Luke 10:9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'
John 3:1-7
Jesus said
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3:1-7.
"Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein," Mark 10:15.
Obedience is required
"Not everyone who say's to me, Lord Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven." "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves," James 1:22
If we don’t do what Jesus did we become hearers only and not doers. Therefore deceived.
Thanks for responding! Are you suggesting we should be healing and exorcising as well?
ReplyDeleteHi just to let you know Jesus as an exorcist thats what he did.Firstly he got rid of the evil spirits in the humans.And then the person was healed, but that was power, super natural power from heaven above.I would say he had a diamond from heaven which descended on him and in that diamond was the power within him.The diamond also had two things in it if i told you you would not believe me.So my dear friends dont forget the diamond.
ReplyDelete