+JMJ
A Meditation on the Boy Possessed With a Demon
Ever reach rock bottom and feel that there is no hope? Ever feel like you have been praying for something and nothing seems to be happening? Or maybe the opposite of what you wanted happens? Do you wonder if He is even listening up there? I mean He does have a lot on His plate, right? There are many more important things He should be worried about right? Maybe my prayer got added to the list and He’ll get to it when He has time.
As I meditated on the following scripture passage the Lord showed me, and reminded me, that when you hit rock bottom there is only one place to go.
To Him…
The Healing of A Boy With A Demon
When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. Immediately on seeing Him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to Him and greeted HIm. He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” Someone from the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I have brought to You my son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring Him to me.” They brought the boy to Him. And when he saw Him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then He questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anyhting, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” Shouting and throwing the boy into convulstions, it came out. He become like a corpse, which caused may to say, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. When he entered the house, His disciples asked Him in private, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”
-Mark 9:14-29
My Meditation
As I began to meditate on this passage I was having trouble focusing and putting myself into the scene. The idea that kept coming into my mind was the boy’s mother. There is no mention of her, but I just could not get her off my mind.
I see her sorrow and anguish. All the years she suffered watching the torments of her son. I see her memories of him as a young boy laying in bed tossing and turning. Walking around their home foaming at the mouth, throwing himself on the floor, and convulsing. The son she loves being tortured day in and day out.
I see her cooking at their hearth and the horror as her son tries to throw himself into the flames. I see her rocking him gently trying to soothe him but he goes into a rage and shoves her away with a strength beyond a boy his age.
I see her taking him with her to the well because she can’t leave him alone at home out of fear that he will try to harm himself. Then I see him try to throw himself down the well. I watch her struggle to keep him from falling in, and all the people around her at the well just staring in horror but providing no aid to her. She eventually drags him out of the well and holds him in her lap sobbing. He is growling and foaming at the mouth while all the other people around just shun her because of his behavior.
I can see her marriage suffering and failing under the strain of caring for her possessed son. Both of them exhausted, bitter, and angry.
I can feel all of her suffering, anguish, and misery. She is completely drained and devoid of any joy.
Then she starts to hear the whispers around town. The whispers of some men that are doing incredible things. Some people even describe them as miracles. Things that were deemed impossible were being done.
Her husband had heard about them too but is skeptical when she suggests that maybe they could help them. But he begrudgingly agrees to take their son to see these disciples.
He forces her to remain at home while he takes their son to the disciples he had heard about. He is desperate for an answer to the agonies they have all been through, but still skeptical, and doubted it would do any good. He had succumbed to the defeat of the years of suffering.
As her husband drags their son kicking and screaming from their home, she is completely overwhelmed and cannot help but drop to her knees and wail in anguish and heartbreak. She could take no more.
She sobs and bawls as she brings herself to her knees and cries out the Lord, begging Him to heal her son. Pleading with Him to end their misery.
Her husband has to drag their son down the street. The boy is growling and foaming at the mouth scaring everyone they pass. They find the disciples in the center of the town healing everyone brought to them in the name of someone called Jesus. He watches them for a while and is amazed at what they are able to do.
Feeling a small bit of hope he pushes through the crowd dragging his convulsing son toward the disciples. He lays the boy at their feet beseeching them to heal him like they had done to the people before him.
The boy writhes on the ground foaming at the mouth and the disciples try to heal him, but nothing happens. He remains on the ground trashing and trembling.
The small once of hope that had seemed in the boy’s father, slowly dissipated as he watches the disciples unable to heal him. They try several times, but the boy only seemed to grow worse.
A clammer of the crowd distracts them as people begin murmuring about the man, Jesus, coming down the street. The whole crowd parts to allow Jesus to pass through, and He comes up upon His disciples and the young boy twisted in agony on the ground before them.
I watch as the boy’s father cries out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Just as he utters these words, Jesus closes His eyes and can hear the sobs of the boy’s mother. He can hear her desperate prayers as she begs God to heal her son. He feels all of her internal agony and sees all that they have been through.
Jesus is moved with the deepest compassion for her and He immediately drives the demon out.
Have Faith
A few years ago I was with her. I was at rock bottom. I was so sick I begged the Lord to either heal me or take me. I could not take any more physical suffering.
I only had one place to go. I turned to Our Lord surrendered it all to Him and He chose to heal me.
He uses our lows to draw us back to Him. Our lows can be a great gift even when they do not feel like it. He will bring us to our breaking point and so we realize that we are nothing without Him. It allows us to see Him truly, and to truly love Him for who He is, instead of what He blesses us with.
So, remember the Lord hears you. He hears your desperate cries for help. He feels your pain. He feels your anguish. Find comfort in the fact that He has suffered Himself and He joins in yours too.
Thrive In Jesus, my Friends!
Did the Lord bring you back to Him through suffering? How has He drawn you closer to Him?
Leave a comment if the Spirit moves you too!