Dissatisfied Christian?

"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?" Mathew 17:17

Pastor Mark Buchanan writes about this specific demon from the New Testament that both, the teachers of religious law and the Christ followers, could not cast out.

"Jesus replies, "Bring the boy here to me."

And from Mark Buchanon,

"It breaks Jesus' heart to say it. But the boy is brought. And with a word, Jesus does what needs doing: deals decisively with evil, heroically with the afflicted, tenderly with the broken hearted. The demon doesn't walk again. The boy walks away free. The father walks away rejoicing.

The teachers of the law just walk away.

And the disciples--they follow Jesus. They walk where he's walking. Jesus goes inside, and they come shuffling after him. A question vexes them, and they need an answer: "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

Their question answers a question that's vexed me a long time. My question is, What's the difference between a disciple and a teacher of the law? Or ask it this way: what distinguishes a Christ-follower from those who are merely religious?

What's the difference between a disciple and a teacher of the law?

So far, in this story, nothing. Except for one thing. The only difference I can see between a true Christ-follower and someone merely religious is that a Christ-follower is dissatisfied with his or her level of spiritual power.

"Why couldn't we cast it out?"

They really want to know. They really want to live into the expectation that Jesus has for them. They really want to live lives that fill the God-hungry with wonder, evil spirits with terror, desperate fathers with joy, tormented sons with peace.

Spiritual impotency, especially in the face of desperate need, actually bothers a Christ-follower.

Those teachers of the law, they've already moved on to the next theological squabble. They witnessed Christ's power. They must have had a fleeting moment of wondering what was amiss in their own lives. But it never ruffled them enough to inquire further. They're off to the races, off to afternoon debate about prelapsarianism, off to hear Professor Itoldyouso lecture on three views of  the millinial reign, off to whatever. No time for worrying about demon-wracked children and heart-stricken fathers, no time to live lives of wonder or to give evil a reason to wish it hadn't come 'round--no time for the business of heaven when there's always business of counting angels on pinheads.

"Why couldn't we cast it out?"

 The minute we stop asking that, as long as our power is insufficient to deal with the pain of a world God so loved, is the minute we've traded following Jesus for just attending meetings."

If you're interested in more....check out Mark Buchanan's book, 'Spiritual Rhythm.'