Jesus the Sun of Righteousness

Matthew 17:14-21

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. (KJV)

In this passage, the Apostle Matthew gave his account of how Jesus delivered a boy whom scripture identified as lunatic. This miracle that Jesus performed was not one that deserves a quick glance, but it, like so many others, is something to ponder. It is the divine sovereignty and providence of God that lets us know that nothing is by coincidence. There is purpose behind everything he does and everything he allows. The same is true concerning the boy and his father in this part of scripture. This is important to us because Jesus provided wholeness to an inter-generational issue, and by inter-generational, I mean that there are two generations involved in this chaotic scene. If Jesus can heal this inter-generational issue between this father and son, he can provide wholeness for us in the various inter-generational issues we face. To name a few of the inter-generational issues of today would include: single-parent homes, mass incarceration, the disproportionate incarceration of black, brown, and poor white people, teenage pregnancy, absent fathers and mothers, fatherless sons and daughters, homosexuality, transgenderism, effeminate males, masculine women, gun violence, violent relationships, abortion, suicidal and self-harming ideations, drug addiction, humanism, and atheistic belief systems are all issues that can be viewed as inter-generational. There are many with voids and hurts in their lives that need healing. In this passage, we can see evidence, that Jesus has the power to heal our brokenness and fill the voids in our lives.

There are invaluable lessons that Christ was teaching his disciples and his church during this encounter. However, before we delve into the passage, it is necessary that we evaluate the context of the passage. Before this encounter took place, Jesus took his inner circle, Peter, James, and John, to a high mountain where he was transfigured into radiant light before their eyes (Matt. 17: 1-8). Before that, in Mathew 14: 19-20, Jesus was teaching, healing, and he performed the miracle of feeding 5,000 men, besides women and children, with two fish and five loaves of bread in the wilderness. After that, in Matthew 14: 24-33, he walked on the water of the sea as they were on their way to the land of Gennesaret, and his disciples said, “Of a truth, thou art the Son of God (KJV). In Matthew 15, Jesus performed many more miracles in the land of Gennesaret, and fed 4,000 men, besides women and children, with seven loaves of bread and a few fish.

The Son of God

In Matthew 16: 13-18, Jesus knew that there was some doubt among his disciples about who he is. So, he asked the question, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” And his disciples replied, saying, “Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” Upon hearing the response of his disciples, Jesus asked them “Who do you say I am?” According to the text, there was no response until the apostle Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Finally, when Peter revealed the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus sets his approval on Peter’s revelation, saying, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar–jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Mat. 16: 18 KJV). Although the Father, had revealed to Peter who Jesus was, there was still some doubt about the person of Jesus Christ. Because six days after Jesus had this conversation with his disciples, he took Peter, James, and John to a mountain where he transfigured before them. Scripture lets us know that his face shined like the sun and his clothes were white as the light. According to Matthew 17:3-5, this is the very moment when Moses and Elijah appeared, and they began to talk to Jesus.

When Peter saw Jesus standing and talking with Moses and Elijah, he became a little starstruck. Sometimes, we all get a little starstruck when we see someone that we admire up close and in person, but Peter took things a little too far just like we all do sometimes. Peter said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias” (Mat. 17:4). Peter made the mistake of thinking of Jesus as one of the prophets, on the same level with Moses and Elijah. However, when Peter voiced his assumption by offering to build temples in the name of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, the bible says that “while Peter was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him” (Mat. 17:5).  

While Peter initially placed Jesus on the same level with Moses and Elijah, God himself corrects Peter by saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Here ye him.” In other words, God is saying that this is not just another prophet. This is the beloved and only begotten Son of God. He was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and by this we can conclude that he is the Son of God (Mat. 1: 20). The Apostle John concluded that Jesus was the only begotten Son (John 3:16). Since he is the Son of God, he must be God. Since he is God and not just another prophet, it is only right that we listen to Him.” You see, Peter thought that Moses and Elijah came to teach Jesus, but, to the contrary, Moses and Elijah came to be taught by Jesus. The Old Testament lets us know that Moses died hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, and Elijah went to heaven in a chariot of fire hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. So, God allowed Moses and Elijah to come and talk to Jesus so that Jesus could reveal to them the full story of how he would fulfill Messianic prophecy and save humanity from their sins. That is why God said, “Listen to Him.”

As mentioned before, the apostles James and John were also there with Peter and Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration. And when the apostle John saw all these things take place, he came to the revelation that Jesus was God. This is what lead him to write about Jesus the way he did in John: 1-14, saying:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name of John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (NRSV).

            John’s revelation on the mount of transfiguration and several other events of his pilgrimage with Jesus also lead him to record 1 John 5: 7-8 that says, “There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one” (KJV). So, these events caused the apostle John to accept the reality that Jesus is God. Furthermore, the event on the mount of transfiguration also fulfilled one of Messianic prophecies given to us in Malachi 4: 2-3 that said, “But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act says the LORD of hosts” (NRSV). You see, on the top of the mountain, Jesus shines as the Sun of Righteousness that he is, but on the bottom of the mountain he revealed healing in his wings. Because as soon as Jesus and his inner circle (Peter, James, and John) reach the bottom of the mountain, they met a man who was frantically asking for help for his son who was lunatic. Let us deal with the issues that are present in Matthew 17: 14-21.

 A Dilemma of Faith

The clearest issue of our text is that Jesus was approached by a father who crying out for help for his son who was tormented by a demon. What was more problematic is that Jesus’s disciples were not able to cast the demon out (Mat. 17:16). When Jesus received this news, he named the root cause for his disciple's inability to cast out the demon. Jesus recognized that their faith was the root cause for their inability to cast out the demon when he said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me.” As a young Pentecostal Christian, I always thought the issue was that the disciples were unable to cast the demon out due to the lack of prayer and fasting. Initially, I concluded that the apostle’s faith was small because they had not been praying and fasting enough, because Jesus said, “...this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting “(Mat. 17: 21 KJV). However, as I continued to investigate and ponder the Mount of transfiguration, I noticed that I overlooked an important piece of the story that took place at the bottom of the mountain. You see, the disciples at the bottom of the mountain did not see the glory of God in Christ that was on the top of the mountain. Peter, James, and John were able to see the face of Jesus shine like the sun. Peter, James, and John were able to hear the voice of God say, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear him” (Mat. 17: 5). It was at this moment, when Peter, James, and John’s faith in Christ had grown to another level. They knew what it meant for Jesus to be the Son of God. It was not just a title that the earlier prophets had given to the coming Messiah for the sake of just having a title. At that pivotal moment on the Mount of Transfiguration, they knew that Jesus, the Son of God, was God. This revelation of Christ’s divinity is one that is essential to the Christian Faith, but it is also a revelation that the disciples at the bottom of the mountain had not yet discovered. After Peter, James, and John saw the glory of God in Christ, Jesus instructed them to not tell anyone of this revelation until he had risen from the dead (Mat. 17: 9). This sheds light on the disciples at the bottom of the mountain and their struggle to cast out the young boy’s tormentor. Because they asked Jesus why they were not able to cast out the demon. Jesus responded, saying:

Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. (NRSV)

The disciples at the bottom of the mountain were no different than the disciples who were at the top of the mountain. Initially, they all had the wrong picture of who Jesus is. Although they said he was the Son of God, their limited faith caused them to see Jesus as just another one of the great prophets. Peter’s response at the top of the mountain teaches us that before this point, all the disciples saw Jesus as another prophet like unto Moses and Elijah. But God’s revelation to Peter, James, and John, on the top of the mountain, revealed that Jesus was not just another prophet; but he is the Son of God who would fulfil the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah); the Son of God whom even Moses and Elijah are subject to.

 According to Jesus, the issue with the disciples at the bottom of the mountain was that their faith was too little, but at the same time Jesus told them that they only needed a little faith to move mountains. This can be confusing if you confuse the faith itself with the object of faith. My pastor, Elder Michael C. Hickmon often teaches us that there is a difference between faith and the object of faith. He also teaches us that faith can only work when you have the right object of faith, which is Jesus. So, when Jesus said that their faith was too little, he was saying that their view of him was too small. Therefore, if we have the right view of Jesus, it only takes a little faith to move mountains. If we have the right view of Jesus and his power, we will have power to cast out demons and devils. Today, many of us are like the disciples who were at the bottom of the mountain. Demons are attacking us. They are plaguing our communities. They are attacking the children and trying to destroy their lives. And we have not been able to cast the demons out, because we have the wrong view of God. Sometimes we pray, and we stop believing. And sometimes, we believe the myth that God is not concerned about our situations. Sometimes we think that our situations are impossible, but it was Jesus who taught that all things are possible with God. And then, some people see Jesus as just another prophet. Others see him as one of the greatest sages who ever lived. Some see him as a revolutionary, and there are some who see Jesus as just another Jewish rabbi who happened to perform miracles. But God himself, saw Jesus as his Son in whom the greatest prophets and greatest apostles who ever lived are subject to. For, who can the Son of God be but God himself? Hence, the revelation of the Mount of Transfiguration is that Jesus is God, and one who has not received this revelation is one who has a faith that is too little.

The Sun of Righteousness Overcomes the Rulers of Darkness

In our text, the man tells Jesus that his son is lunatic and sore vexed. The word lunatic comes from the Greek word seleniazomai, and it means to be crazy or moonstruck. It means that this boy was struck by the moon. In Genesis 1:16, the prophet Moses said that “God made two great lights; the greater light (lowercase sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (the lowercase moon) to rule the night. So, when the boy’s father told Jesus that his son was a lunatic, he was explaining to Jesus that his son was being tormented by a ruler of darkness. In Ephesians 6: 12, the apostle Paul said, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  According to the boy’s dad, his son was a lunatic, and there was a ruler of darkness who was trying to kill his son. But we must remember that the rulers of darkness are no match for the Sun of Righteousness.” The bible said that Jesus commanded the dad to bring his son to him. Jesus rebuked the demon, and the boy was healed and he was cured the same hour.

So, the dad told Jesus that his son was a lunatic. The dad also told Jesus that his son would often fall into the water, and he would fall into the fire. Then, the dad told Jesus that he brought his son to his disciples, and they were not able to cure him of his disease. Notice how the daddy told Jesus this and he told Jesus that. He told him this, and he told him that. This is a miracle, because this is the moment when the boy's daddy learned how to pray. As soon as the boy’s father saw Jesus, he was determined to tell Jesus everything. He was determined to tell every detail, and we must do the same thing. We must tell Jesus every detail. Tell Jesus about your trials and your trouble. Tell Jesus about your children and your marriage. Tell Jesus about your friends and your enemies. Tell Jesus about your job. Tell Jesus about your health and your mind.  Tell Jesus about your sins. You can tell Jesus. He will hear your faintest cry and answer by and by.

No wonder the ole saints used to sing, “I Must Tell Jesus” written by E. A. Hoffman.  The song says:

I must tell Jesus all of my trials. I cannot bear these burdens alone. In my distress He will kindly help me. He loves me and cares for His own. I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus. Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

So this is my encouragement for you. Pray on just a little while longer. Pray in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and everything is gonna be alright.

Let us pray,

Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. Thank you for Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. Thank you for the healing we have in Jesus. Father, increase our faith in Jesus. He is not just another prophet. He is not just another sage or rabbi, but He is the Son of God. Forgive us for our sins and remove all doubt. Help us to tell you every detail. Help us to pray without ceasing. In Jesus’s name, Amen.