Wednesday Evening Bible Study

February 14, 2001

Introduction

In honor of Valentine’s Day:

Illustration

WHAT IS THE PROPER AGE TO GET MARRIED??

"Eighty-four!  Because at that age, you don't have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other in your bedroom." (Judy, 8)

"Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife!" (Tom, 5)

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE??

"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for the second date." (Mike, 10)

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE??

"You should never kiss a girl unless you have enough bucks to buy her a big ring and her own VCR, 'cause she'll want to have videos of the wedding." (Jim, 10)

"Never kiss in front of other people.  It's a big embarrassing thing if anybody sees you.  But if nobody sees you, I might be willing to try it with a handsome boy, but just for a few hours." (Kelly, 9)

THE GREAT DEBATE:  IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED??

"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys.  Boys need somebody to clean up after them!" (Lynette, 9)

"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff.  I'm just a kid.  I don't need that kind of trouble." (Kenny, 7)

CONCERNING WHY LOVE HAPPENS BETWEEN TWO PARTICULAR PEOPLE

"No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell.  That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular." (Jan, 9)

"I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." (Harlen, 8)

ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE

"Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." (Roger, 9)

"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it.  It takes too long." (Leo, 7)

ON THE ROLE OF GOOD LOOKS IN LOVE

"If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." (Jeanne, 8)

"It isn't always just how you look.  Look at me.  I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." (Gary, 7)

"Beauty is skin deep.  But how rich you are can last a long time." (Christine, 9)

CONCERNING WHY LOVERS OFTEN HOLD HANDS

"They want to make sure their rings don't fall off because they paid good money for them." (Dave, 8)

CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE

"I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'The Simpsons' is on television." (Anita, 6)

"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it.  I have been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me." (Bobby, 8)

"I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth grade hard enough." (Regina, 10)

SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

"Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores." (Del, 6)

"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers.  You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love." (Alonzo, 9)

"One way is to take the girl out to eat.  Make sure it's something she likes to eat.  French fries usually works for me." (Bart, 9)

HOW TO MAKE LOVE ENDURE

"Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work." (Tom, 7)

"Don't forget your wife's name...That will mess up the love." (Roger, 8)

"Be a good kisser.  It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." (Randy, 8)

:37  And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.

hill – oros – a mountain

met – sunantao – to meet with

people – ochlos – a crowd; a throng; a multitude

:38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

cried out – anaboao – to raise a cry, to cry out

Master – didaskalos – a teacher

beseech – deomai – to want, lack; to desire, long for; to ask, beg; the thing asked for; to pray, make supplications

only child – monogenes – single of its kind, only; used of only sons or daughters (viewed in relation to their parents); used of Christ, denotes the only begotten son of God

:39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.

suddenly – exaiphnes – of a sudden, suddenly, unexpectedly

crieth out – krazo – to croak; of the cry of a raven; hence, to cry out, cry aloud, vociferate; to cry; cry out aloud, speak with a loud voice

teareth – sparasso – to convulse, tear

foameth – aphros – foam

hardly – mogis – hardly, with difficulty,

bruising – suntribo – break, to break in pieces, shiver; to tread down; to break down, crush; to tear one’s body and shatter one’s strength

:40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

besought – deomai – to want, lack; to desire, long for; to ask, beg; the thing asked for; to pray, make supplications

cast … out – ekballo – to cast out, drive out, to send out

could – dunamai – to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom; to be able to do something; to be capable, strong and powerful

The disciples didn’t have the power.  They didn’t have the strength.  They didn’t have the ability.

Why?

Perhaps they were so amazed at the power of the demon to control that they could not see the power of God to deliver.

It is possible that the demon manifested his presence before the disciples just as it did in the presence of Jesus.

We are so often so overawed by the works of Satan that we forget the power of God.

The disciples had been sent out at the beginning of the chap. with power  and authority over the demons.

In some of the other accounts, Jesus says that this particular type of demon only comes out through prayer and fasting.  Perhaps the disciples needed more of this?

:41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

generation – genea – fathered, birth, nativity; that which has been begotten, men of the same stock, a family; the whole multitude of men living at the same time; an age (i.e. the time ordinarily occupied by each successive generation), a space of 30-33 years

faithless – apistos – unfaithful, faithless, (not to be trusted, perfidious)

perverse – diastrepho – to distort, turn aside; to turn aside from the right path, to pervert, corrupt

suffer – anechomai – to hold up; to hold one’s self erect and firm; to sustain, to bear, to endure

Who is Jesus talking to?  The father, the crowd, the disciples, or all?  Perhaps all of them.

Jesus did rebuke the disciples a few times for their lack of faith:

Mt 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith?

Mt 8:26  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Mt 14:31  And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Mt 16:8  [Which] when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

Lesson

We aren’t perfect.

I’m not saying this as an excuse.  Jesus is going to give a kind of rebuke, possibly partly to the disciples.  But sometimes we too fail.  The disciples sometimes failed.

Did Jesus give up on His disciples?  Did He give up on the world?  No.  Just because they weren’t perfect or didn’t follow Him perfectly, He didn’t give up on them.

:42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

threw … down – rhegnumi – to rend, burst or break asunder, break up, break through; to tear in pieces; to distort, convulse; of a demon causing convulsions in a man possessed; to dash down, hurl to the ground (a common occurrence in cases of demon possession and epilepsy)

tare him – susparasso – to convulse completely.  A more intense word than that used in verse 39.

You get the idea that the demon is really putting a show on for Jesus.

rebuked – epitimao – to show honour to, to honour; to adjudge, award, in the sense of merited penalty; to tax with fault, rate, chide, rebuke, reprove, censure severely; to admonish or charge sharply

unclean – akathartos – not cleansed, unclean; in a ceremonial sense: that which must be abstained from according to the levitical law; in a moral sense: unclean in thought and life

healed – iaomai – to cure, heal; to make whole; to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one’s) salvation

child – pais – a child, boy or girl

delivered – apodidomi – to deliver, to give away for one’s own profit what is one’s own, to sell; to give back, restore

I love this picture of Jesus handing the boy back to the father, healed.

:43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,

amazed – ekplesso – to strike out, expel by a blow, drive out or away; to cast off by a blow, to drive out; commonly, to strike one out of self-possession, to strike with panic, shock, astonish; to be struck with amazement, astonished, amazed

mighty power – megaleiotes – greatness, magnificence; of the majesty of God; of the visible splendour of the divine majesty as it appeared in the transfiguration of Christ

wondered – thaumazo – to wonder, wonder at, marvel; to be wondered at, to be had in admiration

Jesus is wonderful.  He has wonderful power.

:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

sink down – tithemi – to set, put, place; to place or lay; to put down, lay down

“Place these words into your ears …”

shall be – mello – to be about; to be on the point of doing or suffering something

delivered – paradidomi – to give into the hands (of another); to give over into (one’s) power or use; to deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death; to deliver up treacherously; by betrayal to cause one to be taken

Jesus had just been on the mountain talking with Moses and Elijah.  They had been talking about Jesus “exit” that He would make at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:31).

When they come down the mountain there is this incident with the demon.

Now Jesus tries to get the guys back to the main thing.  The main thing is the cross.

I kind of wonder if part of Jesus’ frustration wasn’t because there’s been a bit of a sidetrack away from the cross.

(1 Cor 1:17-18 KJV)  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. {18} For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

(1 Cor 2:1-5 KJV)  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. {2} For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. {3} And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. {4} And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: {5} That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Paul’s ministry was not about astounding people with Paul’s abilities.  His ministry was about telling people about the cross.  He seems to have purposely not tried to be too fancy with his words, lest people trust in his words and not in the power of the cross.

:45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

understood not – agnoeo – to be ignorant, not to know; not to understand, unknown; to err or sin through mistake, to be wrong

saying – rhema – that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word; subject matter of speech, thing spoken of

hid – parakalupto – to cover over, cover up, hide, conceal

perceived – aisthanomai – to perceive; by the bodily senses; with the mind, understand

feared – phobeo – to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away); to put to flight, to flee; to fear, be afraid

How was it hidden?

By presuppositional thinking.  It was outside their preconceptions of what a Messiah was to do.

By their fear of asking questions.

:46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

arose – eiserchomai – to go out or come in: to enter; of entrance into any condition, state of things, society, employment; to arise, come into existence, begin to be

reasoning – dialogismos – the thinking of a man deliberating with himself; a deliberating, questioning about what is true; hesitation, doubting; disputing, arguing

greatest – meizon – greater, larger, elder, stronger

:47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

perceiving – eido – to see; to perceive by any of the senses; to know; to know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive

thought – dialogismos – the thinking of a man deliberating with himself; a deliberating, questioning about what is true; hesitation, doubting; disputing, arguing.  This is the same word that was translated “reasoning” in verse 46.

took – epilambanomai – to take in addition, to lay hold of, take possession of, overtake, attain, attain to

a child – paidion – a young child, a little boy, a little girl

Could it have been the same child He just healed?  I wonder.

set – histemi – to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set; to stand

:48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me:

receive … receiveth – dechomai – to take with the hand; to take hold of, take up; to take up, receive; to receive or grant access to, a visitor, not to refuse intercourse or friendship; to receive hospitality; to receive favourably, give ear to, embrace, make one’s own, approve, not to reject.  NIV – “welcome”

in my name – In the place of Jesus, in His authority, as His representative.

If you welcome a child in the name of Jesus, as His representative, you are welcoming Jesus.

Lesson

What does this have to do with “greatness”?

It’s not about “greatness”.  It’s about humility.

(Mat 18:1-4 KJV)  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? {2} And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, {3} And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. {4} Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

(Mark 9:33-37 KJV)  And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? {34} But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. {35} And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. {36} And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, {37} Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

Children are often considered “last”.  When it comes to our attention, we tend to give our attention to what we consider “important”.  You can tell how important a person values children by whether or not they pay attention to them.  Are children a “bother” when they run through the church?  When a child wants to ask a question, do we require that they wait until we’re finished with our “grownup” stuff?

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This came out of Dr. Dobson’s monthly Focus on the Family Newsletter

"The Golden Rule, Revisited"

They lie there, breathing heavy gasps, contracted into a fetal position. Ironic, that they should live 80 or 90 years, then return to the posture of their childhood. But they do. Sometimes their voices are mumbles and whispers like those of infants or toddlers. I have seen them, unaware of anything for decades, crying out for parents long since passed away.

I recall one who had begun to sleep excessively, and told her daughter that a little girl slept with her each night. I don’t know what she saw. Maybe an infant she lost, or a sibling, cousin or friend from years long gone. But I do know what I see when I stand by the bedside of the infirm aged. Though their bodies are skin-covered sticks and their minds an inescapable labyrinth, I see something surprising. I see something beautiful and horrible, hopeful and hopeless. What I see is my children, long after I leave them, as they end their days.

This vision comes to me sometimes when I stand by the bedside in my emergency department, and look over the ancient form that lies before me, barely aware of anything. Usually the feeling comes in those times when I am weary and frustrated from making too many decisions too fast, in the middle of the night. Into the midst of this comes a patient from a local nursing home, sent for reasons I can seldom discern.

I walk into the room and roll my cynical eyes at the nurse. She hands me the minimal data sent with the patient, and I begin the detective work. And just when I’m most annoyed, just when I want to do nothing and send them back, I look at them. And then I touch them. And then, as I imagine my sons, tears well up and I see the error of my thoughts. For one day, it may be.

One day, my little boys, still young enough to kiss me and think me heroic, may lie before another cynical doctor, in the middle of the night of their dementia, and need care. More than medicine, they will need compassion. They will need someone to have the insight to look at them, and say, "Here was once a child, cherished and loved, who played games in the nursery with his mother and father. Here was a child who put teeth under pillows, and loved bedtime stories, crayons and stuffed animals. Here was a treasure of love to a man and a woman long gone. How can I honor them? By treating their child with love and gentility. By seeing that their child has come full circle to infancy once more, and will soon be born once more into forever."

This vision is frightful because I will not be there to comfort them, or to say, "I am here" when they call out, unless God grants me the gift of speaking across forever. It is painful because I will not be there to serve them as I did in life, and see that they are treated as what they are: unique and wonderful, made in the image of the Creator, and of their mother and me. It is terrible because our society treats the aged as worse than a burden; it treats them as tragedies of time. It seems hopeless because when they contract and lie motionless, no one will touch them with the love I have for them, or know the history of their scars, visible and invisible. I am the walking library of their lives, and I will be unavailable. All I can do is ask, while I live, for God’s mercy on them as they grow older.

And yet, the image has beauty and hope as well. Because if I see my little boys as aged and infirm, I can dream that their lives were long and rich. I can dream that they filled their lucid years with greatness and love, that they knew God and served Him well, and were men of honor and gentility. I can imagine that even if they live in their shadowland alone, somewhere children and grandchildren, even great-grandchildren thrive. I can hope that their heirs come to see them, and care, and harass the staff of the nursing home to treat Grandpa better. I can hope that they dare not allow my boys to suffer, but that they hold no illusions about physical immortality, and will let them come to their mother and me when the time arrives. And best, I can know that their age and illness will only bring the day of that reunion closer.

My career as an emergency physician has taught me something very important about dealing with the sick and injured, whether young or old. It has taught me that the Golden Rule also can be stated this way: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto your children." I think that this is a powerful way to improve our interactions with others, not just in medicine but in every action of our lives. And it is certainly a unique way to view our treatment of the elderly. For one day all our children will be old. And only if this lesson has been applied will they be treated with anything approaching the love that only we, their parents, hope for them to always have.

 - Dr. Edwin Leap, "The Golden Rule, Revisited," Emergency Medical News, October 2000, p. 18. Used with permission from Lipponcott, Williams, and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD. Web site: http://www.lww.com.

:48  and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me:

You can’t have the Father without Jesus.

(John 14:6 KJV)  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

:48  for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

Illustration

F.B.Meyer:  "I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves stacked one higher than the next, and the higher you got, the more gifts you got.  Then I found out that they were really on shelves one lower than the next, and the lower you became, the more you received."

I think that the greatest people in our church are the ones working in the Children’s Ministry.