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.” Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 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. And all were astonished at the majesty of God. Comment: This sounds like epilepsy to me. Firstly, my believing this doesn’t worry me that this was thought by the people to be demon possession They didn’t have EEG facilities etc and that was what they thought was the cause of this type of malady. Secondly, please don’t interpret my feeling in this case as meaning that I don’t feel that demon possession on occasions is a reality, for I do. Jesus statement sounds as if he was a bit upset by the disciples failure to heal this boy. The reality and closeness of our relationship to Jesus is important as the power to do his commands often is beyond us in our own strength.
But while they were all marvelling 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. Comment: But the miracle working, popular, Jesus brings his disciples back to earth by reminding them that his way was to take him to his death! He had told them this before.
An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” Comment: How human were the disciples; how human are we. The lesson of accepting the unimportant, reaching to the least important, is taught. Remember in another please we are taught not have a childish, but a child-like trust in him.
Prayer: Help me to live out the lessons which you seek to teach me every day!
As I read it! 