Demon Possession
After coming down the mountain the father of a boy who was demon possessed was asking the disciples to heal him.
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“We move from the mountain of glory to the valley of need. The sudden appearance of Jesus and the three disciples startled the multitudes (Mark 9:15).” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 62)
14. The father of the boy approached Jesus and knelt before Him.
15-16. “The distraught father had brought his demonized son to the nine disciples, begging them to deliver him, but they could not.” (Wiersbe, 62)
17. “Jesus has encountered similar problems frequently before; the key distinctive in this passage is his disciples’ inability to deal with the problem.” (Blomberg, Craig L., The New American Commentary, Volume 22, Matthew. [Nashville: Broadman Press], 267)
18. “The Lord rebuked His disciples, and then rebuked the demon. This is probably the worst case of demon possession our Lord dealt with.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV. [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 97)
Little Faith
19. “When they (the disciples) asked Jesus the cause of their shameful failure, He told them: Their lack of faith (Matthew 17:20), their lack of prayer (Mark 9:29), and their lack of discipline (Matthew 17:21).” (Wiersbe, 63)
20. “Much is not accomplished for the kingdom because we simply do not believe God will adequately empower us or else because we undertake various activities in our own strength rather than God’s” (Blomberg, 268)
“Biblical faith assumes not only a belief in God’s power, but also a heart after God’s own heart, which desires and asks for the things of God—not personal ‘wants.’” [Max Anders and Stuart K. Weber (2012). HNTC Vol. 01: Matthew. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
21. This verse “does not appear in several of the oldest and best manuscripts and was probably added to harmonize with a later form of Mark 9:29.” (Blomberg, 268)
Death and Resurrection
22-23. “The scene shifts again. Jesus and the disciples are back in Galilee, apparently near Capernaum. (v. 24)” (Blomberg, 269)
“For a second time, Jesus mentioned His death and resurrection. The disciples were deeply grieved and were afraid to ask Him about it.” (Wiersbe, 63)
Temple Tax
24. “This section appears only in Matthew and is one of the most difficult in the Gospel to understand, both in terms of the significance of certain details and in light of its location in the context.” (Blomberg, 269)
“Perhaps Matthew includes this episode because, as a former tax collector himself, he was particularly interested in the dialogue.” (Blomberg, 269)
“The issue at stake is the two-drachma tax, also known as the half-shekel tax. One shekel equaled four drachmas and a drachma was approximately equivalent to the Roman denarius—the standard wage for a day laborer.” (Blomberg, 269)
25a. “Peter affirms that his master does pay the tax.” (Blomberg, 270)
25b. “The New Testament consistently emphasizes all giving to the Lord’s work as voluntary, never compulsory, even as it urges believers to great generosity in their giving (see 2 Corinthians 8-9).”
26. “As Christians, we must never use our freedom in Christ to hurt or destroy others. Technically, Jesus did not have to pay the tax, but for practical reasons, He paid it.” (Wiersbe, 63)
27. “How do we know that the miracle took place? Because Jesus said it would! (1 Kings 8:56).” (Wiersbe, 64)
“Peter had faith in God’s Word, and God honored that faith. If we trust the King, He will meet our needs as we obey His Word.” (Wiersbe, 64)
References
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.
Blomberg, Craig L., The New American Commentary, Volume 22, Matthew. Nashville: Broadman Press
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
Robertson, A. T., A Harmony of the Gospels. New York, HarperCollins Publishers
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004
