The Gospel of Mark 9:14-29

 

Brian Hirvela

8/24/24

“And when they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed. And as they ran up, they were greeting Him. And He asked them, “What are you arguing with them?” And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” And they brought the boy to Him.

When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around, foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and was saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he stood up. And when He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

Jesus, Peter, John, and James came down the mountain and when they returned there was a commotion going on. Simply the scribes were arguing with the disciples because they could not exorcise the demon from the boy at his father’s request.

The scribes were partners with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and they were determined to catch Jesus in a bad way. Taking this opportunity to ridicule His disciples for their lack of ability, even when using Jesus’ name.

When the crowd saw Jesus, they were amazed, some translated this to “afraid.” This was due to something about His presence. There was enough residue left over from His transfiguration that caused the crowd to take notice.

Much like Moses when he came down the mountain after being in the presence of Yahweh, Moses “did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.” And when “Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.”
(Ex 34:29-30)

The crowd stopped and Jesus asked His disciples when they ran up to Him, “What are you arguing with them?” And the father of the boy possessed by an unclean spirit spoke up saying, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.”

Jesus answered the crowd, it is believed that it was mainly toward the scribes for their continued weariness of Jesus and His works. “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?” Jesus rebukes the scribes, “who gloried in this disappointment that the disciples met with and hoped to run them down with it. He calls them a faithless generation and speaks as one weary of being with them, and of bearing with them. We never heard him complaining, “How long shall I be in this low condition, and suffer that?” But “How long shall I be among these faithless people, and suffer them?” (M. Henry)

He calls for the boy to be brought to him and when he is closer to Jesus the demon fights harder and throws the boy into a convulsion, falling to the ground, rolling around, and foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” Much like the blind man, not all afflictions are immediate, some are born with them, and some have been possessed for a long time. In the case of the boy, it would seem he was possessed since his childhood. This also alludes to the fact that the man’s son was an adult.

The father hesitates and questions Jesus’ power by saying “If you can.” After seeing the failure of His disciples. Jesus returns with “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” For it’s not a matter of whether God can do powerful things, it’s a matter of whether He is willing. God created the heavens and the earth, the animals and mankind. John 1:3 tells us that “All things came into being through Jesus, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” Therefore, nothing is impossible for Him to do.

But the question is, “Is He willing?” Do you believe? Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes.” Jesus checks their weak faith, for if you have even the faith the size of the smallest seed in the world, a mustard seed, you would be able to this mountain, “Move from here to there, and it will move, nothing is impossible.”

The father implores Jesus for he does believe, He cries out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” for this Jesus was willing to help the boy’s father. For his faith needed to be strengthened. This reminds me of a time when I doubted my faith and I cried out to God, “Does anyone pray for me?” Two weeks later I received a card in the mail, written on the card it said, “You don’t know who we are, but I want you to know that we are praying for you.”

Yahweh was willing to increase my little faith, and Jesus does the same here. When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he stood up.”

The boy was fully restored to health, and all fell silent. For the power of Jesus over Satan to bind him and cast him out was greater than any of them could do alone. For, “When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

Today it takes great faith, it’s impossible to meet the spiritual world face to face with the confidence of Christ Jesus. Through prayer and supplication, Jesus can work through His children to expose evil and tear down the gates of Hades.

Jesus came to save sinners. Sinners suppress the truth and hide in their darkness because they love darkness. They are unbelieving, vile, foolish, rebellious, haters of God who have adopted the ideologies of this world and the doctrines of men. They have become slaves to their sexual desires, perverting the flesh and mind, and rebelling against the created order of God. They are doomed to condemnation and will be judged by Jesus and sent to Hell where they will burn for eternity in the lake of fire.

However, God so loved His creation, mankind, that He sent His Son Jesus, who can forgive you of your sins and redeem you because He has the authority and power. Jesus brings eternal life to all who repent and believe. For Jesus bore all our sins; He bore all the sins of all who believe in Him. Jesus was born and lived a perfect life of obedience to God as a man. Jesus was condemned to be executed and die in the sinner's place. He suffered the totality of God's wrath upon Himself on the Cross, which every sinner deserves, so that those who believe in Jesus may have peace with God.

Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death, and lives, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He is in your midst with us offering you salvation, repent, and believe Jesus.