Story: A boy, a rock, and Mexican pastor

Story: A boy, a rock and a Mexican pastor

The youth group was in the courtyard when an angry boy threw a big rock over a block wall as hard as he could.

The rock hit the Mexican pastor on the side of his head right on the temple. He immediately was blind.

A youth group from Kansas or Nebraska, I can’t remember which state, had come to Mexicali, Mexico, to work in partnership with a small Mexican church in their community.

The church members rushed the Mexican pastor to the hospital, but the doctors determined there was nothing they could do.

They said he might be blind the rest of his life. They didn’t know.

The youth pastor heard from the Mexican church members that, the boy who threw the rock lived next door, and they thought he was demon possessed!  The youth paster didn’t know what to do.

I worked in the Mexico outreach program at Azusa Pacific University.  I just happened to be at the facility in Mexicali when the youth pastor drove back to ask for help.

He said, “Bob, help us, our Mexican pastor is blind and a demon possessed boy hurled the rock that hit him in the head.”

As I drove and followed the youth pastor back to the Mexican church where all of this event occurred I prayed.  “Jesus is this boy demon possessed?”

A thought entered my mind and I heard a clear “no”.

“Jesus, why did the boy throw the rock?”

Jesus said in my thoughts, “The boy is jealous of the kids playing having fun while he is forced to stay home to be beaten by his father almost every day. The boy’s only friend is the Mexican pastor.”

When we arrived, several adults were in front of the Mexican church.

We found out that the elders had been praying and the Mexican pastor’s eye sight had already returned.  Some would say it was a miracle.

Having asked if I could meet the boy who threw the rock and the Mexican pastor, I waited out in front of the Mexican church property.   

The boy walked up to us with his chin pressed against his chest.  The Mexican pastor was in a wheel chair, but he could see.  His balance was affected by what had happened.

Looking straight at the boy, I said, “The Lord Jesus told me you’re not demon possessed.  I heard the thought that you are being beaten by your father and you hate your life, is that true?”

The boy began to cry with great intensity. He nodded a yes, and pressed his chin back on his chest.  He felt so guilty that he had thrown the rock that accidentally hit his only friend.

His jealousy and anger were gone and only a broken humble middle schooler stood in front of us.

The Mexican pastor had also begun to cry as I asked the boy, “Jesus told me the paster is the only friend you have. Were you actually trying to hit the pastor with the rock?”

The boy cried even harder.

The Mexican pastor slowly stood up and moved toward him, and put his arm around him and cried with him, and spoke softly to him, and said, “I forgive you. I’m still your friend.”

On the outside our eyes might have decided the boy was demon possessed, but Jesus knows what is happening on the inside.

How did I know my thoughts were from Jesus?  My thoughts were confirmed, as by the boy answered my questions and the Mexican pastor explained what happened.

To test my thoughts, all I had to do was ask the question to find out if the boy was getting beaten by his father.

It’s important to test your thoughts and confirm them before declaring that someone is demon possessed.