Written ~ 02-20-2024
Read Mark Chapter Nine
Mark 9
Today we are going to look at the story of Jesus healing a demon possessed boy. Verses 9:14-29 tell how Jesus confronts unbelief and a lack of faith, this story reminds us just how much we need to rely on Jesus, prayer, and the Word of God.
Before getting started, read over all of the verses 9:14-29 so you will have this story fresh in your mind.
As we begin this account of healing – we find Jesus, Peter, James and John returning from the mountain top. These three men had just witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus and were probably busily talking amongst themselves when they came upon a large crowd. In the middle of the crowd were a group of religious leaders and the remaining disciples arguing and debating over things they had seen Jesus do and the things He was teaching. Can you imagine Jesus walking up, pushing His way through the crowd and the recognition that would follow as He addressed those who were arguing? What I visualize, are a couple of siblings, getting into some trouble, maybe fighting or arguing and dad walks in and the kids immediately turn at the sound of dad’s voice with a look of startle and shock, they stand to their feet right away and just stare at him. In verse 9:16 Jesus asked, “What is all this arguing about?” And this is where our story takes form…
Verses 9:17-18,
17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so You could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”
Here’s a desperate father seeking Jesus, he wants his son healed from the torment of this demon and Jesus was nowhere to be found. So, the disciples who were hanging around said they could do it, no problem, they had cast out demons many times before, but to their great surprise they weren’t able to do it!
When we look at the response from Jesus, can you almost hear the exasperation in His voice?
Verse 9:19,
19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
In this verse Jesus is pointing His accusation to His disciples, He’s calling them “faithless people.” In other translations it says, “unbelieving generation.” And look at His questions about them! “How long must I be with you?” If that’s not enough then He asks, “How long must I put up with you?” Yikes, I sure wouldn’t want to be reprimanded in such a way, especially not from Jesus! Look at what the “Expositor’s Bible Commentary” had to say about this verse…
“It seems best to restrict the meaning of “unbelieving generation” to the disciples. Thus the cry of Jesus reveals His bitter disappointment with them; in the crucial moment they had failed because of their lack of faith during Jesus’ absence. In the face of such unbelief, Jesus longed for His heavenly Father. He was weary with His disciples’ spiritual obtuseness. But in teaching them, Jesus never gave up.”
Jesus never gives up on His disciples, He may show disappointment in their lack of faith, but He will always guide them and teach them. Sames goes for us! Think of how many times you and I have disappointed Jesus with our lack of faith, be encouraged, He will never give up on us either! He will always be there to guide us and teach us.
Next up we have this father, he’s probably quite bewildered at this point! He just witnessed the leaders of religious law going at it with the disciples, then Jesus comes on the scene and essentially rebukes His disciples in front of everyone! That’s why when he finally does bring his son to Jesus he says, “Have mercy on us and help us, if You can.” (Verse 9:22b)
I bet at this point; he is probably wondering if his son will be healed at all! But look at the next exchange between this brokenhearted father and Jesus, the Messiah…
Verses 9:23-24,
23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
When this father first brought his son to the disciples, he was full of faith and anticipation, but as he saw the disciples arguing with religious leaders, then noticing their inability to cast out the demon, his faith and belief was wavering and quickly dwindling, and he was sinking back into a very desperate state over his son’s healing. But this brief conversation with Jesus was what exactly what he needed to regain his belief and ignite his faith.
What does it take for us to regain our belief and ignite our faith when our circumstances seem to be getting much too difficult to bear? Does it take just a quick conversation with Jesus to get back on track? When we realize that we lack the faith to trust Jesus and believe He is fully capable to help in our situation, that’s when it’s time to cry out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” The father in our story came to realize in himself that his faith was wavering, but instead of walking away in his desperation, he turned to Jesus and confessed his unbelief and asked for help! We need to do the very same thing when we don’t seem to have the faith in what Jesus says He can do.
Our story continues in verses 9:25-27… When Jesus commanded the spirit possessing this boy to leave and never return, the demon caused one last violent attack to the boy’s body before leaving him for good. The boy appeared to be dead, the crowd began murmuring about what they were seeing. But that’s not where the story ends, it ends with Jesus touching the boy, lifting him to his feet and completely restoring him. That’s where our own stories need to end, no matter what trial or trouble you are going through… when you place your faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, He will touch you and He will completely restore you.
Now what about the disciples who weren’t able to cast out this demon? Let’s look at verses 9:28-29,
28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with His disciples, they asked Him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”
29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”
For these two verses I went back to the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, I loved the explanation given for Jesus’ response…
Mark answers why the nine disciples were powerless to act on behalf of this boy. In private they asked Jesus about their failure, especially since they had been given authority over evil spirits and had successfully cast out many demons before this incident. Jesus’ answer suggests that they had taken for granted the power given them or had come to believe that it was inherent in themselves. So, they no longer depended prayerfully on God for it, and their failure showed their lack of prayer.
We need to remember that the power we have from the Lord is not something we achieve in our own strength, not with these sinful bodies of ours. It comes from the Lord. The disciples made the mistake in thinking they were all-powerful and that this ability to heal was something they did in their own strength. Relying on the Lord and praying for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is what generates the power to do magnificent things for the Kingdom of God!
Jesus says to you and to me, “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
~AMEN~