The Crowd Saw a Problem
Series: There Is Something Greater Than the Problem
Category: Faith (The Spiritual Development Platform)
Most People See the Wrong Problem
Most people assume the greatest problem in the story I’m about to share was the demon. Jesus seemed to think otherwise.
One of the reasons I wanted to write this post is because I believe we’ve been taught to focus on the wrong thing. Television, movies, culture, and, unfortunately, even some faith circles have trained us to look at darkness, fear, evil, and problems as though they are the center of the story. As a result, the majority of people spend their time studying the problem, talking about the problem, and worrying about the problem while giving very little attention to what God may be trying to teach them through it.
When I read this passage, I certainly see a boy with a problem. I see a father carrying a burden no parent should have to carry. I see disciples who are unable to help. But what captures my attention most is the response of Jesus. The more I study this passage, the more convinced I become that the greatest issue wasn’t the evil spirit. The greatest issue was the faith surrounding the situation.
The Crowd Gathered Around Jesus
The story begins with Jesus coming down from the mountain and being met by a large crowd. At first glance, that detail might seem insignificant, but I don’t believe it is.
People wanted to be around Jesus.
Everywhere He went, people gathered. They followed Him, waited for Him, and sought Him out because there was something about Him they couldn’t find anywhere else. Jesus carried hope. He carried wisdom. He carried truth. He carried answers. More importantly, He carried the presence and power of God into everyday situations.
I’ve often wondered what would happen if those of us who claim to follow Jesus looked more like Jesus. Would people be drawn to us the way they were drawn to Him? Would they seek our counsel, our encouragement, and our help? The majority of people are naturally drawn to individuals who consistently bring value into the lives of others. Jesus did that everywhere He went.
Out of that crowd stepped a desperate father. He wasn’t looking for a sermon. He wasn’t looking for a theological debate. He was looking for someone who could help his son.
A Father With a Real Problem
The father cried out to Jesus and begged Him to look at his only child. Immediately the story becomes deeply personal. This isn’t simply a discussion about spiritual matters. This is a father watching someone he loves suffer while feeling powerless to do anything about it.
Luke tells us that an evil spirit had seized the boy. It threw him into violent convulsions, caused him to scream, battered him repeatedly, and refused to leave him alone. Everything described in the passage points to destruction, suffering, and disorder. In other words, it was producing exactly what evil always produces.
What stands out to me isn’t simply what the spirit was doing. It’s the father himself. He knew something wasn’t right, even though he didn’t know how to fix it.
Most people recognize when something isn’t working in their lives. They know when fear has taken over. They know when anxiety refuses to let go. They know when anger, bitterness, addiction, pride, or unhealthy habits are quietly producing damage beneath the surface. The challenge is that recognizing a problem and knowing how to solve it are often two very different things.
This father had reached the end of his own ability. That’s why he came looking for Jesus.
The Disciples Saw Their Limitation
The father then says something fascinating.
He had already asked the disciples to help, but they couldn’t do anything about the situation.
Most readers immediately focus on the spirit.
I find myself focusing on the disciples.
These were not strangers to Jesus. They had walked with Him, listened to His teaching, and witnessed miracle after miracle. They had seen God work in extraordinary ways. Yet when confronted with this particular situation, they found themselves unable to do what they had watched Jesus do countless times before.
Jesus’ response is what changes the entire story. Instead of addressing the evil spirit first, He turns His attention to the people standing around Him and says, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” [1].
For years, I read those words and immediately moved on to the miracle. Today, I find myself slowing down and asking why Jesus responded the way He did.
Notice what He doesn’t do.
He doesn’t begin by rebuking the spirit.
He first rebukes the lack of faith surrounding the situation.
That observation changes the way I read the entire passage.
The majority of people spend their lives trying to understand the problem, while Jesus was trying to strengthen the people.
Most people magnify what is wrong until the obstacle becomes larger in their thinking than God Himself. They magnify the diagnosis, the financial pressure, the broken relationship, the uncertainty, or the fear standing in front of them until it feels impossible to overcome. Meanwhile, God’s power quietly becomes smaller in their minds.
Jesus saw the same situation everyone else saw.
He simply evaluated it differently.
He never measured God’s power against the problem.
He measured the problem against God’s power.
What Most People Miss
The more I study this passage, the more convinced I become that Jesus was teaching something much bigger than a miracle.
The crowd saw a problem.
The father saw a crisis.
The disciples saw their limitation.
Jesus saw a lack of faith.
That doesn’t mean the problem wasn’t real. It means Jesus understood that the problem was not the greatest issue in the story.
The majority of people naturally focus on what is happening around them.
Jesus consistently focused on what was happening within them.
Faith changes the way we see life. Two people can stand in front of the exact same obstacle and walk away with completely different conclusions. One sees something impossible. The other sees an opportunity for God to demonstrate His power.
The obstacle never changed. Only their perspective did.
Continue Growing
If today’s teaching challenged the way you think about faith, these articles will help you continue your spiritual growth.
Related Reading:
The Crowd vs. The Set Apart
The Crowd: Focuses on the size of the problem.
The Set Apart: Focuses on the greatness of God.
Typical Thinking: Talks about what can’t be done.
Biblical Thinking: Looks for what God can do.
Average Living: Magnifies obstacles.
Uncommon Living: Magnifies faith.
Common Perspective: Studies the problem.
Kingdom Perspective: Learns what the problem is trying to teach.
The Uncommon Truth
Most people assume faith grows after the problem disappears.
Scripture often teaches the opposite.
Faith grows when we learn to see God correctly before the problem ever changes.
The father saw a crisis. The disciples saw a limitation. The crowd saw something frightening.
Jesus saw a situation completely subject to God’s authority.
Maybe that’s why He addressed the faith before He addressed the spirit.
Because sometimes the greatest obstacle isn’t the problem itself.
Sometimes it’s how we’re seeing it.
Continue Your Journey
If today’s article challenged the way you think about faith, continue your journey with No Longer Common: When Ordinary Is No Longer Enough, where you’ll discover how God continually calls His people beyond ordinary thinking and into uncommon living.
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References:
Luke 9:37-43 NLT, Bible.com, accessed August 5, 2026, Bible.com
[1] Luke 9:41 NLT, Bible.com, accessed August 5, 2026, Bible.com
All Scripture references used by permission; see our Scripture copyrights.
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