The Great Challenge of Faith (Mark 9:14–29)

CPT: Jesus chastises this generation’s unbelief in God, steps into a situation where the disciples were powerless, casts out a demon, and urges his disciples to do their spiritual work through prayer.

Purpose: To describe to the church the challenge of faith and encourage our growth in the area of faith.

CPS: The great challenge of faith is vital to spiritual growth.

The great challenge of faith exposes God’s strength over our weakness.

The great challenge of faith is fought by Christians in prayer.

Introduction

Attention

Faith is a great challenge. Faith and belief are two concepts that are in the same realm, but they have differences, nuances. Faith and belief both require a response from a person. When we believe something, we are presented a set of facts and submit to its truthfulness. I believe the sky is blue because I look up and see the sky with a color I recognize as blue.

Christians are called believers because we believe in the good news, that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross from our sins, and rose again. Yet, that belief needs to be more than simply an intellectual response. Paul describes faith as a belief that comes from your heart. In Romans 10:9, Paul says if you, “believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Faith comes from a core part of our being.

Faith is a spiritual belief and trust from the depth of our soul, and faith is a work of God. In Romans 10:17, "faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” God uses the message of Christ to bring people to faith.

If you are a Christian today, you are someone who God has worked in to bring about faith. No matter the amount of faith, there is some amount of saving faith in the life of a Christian. Faith is a great challenge to the Christian, because faith can be tested. It can be comfortable to express your faith in here, among the church. It’s comfortable in here. But what about when the rubber meets the road, when its not so culturally accepted, where you may be the only one in the room with faith. What then? Where is your faith?

I grew up a New York Mets fan. In the early 70s, a pitcher for the New York Mets coined a phrase for the team that said, “Ya Gotta Believe.” The Mets became known as the Miracle Mets for winning the World Series in 1969, and in 1973 made it to the World Series again. They lost that year.

I am too young for 1969 or 1973. But I do remember watching the New York Mets in 1986. I was 9 years old, and we were watching game 6 of the World Series between the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox. My family was going crazy. The Mets were up to bat in the 10th inning and we had tied up the game on a wild pitch. Mookie Wilson was up to bat. He hit this slow dribbler to the first baseman, Bill Buckner, and he missed the ball. The ball went through his legs, and Ray Knight scored from second base to win the game. I remembered that saying about the Mets, “Ya Gotta Believe.”

In 1986, as a Mets fan, there was just this belief that felt like, they were going to win. We understand the concept of faith, sort of this deep down trust that things will work out, that God is on our side. Too often we put our faith in the wrong things. While the Mets won the World Series in 1986, they have not won a World Series since then. (I’ve since adopted the Padres, and when the Mets play the Padres, I feel like I’m in a win-win situation!).

Faith in people will disappoint us, and we sometimes treat God as if he is the same way. Faith is challenging, because it is a spiritual battle. Our natural bent is not to trust, but faith says that I know who my God is, I know he is faithful, and I will trust him no matter what.

In our text today, we will see people battling with faith and how the Lord points them in growing their faith. If you want to grow in your faith today, listen to this story in Mark 9:14-29.

To bring us up to date on where we are, Jesus brought this core group of three disciples, Peter, James, and John, up a mountain, where he was transfigured before them. That does that mean? His disciples received a little taste of Jesus in his glory, a taste of what is described as the kingdom of God in Mark 9:1.

Jesus was shown glorious in front of his disciples, shining brightly, clothes becoming whiter than any launderer could make them. He was talking with Moses and Elijah, and the Father came as a voice from a cloud saying, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him!” (Mark 9:7).

Then Peter, James, and John were alone with Jesus. They came down the mountain from this incredible mountain experience, and this is what the Gospel writer says happened:

Scripture Reading

Mark 9:14–29 CSB

14 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes disputing with them. 15 When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran to greet him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?” 17 Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 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 drive it out, but they couldn’t.” 19 He replied to them, “You unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” 20 So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father. “From childhood,” he said. 22 “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: Come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 Then it came out, shrieking and throwing him into terrible convulsions. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. 28 After he had gone into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 And he told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.”

Pray

Jesus and this small group of small disciples have just been on the mountaintop. Jesus was transfigured before them, and they had this incredible experience of the kingdom of God. Now, they come down the mountain to this scene of what Jesus describes as an unbelieving generation.

If you are a Jewish man who knows your Hebrew Scriptures, you can’t help but draw parallels between this and Moses in Exodus 32, where Moses comes down from experiencing God in the mountaintop to a people who have fallen into unbelief.

Jesus comes down, and he sees a crowd of people around his disciples. Apparently, while he was up there, a man had asked his disciples to drive out a demon from his son, but they couldn’t do it.

If you remember, Jesus had sent out the disciples in pairs back in chapter 6, with authority over demons. Look at Mark 6:7:

Mark 6:7 CSB

7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

In fact, the disciples had been successful when they were sent out. It says in Mark 6:13 that “they drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” This wasn’t the disciples first rodeo with demons.

It would be natural then for the disciples to feel a bit sure of themselves when they were confronted with this young boy. They would feel like they could handle this. Jesus had given them authority before, so surely they’d be able to handle this demon now. But they couldn’t.

You can feel that the scribes would love to jump on this and take advantage of the situation. The scribes were not fans of Jesus, and there would be a lot of, “I-told-you-so-s floating around.” They would say, “See, you’re trying to do this as his disciples. We told you he is not the man you think he is - not the Messiah. If you followed us, you would know better.”

You can feel the tension in the air, and there would be a lot of doubting going on.

Here comes Jesus, and he steps into this situation of finger-pointing and doubting. He asks them, “What are you arguing about?” A man stepped out from the crowd and explained the situation to Jesus. This man was the boy’s father. Look at Mark 9:17-18:

Mark 9:17–18 CSB

17 Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 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 drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

There is a lot going on here. The main interactions in this text is between Jesus and the boy’s father, and Jesus with his disciples.

The father describes the reason he has come this way:

He has a son.

He brought his son to Jesus to rid him of a spirit.

The spirit makes the boy unable to speak.

The spirit seizes the boy in his body causing a condition that sounds like an epileptic seizure.

Simply because the demon is mimicking a disease-like condition doesn’t mean the boy has a disease.

The father clearly understands that the boy is not suffering from a disease, but from a spirit.

He doesn’t ask for help from a disease. He asks for the demon to be driven out.

The demon is not just seizing the boy, but in Mark 9:22 often tries to throw the boy “into fire or water to destroy him.” This is a demon that wants to destroy the boy.

Further, the demon in fact reacts to Jesus, and is driven out, affirming that what the boy is suffering from is demon-possession and not a sickness.

What’s interesting about Jesus’ ministry is that there are these two primary fields of ministry that the Lord finds himself doing: Healing diseases and casting out demons. He of course did more, such as raising the dead, but diseases and casting out demons were a part of his ministry.

We understand disease, but what are demons?

The Bible describes demons as fallen angels, created spiritual beings who rebelled against God and fell to the same fate as Satan, cast out of heaven and existing as outcasts here on Earth. They are intelligent spiritual beings who fell into sin, and as a result propagate evil here on earth.

The Gospels make clear, as in our text today, that demons are able to at times possess human bodies.

Demons are in a spiritual battle against God (Rev. 12:7)

Demons tempt people into sin (Eph 6:11)

Demons deceive people with lies and false teachings (1 Tim. 4:1).

Evil spirits are not just a biblical idea. If evil spirits are true and affecting the whole earth, you’d expect to see some elements of evil spirits in every culture, and that is exactly what you find.

Hinduism describes demonic activity as “asuras” or “rakshasas,” and even have a practice of exorcism rituals to try and get rid of these demons. Islam speaks of evil spirits known as “jinn,” who are believed to be able to possess people and tempt humans toward sin. Many African religions acknowledge the existence of evil spirits. In Native American religions, some tribes believe in “skinwalkers” or “witches” who possess evil spiritual powers. Japanese folklore describe entities like “yokai” or “obake,” spiritual beings which may have evil intent.

Even in our materialistic American culture, there are examples of beliefs in evil spirits. You see the popularity of shows that chase after ghosts and haunted places, or spiritualists that claim to speak for the dead. All of these have consistent aspects that can be attributed to demonic activity in the world.

All around the world and in our own culture, man consistently testifies to the presence of evil spirits in the world.

What’s interesting about demonic activity in the Bible is that, if you look at the Old Testament, it does speak of demonic activity. There are traces and elements of it in the Hebrew Scriptures. However, a lot of the Old Testament speaks more about the failures of man in upholding God’s Word.

It’s not until you get to the life of Jesus that there is this apparent explosion of demonic activity. What is going on? What’s happening in the first-century is not that demons are more abundant then. It is that they are now exposed because God in human flesh is present. When they are confronted by God, they cannot hide. They may like to hide because they want to deceive people, but the presence of Jesus exposes the evil spirits in the world.

Demons love to prey on human weakness. It is exactly because of our human weakness that we need faith. Faith in God is our weapon against human weakness.

That is our first point,

The great challenge of faith exposes God’s strength over our weakness.

We get back to the father in the story, and you sense someone who is weary. He is not completely done, but he is getting there. There is still a glimmer of hope, but the hope is fading.

The father brought the boy to Jesus, but ended up with his disciples first. But the disciples could not drive out the demon.

Then Jesus comes. He steps out to Jesus to explain what happens with his son. The spirit in the boy sees Jesus, and immediately throws the boy into convulsions. Jesus asks the father a question in Mark 9:21 “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father. “From childhood,” he said.”

Then the next statement from the father is a total statement of despair. It’s holding on to a hope that you’re not really feeling because you’ve been disappointed so much. Take a look at verse 22.

Mark 9:22–24 CSB

22 “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

You can sense from the father just how tired he is as he describes the situation to Jesus. Remember, his son has just had convulsions from the demon in their midst. The father says, “Many times… many times this demon tries to destroy my son. He tries to throw him in the fire. He tries to throw him in the water.” Then, here is the exasperation part. “If there is anything you can do, I know how hopeless this seems, but if there is any glimmer of hope, please let me know.”

That is not the statement of a man with a strong faith. That is the statement of a man running on his last grain, his last speckle of faith, smaller than the dot in a sentence.

So many times we sound like the father. “Listen, I’ve been through this so many times before. I’ve heard this so many times. How many more times am I going to be disappointed?”

Jesus wakes him up out of his stupor. He says in Mark 9:23 “If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.” Don’t miss the statement on the one who believes.

In the same account of this event in Matthew 17:20, Jesus tells his disciples,

Matthew 17:20 CSB

20 “Because of your little faith,” he told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Whether you’re talking about the disciples or your talking about the father, the totality of what is happening here is a struggle to have faith amidst a hard circumstance. To the father, Jesus is saying, “If you could have just a minutia of faith in God, believing that he has the power to overcome this situation, you could see God work here.”

When you have faith, it’s not only overcoming the situation, but it’s the ability to see God work in something and to give him the glory. Because your faith will tell you that this was not you at all! This was God at work.

The struggle from the father is a struggle we can relate to in Mark 9:24 “I do believe; help my unbelief!” The father points to the ideal that he has to believe in God. He knows that’s what he would want to believe. At the same time, he acknowledges that, “I’m struggling to really believe what I say I want to believe. I’m struggling to have faith.”

How many times do we do that? “God, I want to believe that you will get me over my depression, over my anxiety; I’m just having a hard time believing it. God, I want to believe that you will heal my marriage; I’m just having a hard time seeing it. God, I want to believe that you will get me through this challenge I’m facing; I’m just having a hard time believing that right now.”

Faith is challenging. But faith is a spiritual fight worth having. Faith is grounded in the reality that we need God because we are weak. In the world, human weakness is a problem, but in Christ, human weakness is a strength. When I embrace my weakness, I grow stronger in my faith recognizing that I need God in every situation.

The Apostle Paul was dealing with his own Satanic attack, which he described as a thorn in his flesh, which reminded him of his own weakness. He pleads with God to take it away, and the Lord tells him this in 2 Cor. 12:9-10:

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 CSB

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul learns to embrace his human weakness, because it is exactly his own weakness that causes his faith to grow. He says I will boast in my weakness. I will take pleasure in the hardships and difficulties, because they point me to Christ and build my faith in him.

While we’ve lived in San Diego, we’ve ended up moving many times. Each time we move, I end up needing boxes and buying more boxes at the store. I’ve had to learn how to pack boxes over time. You don’t think that’s a skill, but it is. You don’t want to pack these things too heavy. I have these exercise weights in the house. One time, I made the mistake of packing those, and when you put a bunch of weights together, you realize quickly that you shouldn’t spent more time lifting those up. Or if you have a lot of books, you have to pack those in small boxes, because those get heavy when you put them together. When I get a heavy box, I learn not to have pride and try to carry those on my own anymore. I just end up with a hurt. I’ve learned to ask for help in picking up those heavy boxes.

That’s just a small example of moving. In life, many times you don’t have control of what’s been packed. Life can get really heavy. But there we are in life, trying to pick up the box of life on our own. In life, I need first to embrace the fact that I can’t lift this up. Then, I need to believe and have faith that my Father in heaven will pick up this box for me. The Lord describes it as moving a mountain from here to there.

The great challenge of faith exposes God’s strength over our weakness.

Second and last,

The great challenge of faith is fought by Christians in prayer.

One of the most interesting interactions in our text today is the interaction between Jesus and his disciples after the Lord drives the demon out of the boy. Listen to this interaction in Mark 9:28-29:

Mark 9:28–29 CSB

28 After he had gone into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 And he told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.”

What were the disciples doing? They had tried to drive out the demon, but how were they doing it? Maybe they were attempting to use commands, perhaps as they’d seen the Lord do in the past. But in the background, did they see themselves as the power? What I mean is, were they in prayer to cast out the demon, or were they in themselves to cast out the demon?

We don’t know, but we do know what the Lord says. He says, “Spiritual problems need spiritual power. If you think that spiritual power comes from you, your wrong. But you have the spiritual power that you need at all times through your reliance on God in prayer. Prayer is your weapon in spiritual battles.”

We sometimes think that God is expecting us to do it all. But that is not the case. He does expect us to come to him. Look at how the writer of Hebrews put it in Hebrews 4:14-16:

Hebrews 4:14–16 CSB

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

As followers of our Lord Jesus, he knows our weakness. He knows those issues in life that seem to big. He knows those spiritual battles we face. It is precisely because he understands our weakness that we don’t have to be ashamed when we can’t do something on our own. It is better to carry our weakness to the throne of God, and get on our knees, crying out to him because we need him.

Many of us don’t run to God in prayer because it’s not our first inclination that we need him in all things. We are stubbornly self-sufficient. But it is our self-sufficiency that is holding us back in growing in our Christian faith. Christianity is not self-sufficient. It is God-dependent. When you are someone who is dependent on God, you hold on to the amazing connection you have with God in prayer.

Look at these verses. This is the prayer life that God is calling you to. In Col. 4:2:

Colossians 4:2 CSB

2 Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.

In Eph. 6:18:

Ephesians 6:18 CSB

18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

In Phil. 4:6:

Philippians 4:6 CSB

6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

In 1 Thess. 5:17, these two words:

1 Thessalonians 5:17 CSB

17 pray constantly,

Christian, there is a great challenge of faith in your life, and faith will never grow until it is grown through a life of constant prayer. We are people who are spiritually dependent on God, and that dependence is shown through prayer. We need to be a church and a people who depend on God through prayer.

I love the hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Listen to these lyrics:

What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bear

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit

O what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged

Take it to the Lord in prayer

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness

Take it to the Lord in prayer

I love that the writer says, “Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.” He knows our weakness, but I wonder if we do. We need to embrace our weakness and take it to the Lord. Spiritual problems need spiritual power. Spiritual power comes through the one who has the power. Let us run to him in prayer.

Faith is a great challenge. You know Christ through faith, and you grow in Christ through faith. We grow in faith by trusting him and seeking him out in prayer. Let us all grow in our faith this week and every day by being a church dependent on God in prayer.

Conclusion

The great challenge of faith exposes God’s strength over our weakness.

The great challenge of faith is fought by Christians in prayer.

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!