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The Gospel of Mark Chapter 9:14-37 1. Belief and Unbelief 14 - 29. 9.14. When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in the law arguing with them. While the three disciples were with Jesus enjoying the mountain top experience the other nine were having a tough time down in the valley. When Jesus arrives on the scene He finds that His disciples are being interrogated by the scribes who were attempting to confuse them and the disciples were losing the battle. 9.15. When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran at once and greeted him. The glory of the transfiguration was still upon the Lord for when the people saw Him they were amazed at His appearance and eagerly ran to greet and welcome Him. 9.16. He asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" Seeing His disciples greatly disturbed He asks the scribes not the disciples what they were arguing about with them. Jesus would have known what this was but He wanted to bring it out into the open. 9.17. A member of the crowd said to him, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute. It was not the scribes that answered but one from among the crowds who had brought his son who was possessed by a dumb spirit to Jesus to be delivered. 9.18. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able to do so." On discovering that Jesus was not with the disciples he had turned to them expecting that they would be able cast out the dumb spirit. The man must have heard or perhaps may have even witnessed the disciples casting out demons when Jesus had sent them forth (Mark 6: 13). By the
description that the man gives it would seem that it was only on times that this demon took a hold of his son throwing him into a fit that left him absolutely useless and was slowly destroying his body. The disciples however were powerless to cast out this demon. 9.19. He answered them, "You unbelieving generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him to me." To whom is the Lord addressing these words? To the scribes, the crowd, the man or to His own disciples? They are certainly words of rebuke to all who have no faith. They would apply to the scribes for they did not believe in Jesus at they were all too religious to have any faith. There were doubtless many in the crowd who were there out of curiosity and were skeptical of the claims made concerning Jesus. The man must have had some faith in bringing his son to Jesus in the first place. The Lord had rebuked His disciples on a previous occasion for lacking faith (Mark 4: 40). Hadn't they already suffered enough humiliation by failing to cast out the demon before the expectant crowds? Why does the Lord rebuke or chastise us especially for lacking in faith when we can feel awful about not having it anyway. To His own He does it in love in order to provoke to faith; to those unbelievers He does so in no uncertain terms rebuke them. In asking "how long am I to put up with you" He knew the answer to that for He knew when His hour would come. 9.20. So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. When the boy is brought to Jesus on seeing Him the demon in him immediately manifests itself in the presence of the authority and power of Christ. 9.21 - 22. Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us." The purpose in Jesus asking the father for details of his son's condition was not to enable Him to diagnose like a doctor would for He already knew all about the boy. It was in order to bring a full realization to the father and the disciples of the hold and length of time the demon had bound this child (the importance of this is brought out in verse 29). 9.23. (NKJV) Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Turning to the father Jesus places the responsibility for his son's deliverance on him. “If you can believe - for all things are possible to him that believes”. This is a promise that we can claim (see also Mark 11: 24). 9.24. Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" The man realizing what Jesus was saying to Him and knowing his own lack gave out a heart rending cry and weeping confesses “Lord, I believe” but, “constantly help my weakness in faith” (Amp. N.T.)“ Or "when I begin to doubt help me to continue to believe". 9.25. Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
On seeing the crowds coming the Lord immediately rebukes the unclean spirit commanding it to come out of the boy. He further charges the spirit never to enter him again. This is the only time that it is recorded that Jesus does this. 9.26. It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He is dead!" The demon does not leave willingly but cannot do any other for Jesus has authority over all things. Such is the violent exit of the demon that the boy seems to be dead. 9.27. But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up. When the Lord delivers or heals He does so completely without any adverse effects and taking the boy by the hand lifts him up completely delivered and made whole. There were no scars left physically, mentally or spiritually. 9.28. Then, after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we cast it out?" The disciples were eager to find out why it was that they failed to deliver the boy. Was it their lack of faith? It is also good for us to enquire of the Lord why we seem to fail at something we have tried to do for Him. 9.29. He told them, "This kind can come out only by prayer." It was not their lack of faith it was just that they went about it the wrong way. The demon had a hold on the boy ever since he was a young child and was a powerful one that could only be dealt with after a time spent in prayer and fasting.
2. A Quiet time with Jesus 30 - 32. 9.30. They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know, At last Jesus provides an opportunity to spend time with His disciples alone for He leads them by a pathway through Galilee that no man should know. There are times when the Lord would have us to walk a quiet path with Him for which He will provide an opportunity if we keep our eyes upon Him to see the way He would guide us. 9.31. for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." The purpose for this time is that He might teach His disciples. The content of His teaching is given only as brief headings. The Son of Man - He would have told them the meaning of this title that He was God manifest in human form, born of a woman. Delivered into the hands of men and killed He had come to give His life as a sacrifice for sin. He shall rise the third day - be raised from the dead triumphant over sin, death and the grave and would thereby justify many. 9.32. But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him.
The disciples however did not understand what He was saying to them and was afraid to ask Him to explain more clearly to them.
3. The Greatest is the Least 33 - 37. 9.33. Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" On their way to Capernaum all was not well between the disciples: there had been a dispute among them which they thought the Lord had not heard. The order of walking would be Jesus as the Master in front and the disciples following in single file so it was quite possible for them to talk among themselves without Jesus hearing. When they arrived at the house they must have been taken by complete surprise and embarrassed when Jesus asked them what they were arguing about. There is nothing that is hid from His sight or that He does not hear although we may keep it from one another (Heb. 4: 12 - 13). 9.34. But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. The disciples were too ashamed to admit that they had been arguing about who would be the most important and have the most honoured place in the Kingdom of God especially as Jesus had just told them that He would be taken and killed. They were all rather ambitious and sought to exalt themselves (Matthew 20: 20 - 21). 9.35. After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." Jesus soon brings them down to earth as He sits down with them and sorts them out. Whoever has a desire to be first, or the greatest, must humble himself and consider himself last and seek to be a servant of all, the opposite to all human thinking. 9.36. He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, He takes a little child and sets him in the middle of them so that they may compare themselves to the humbleness of a child. Then He takes the child into His arms to show that it is those who become as little children whom He welcomes and embraces (Math. 18: 4) - of such is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 19: 14). 9.37. "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." Whoever accepts and receives a child in the Lord's Name and for His sake, it is counted as having received Jesus Christ. Not only Him but also His Father who sent Him into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1: 15). Š Derek Williams 2013 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges.
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