Weakness and Strength by D. H. KRESS, M. D.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 16, 1902

Weakness and Strength

By D. H. KRESS, M. D.

D. H. KRESS, M. D.

“There be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” This certainly has a present application; for there are many living to-day who will not taste of death, but will be translated, and see the Son of man coming in his glory. Just before the transfiguration Jesus selected from among his disciples three, and took them up into a high mountain apart by themselves. To these three he gave a vision of things to come, revealing to them special truths to impart to the others. This should have caused rejoicing among them all, but instead of creating joy in the hearts of the others, it evidently caused jealousy, criticism, and division; for they debated with one another which was the greatest.

A father had brought his son to them to be cured of epilepsy. They were surrounded by a great crowd. Before these God designed to reveal his power and compassion. They commanded the evil spirit, as they had done before this, to come out, but with no effect. Samson, after he was shorn of his locks, the record tells us, got up and shook himself as he did aforetime, expecting to manifest God’s strength, but he found not only his locks of hair gone, but his power had departed as a result of his sin. So it was with the disciples. Their power to heal was gone. The afflicted one that came to them for help was disappointed. Angels, who are always ready to co-operate in the restoration of the sick, were disappointed; and the multitude of onlookers said, “They can do no more than others. God’s hand is shortened that it cannot save. This is an incurable case, as pronounced by all the medical men and rabbis.”

This feeling of jealousy and love of the supremacy, was sufficient to rob the disciples of the power to heal the child that was brought to them afflicted with that much-dreaded disease, epilepsy. It was necessary for the evil spirit of jealousy to be first cast out of them by fasting and prayer before God could through them cast the evil spirits out of others. God can manifest his power only through pure channels.

Jesus had no difficulty in healing the child, and he says, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.” But this cannot be looked for until all jealousy, evil surmising, and everything unchristlike is cleansed from the soul temple. These diseases, to-day as then, are considered incurable by the medical world, but now, as then, God is touched with the feelings of the infirmities of the sick. He is moved with compassion, and his power is present to heal. He desires that his institutions should be in this world in our day what Christ was in his, a place where incurables may be cured. It is to be said, “What people hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?” “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

“Why could not we cast him out?” the disciples asked. The reply was, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” Is it not high time to awake and put on our strength and our beautiful garments, that God may have pure channels through which to reveal his compassion and love, that the reproach now resting upon his name through misrepresentation in the lives of his professed children, may be removed? Shall we not seek for purity of life, and a cleansing from all jealousy?