Theme: THE FRAILTY OF MAN
Introduction
One of the signs that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to mark the advent of the last days, is widespread pestilence. (Matthew 24:3,7,8) In fulfillment of this prophecy, there was the Spanish Influenza which raged from 1918-1919, killing millions of people the world over. There have been the SARS, Dengue Fever and Ebola. In December 2019, there was the outbreak of the “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is a strain of flu, which started in the Wuhan District of China and soon spread across borders, becoming a global concern.
These diseases and other crises of the last days highlight the frailty of man. Man must realize that whatever he has attained in science, technology and other fields of human endeavour, are by the grace of God. He must acknowledge God Almighty if he is to attain his highest potentials. The last days we are now living in have served to manifest the frailty of man and the fact that the Almighty God is the Owner of the Universe. – Psalm 20:7; Proverbs 21:31; Isaiah 26:4; 31:1.
Text: “And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 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.” – Matthew 17:14-15.
Comment: After the transfiguration, when Jesus Christ and his disciples descended from the mountain, there came a visibly shaken man with his son, and in obeisance implored the Lord saying: “Sir, have mercy on my son, for he is mentally deranged and in great trouble…” (The Living Bible) The gospel of Mark states: “And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.” – Mark 9:20.
Some people’s deplorable conditions are due to the oppressive acts of the devil and his wicked agents to keep them in physical and emotional torment. The calamity of this young boy with seizures and melancholy was such that the disciples felt it was beyond them. “And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him”, the boy’s father complained. – Matthew 17:16.
From this account, one can see that not all ailments or pestilences are from sins committed by men. Severe diseases with demoniacal connotations can only be cured by the Almighty Father through His son, Jesus Christ, hence, the Lord told the disciples that “Cases like this require prayer” (The Living Bible). We can see the importance of praying to Jehovah, the Healer of all diseases, no matter the situation. – Psalm 103:3.