Luke 9:37-45 "Re-Entry"

Last time we talked about the Transfiguration—an amazing mountaintop experience where Peter, James, and John went with Jesus on a prayer retreat, just the four of them. Jesus started glowing as bright as the sun, Moses and Elijah showed up and talked with Him about how He’s going to save the world by dying, rising from the dead, and ascending to heaven—His exodus). Then God the Father spoke in an audible voice saying Jesus was His beloved Son, the Chosen One—that they should listen to Him from now on. They saw the overlap of heaven and earth for a moment. How could things ever look the same again?

Today they’ll come back down the mountain. Meet up with the rest of the gang. Re-entry. Back to regular life. It’s always strange when we go back to normal life after a special experience.

They come walking up with Jesus. The rest of the guys were probably already feeling a little left out. I’m sure someone asked how their retreat went. Couldn’t have made them feel any better that Jesus gave strict instructions not to tell them what they saw. “Sorry man, Jesus said what happens on the mountaintop stays on the mountaintop. Mountain-top secret.”

They might not have even had the chance to bring it up, though. As soon as they got back, all hell broke loose. 

Let’s pray as we get started: Father in heaven, help us to keep Your name holy in everything we say and all the thoughts of our minds as we go through this passage from the Gospel of Luke today. Challenge us, change us, and teach us how to live. AMEN.

Luke chapter nine, verse 37:

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”  Luke 9:37-40

It’s the next day after the Transfiguration. Jesus, Peter, James, and John come back to chaos. There’s a big crowd of people already lined up like Black Friday at Best Buy. A man is yelling and complaining—demanding to talk to the manager, whoever’s in charge. 

The nine disciples who had been taking care of business while the guys were gone had dropped the ball. It seems like they had forgotten how to cast out demons. A man had brought his only child to be exorcized and the disciples weren’t able to do it—they tried, but they failed. Jesus is not amused. 

Verse 41:

Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” Luke 9:41

Jesus is like, “Really, I’m gone for one day and everything falls apart.” He sounds a little disgusted and a lot sad. “Faithless and twisted generation”—”Is there no one on earth that has any faith? Even after everything you’ve seen?” “How long am I going to have to put up with you people?”

This is not what you want the boss to say when he comes back from vacation. 

Jesus did the same thing we’d do, “Get out of the way, let me just do it.” “If you want something done right…”

I don’t think Jesus is cracking on the father of the kid. In Mark’s version of this same story, he says the Scribes—religious leaders who were all about the Bible—they were arguing with the nine disciples about why they couldn’t cast out the demon. Mocking them. Jesus shows up and asks what’s going on, then the boy’s father speaks up and tells Him about his son and how the disciples couldn’t do anything to help him. How he’s been tortured ever since he was a little boy, the demon has been trying to destroy his son. Then the kid’s dad says to Jesus, “but if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Maybe I’m reading it wrong but it seems like the Lord is in a bit of a mood. He says to the man, “If I can?! If? All things are possible for one who believes.” 

Dad’s response is one of the best prayers in the whole Bible, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

Remember that prayer, it’s a good one.

Jesus says, “Bring your son here.” Verse 42:

While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. Luke 9:42

Hellboy puts on one final show. Jesus rebukes the demon, Mark tells us His actual words: “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 

He also tells us the boy went sound asleep. People watching thought he was dead. I get the idea that sleep wasn’t usually on the agenda for this family. Jesus took the boy’s hand and he woke up a normal, not demon-possessed boy. Jesus gave him back to his father.

I love the sweetness of that last detail. Should remind you of the Widow of Nain when Jesus raised her only son from the dead and He gave that mother back her son.

It should also remind you of what Jesus does for all of us. He buys us back from the devil, we’re no longer the devil’s possession, and then Jesus gives us back to His Father, Our Father—the One who art in heaven.

We just got back from a trip to the Midwest. One of the things we did was visit a young boy that I cast a demon out of a little over a year ago. 

Some of you might remember me telling this story before. It was just after Easter in 2021 and I got a call from a friend I grew up with. He and his wife are the foster parents of a two-year-old boy that was acting a lot like the demonized boy in our story today. He said, “Frank, this boy... he can be so sweet, and then all of sudden just throw himself on the ground and start pounding his head as hard as he can—I can't get to him fast enough. He gives himself bumps and bruises. He growls and glares at us showing only the whites of his eyes. He only speaks in gibberish. I know I sound crazy. But how soon could you get here to baptize this child?"

So I got on a plane the next morning. My daughter, Von, thought it sounded like I was in for an adventure, so she came along.

When we arrived, Von started playing with the boy on the floor while I talked to the foster parents about the logistics and theology of baptism and exorcism. I was trying to be careful in my speech. I didn't say the boy's name, it was getting late and I didn't want to stir the hornet's nest.

I said something like "if there is a spiritual entity, the baptism might take care of it, but we'll also want to pray and read Scripture over your house."

All of a sudden the boy dropped the toy car he was playing with and locked eyes with me. Von said she felt like all the light went out of the room and the hair stood up on the back of her neck. I looked at the boy and said, "Yeah, I'm talking about you." (I wasn't talking to the boy.)

Ever since they had taken him in, every night he would thrash and moan, breathe erratically, screech, make repetitive tones—sounds that shouldn’t be coming from a two-year-old—pull his ears, and bash his head on the rails of the crib. They hadn't slept through the night for weeks. The boy always seemed drained and exhausted.

The next day, we’re getting ready to go to their church for the baptism. The kid becomes inconsolable. He throws himself on the floor and I saw for myself the way he would slam his head on the floor. It was violent and terrifying.

My friend (who’s a big, athletic, powerful man) picked the boy up and took him back to his bedroom to feed him dinner away from the rest of the family.

All of a sudden we hear a crash, as if someone had got mad and slammed a door. Then I hear, "Frank!?" Von and I hurry back there and find the two of them sitting on the bed. There is a big hole in the wall. Somehow the two-year-old had shoved a full-grown man through the wall.

We get to the church. The kid starts to lose his mind when we go to baptize him—screaming, thrashing. 

But as soon as he was baptized he looked different, bright-eyed. Lighter. While I prayed for him he went to sleep (as though he was dead—I’d lift his arms and they’d just fall) he stayed asleep for about an hour.

Von came up to me crying saying, “he’s just a little boy.” I said, “yeah it’s sad that all this would happen to a child.” But she didn’t mean that. “No, I’m saying he’s just a little boy now. The demon is gone.” She could tell. 

We went back to the house and prayed over it, read some scripture.

That night, the boy slept in peace. Everyone in the house woke up the next morning rested. 

So, that was a little over a year ago. I’ve checked in a few times and they always say he’s doing great—but I wanted to drop by and see for myself. When I walked into the house last week, the sweetest little, melt-your-heart boy came running up to me, hugged my leg and kissed my knee. Clear-faced, bright-eyed. Never stops talking. Learned all our names and didn’t forget them the whole time we were there. He even grabbed my hand and led me around the house showing me all his favorite toys. Just a normal three-year-old boy.

I can’t read this story about the father who brings his demon-possessed boy to Jesus without thinking of that whole experience. 

Look, I know I’m a pastor. A professional Christian. But that story sounds just as crazy to me as it does to you—and I was there. My friend still hasn’t fixed the hole in the sheetrock where the demon threw him through the wall. He said he’s tried to recreate the way it happened from a sitting position and can’t do it. It just doesn’t make any sense. I told him he should put a picture frame around it.

In Mark, the disciples ask Jesus why they weren’t able to cast the demon out. Do you remember what His answer was? I think He was still in a mood. He said, “This kind only comes out by prayer.”

Sounds to me like they were trying to do it on their own. They’re lucky they didn’t get thrown through a wall. “Next time maybe you should remember to pray.”

But the whole thing shut the Scribes up. They, along with the crowd, had seen everything. 

Verse 43:

And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. Luke 9:43-45

You see what I mean about Jesus being a little snippy? “Let these words sink into your ears.” “Get this through your thick skull.” “Do You Understand the Words That Are Coming Out of My Mouth?”

“I’m about to be handed over. You need to learn how to do these things when I’m not around like I am now. You're going to have to start having some faith. Have to actually pray.”

They didn’t get it and they were afraid to ask Him about it. 

It’s clear by how Luke says it that God didn’t want them to understand yet, He just wanted them to remember that Jesus said it. After He was handed over, killed, and rose from the dead. Then they’d all be like, “Oh yeah! Jesus kept telling us this was going to happen but we never understood what He was talking about.”

Same thing still happens all the time. Kemper tells you something and you’re like, “la la la, why’s he telling me to read the Bible? Why’s he telling me to pray?” Kelske says something and you think, “doop de do, what’s he so excited about?” 

Every week I say something like, “you are forgiven because of Jesus, He loves you, now love one another.” And you just sit there blinking at me. Fighting a yawn.

Let these words sink into your ears:

Jesus was betrayed into the hands of men. He rescued a little boy from demon-possession. He was going to be arrested and put completely at the mercy of grown men who were also under the control of the devil. He was going to be treated much worse than this kid He set free.

Get this through your thick skull:

Jesus allowed the devil to use men to beat Him and torture Him and nail Him to a cross, stab Him in the heart and laugh at Him while He died. And He did this for you. He took your sin and lack of faith and your twisted darkness on the cross with Him. Your sin held Him there. Your sin killed Him. 

He doesn’t want you to feel bad about any of this, though. It was His choice. He wanted to do it. It was all His idea. He even prayed while it was happening “Father forgive them, they don't know what they’re doing.”

The same devil that thought it was a good idea to torture that little kid by throwing him on the ground and trying to destroy his life wants to try and destroy you, too. He might be a little more subtle about it but make no mistake, the devil has a plan for your life. It’s a life of pain, selfishness, and ignoring everything Jesus is saying to you. He’ll use your fear, your anger, your envy, your lust—however he can get his claws into you—to lead you away from the good life God wants for you.

Do You Understand the Words That Are Coming Out of My Mouth?

Jesus was delivered into the hands of wicked men. They tortured and killed Him. But He didn’t stay dead. He rose on the third day. And He did that for you, too. You were buried with Jesus in baptism—you were also raised with Him. Believe on the name of Jesus Christ and come alive. Wake up. He has given you back to His Father. Our Father. Your heavenly Father.

I love what Kemper said last week: Jesus didn’t do all this just to save you, just to make you a Christian. That’s only the beginning. He did all this to give you a new life. A new chance at life. A life that’s more than being convulsed to and fro by worldly, demonic, sinful wickedness.

Do you hear me?

You are forgiven because of Jesus. He loves you. Now love one another. AMEN

I’m not done. One more thing…

While I was visiting the boy, his foster mother told me about these throbbing ear aches she’s been having—like a jackhammer in her left ear. She said, “the strange thing is, it only happens when I’m around the boy.”

What do you make of that? What would you do? What would you say?

God didn’t save you so you could just hope to go to heaven someday. He didn’t deliver you from the world and the devil just so you could be more comfortable. He called you out of the world so you could help rescue other people.

I don’t always do this but I took a chance. I put God on the spot.

I walked up to her and said, “Let’s see what the Lord wants to do about this.” I rebuked the evil spirit, told it to leave her alone—asked God to drive it away and stop the pounding in her ear.”

And she said it stopped. Immediately. I texted her a few days later, she said it hasn’t come back.

I remembered that when the boy was under the power of the demon, he used to pull his ears like he was in agony. I wonder if the same thing was happening to him. Demons will try the same tricks over and over. 

We have to start living out our faith. Taking chances. Put God on the spot.

People don’t have any idea why they should be here, in church, following Jesus with us. We need to start living these new lives Jesus has given us in all of our callings—our vocations. As mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends—at your work, in your sports, in your video games. Everything you do and everywhere you go. Your faith in Jesus needs to be lived out in all those callings. It’s the whole point. When you go back to school after summer break. When you go back to work after vacation. While you’re on vacation! Put God on the spot. Do something. And don’t try to do it on your own. Remember to pray, or you might get thrown through a wall.

AMEN

Prayer:

Father in heaven,

We are your children.

Our baptism was a legal adoption into Your family, the family of God.

We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We have been bought by the blood of Jesus which was shed for us on the cross.

We have been given the promise of new life by the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the grave.

We are filled with the Holy Spirit, sealed by the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us.

Hear our prayer and protect us from the spiritual forces that are trying to harm us.

In Christ’s name, we renounce any claim the world, the flesh, and the devil make on us.

LORD, You have promised to never leave us or forsake us.

You have promised to be with us and to protect us from the darkness that surrounds us.

You have promised to give us peace that is beyond our understanding.

You have promised that “greater is He that is within me, than he that is in the world.”

Give us strength and wisdom to live out these new lives You have given us in all our various stations of life—our vocations.

In Jesus’ name,

AMEN