Some live as if Christmas Never Happened.

Mark 9:17-32

 

There is nothing worse than to have perfect ears and mouth and not be able to hear or speak.

 

Men from childhood have been robbed of speech, not for lack of ears and mouth but from their fathers down through generation have preferred to hear other voices than that of God alone.

 

If someone is robbed of something that means he had that something that someone evil stole it from him and no longer is in his possession and control.

 

It is sad for a Father to see a child without the power to communicate with his beloved father by listening to him and by feedback, which is talking back to him.

 

Men and God are not in talking terms since man preferred darkness instead of light.

 

They are away from their meeting spot at the cool of the day. Man walked away into darkness at noonday and he has been robbed of speech by listening estrange voices from a seemingly angel of light that no longer hears or believe by forgetting to pray.

 

When a man stop listening to God he is robbed of speech and cannot pray or teach to pray. One can only teach what he has learned.  You can only share what you have apprehended.

 

A child must be warned that in the school of life he will meet a bully who will not only rob him of speech but also will try to kill him and only foam will come out of his mouth.

 

It must be said that bullies do not use that which they rob, because they are evil and have no use of good gifts because they are enemies of God and all its good.

 

But God who is love is also the father of his creatures and loves to live in common union and oneness with his children. He sent his baby boy Jesus as an ambassador of peace and reconciliation so we may live a life of wealth again in faith and prayer back in the cool of the day. 

 

The history of God and man, the history of the man with a demon possessed boy and the history of every man with his children is about the same in same ways.  It is God the Father who so loved and takes the initiative to reach out those he loved through Jesus. It is a father who is in search of healing and deliverance for his son that goes to Jesus when his servants were unable to cure him.  And it is us who know best the situation of our children and hurt and go in tears (or wet prayers) to God so our children may hear right and speak right.

 

The demon possessed man’s father even though he intercedes for his son it is he who is hurting for the right communion with his son and hurts both.

 

His hurt is expressed when he said to Jesus “Take pity on us and help us” to which Jesus replied “Everything is possible for him who believed”.  Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “ I do believe: help me overcome my unbelief.”

 

This is the agonizing prayer of every father before the solid faith based on the resurrection. Nevertheless, his faith is the post Christmas faith claiming and confessing that it may not be strong enough that asks Jesus to help his unbelief. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world and he is old enough to know that.

 

God the Father, in tender baby Jesus came near men so we may believe and pray.  God the Father says listen to him as the only way to recuperate speech. Faith comes from hearing.

 

Jesus puts in his place the evil spirit bully with a word of command full of faith and prayers to the Father.  Thus Jesus snatched out a half dead sheep from the mouth of a wolf. Then he left him standing tall before all to see to this day as a the testimony of a loving and hurting Father who by pass the servant and went straight to God through Jesus. 

This passage may also be taken, as description on the powerless ministry of the prayerless life of disciples. Or people reporting to Jesus about the pastors of churches.

 

Why are thing not happening in ministry as I would like them to happen?

 

A man came to Jesus squealing about his disciples:  “I brought my son to your disciples and they could not cast the demon out of my son.”

Later the disciples ask Jesus: “Why could we not cast the demon out?

Jesus said:  “This kind can come out only by prayer”

 

Notice the key words of Jesus are not only an answer to them, but an open rebuke that the disciples of Jesus were doing ministry in the strength of the flesh and taking prayer for granted.

 

A prayer less ministry is powerless ministry that usually is replaced by activity, event-oriented projects that in reality is reflection of their lack of faith. A wicked generation does not seek power from the Father in communion and intimacy with him. Nor do they take Jesus at his word as a child and see the father in action as the true actor of history.

 

The Kingdom of God is not a matter of words but of power.

 

The Power of God comes from a life of prayer full of faith that facilitates the work of the Holy Spirit who moves effectively in and through those who yield to God in agreement by taking Jesus at his word.

 

When believing in prayer is more important than praying itself, then a man become one with God in intimacy.  It is then when one enjoys seeing God at work in and through Him more as spectator of the Power of God than the protagonist and actor of the drama of his life.  Try praying in the closet of your heart with the intention to obey.

 

In the name of baby boy Jesus who came to teach us to pray to the Father with the help of the Holy Spirit.

 

Gerry Gutierrez

 

PS. Barely hanging from His hand. But hopeful and enthusiastic as ever. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Jesus gain a kingdom for his father and his father is making a footstool out of his enemies. Let us love one-another as the Godhead. Lest us be mindful of the love of the father for us in baby Jesus. Blessings. Let us believe and Pray.