Mark 9_9_29

Mark 9:9-29

Paraphrase

As the disciples and Jesus came down off the mountaintop Jesus ordered them to keep quiet about what they saw until after His resurrection. The disciples began to discuss what that meant. They ask Jesus why the Scribes taught that Elijah must come before the Messiah. Jesus answered them by saying “Elijah does come first, but what do the Scriptures say about the Son of Man?” Elijah has come and they did to evil to him just as the Scriptures claimed.”

As Jesus, Peter, James, and John approach the 9 disciples they saw a large crowd had gathered and the scribes wee arguing with them. When the crowd saw Jesus they excited and ran to Him. Jesus asked the disciples “what are you discussing with them?” A man in the crowd told Jesus that he had brought his demon possessed son to Him to be healed, you were here so I asked your disciples to heal him and they could not. Jesus said “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you, how long shall I put up with you?” Then Jesus told the man to bring his son to Him. As the boy was brought to Jesus the demon seized him, the little boy began to have convulsions, falling to the ground, rolling around and foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, “how long has this been going on?” the father answered “since he was small; he has often been thrown in the fire and water to be destroyed. If there is anything you can do please do it” Jesus answered “if you can? All things are possible to him who believes.” The father immediately cried out “I do believe you can heal my son, please help me believe!”

As Jesus saw the crowd press in Jesus cast the demon out by saying, “you deaf and mute spirit, I command you to come out of him and never return.” The demon cried out throwing the boy into one last convulsion then came out of him. The boy laid still as a corpse, some thought he was dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up. When Jesus and His disciples entered into the house they asked why they could not cast the demon out. Jesus answered “this kind comes out only by prayer.”

Summary

Coming off the mountain Jesus orders the disciples to mention nothing of what they saw until after His resurrection. They did not understand this and began to ask Jesus questions about why the Scribes say Elijah must return first. Jesus told them that Elijah had come first and they killed him as the Scriptures say they would then asked them what the Scriptures said of the Son of Man? Jesus answered for them, He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt.

As they linked up with the other nine disciples a crowd had gathered and the scribes wee arguing with them. When the crowd saw Jesus they were excited and ran to Him. Jesus asked what was going on and was told by a man that he had brought his demon possessed son to Him to be healed but He wasn’t there, so he asked the disciples to do it but they could not. Jesus rebukes the unbelief of the disciples and possible the crowd and heals the boy. The demon makes one last attempt to destroy the boy before coming out of him leaving the boy lying motionless on the ground. Jesus raised him up then they went to a house. While inside the house the disciples asked why they could not cast that demon out, Jesus answered because that kind can only be cast out by prayer. Evidently they had not been praying.