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Jesus was not there with them. He had taken Peter, James and John
and gone up a high mountain. Philip and Andrew are discussing
their failure to meet a need in the absence of their Master. |
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PHILIP: | This boy has epilepsy, Andrew. We ought to be able to
heal him. |
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ANDREW: | He is a bad case, Philip. Look at him. See his
scars... he's had fits like that before and fallen into the fire. |
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PHILIP: | His father is really concerned. He's rescued him from
drowning too, so he told Thomas. |
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ANDREW: | You said it was epilepsy, Philip... It certainly has those
symptoms. But did you notice what happened when I began to say,
"Come out of him"? |
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PHILIP: | He frothed at the mouth and twisted and convulsed all
the more! |
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ANDREW: | I think his epilepsy is caused by demon possession. That's
why I tried saying, "Come out of him!" |
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PHILIP: | But it didn't work! In fact, he became worse for a while! |
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ANDREW: | But why? Whenever Jesus says that, the person is healed. |
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PHILIP: | Not always just at the instant. Sometimes the person goes
into a terrible convulsion and calls out, screaming. |
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ANDREW: | But in a few minutes it's all over. The struggle is over.
The person is at peace, healed. |
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PHILIP: | Yes, it's eerie! Not just like the sleep an epileptic
might fall into after a fit, but the peace of someone healed,
talking, chatting, normal again. |
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ANDREW: | It scares me. I wish Jesus would come back. If only He
were here now! |
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PHILIP: | Why couldn't we do it? You seemed to be using all the
right words. |
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ANDREW: | He seems to have a power that goes beyond just words! |
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PHILIP: | There they are now - Jesus, and Peter, James and John. |
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Reader: | Matthew 17.14-20. |