Help Me with My Unblief

Introduction

Last week, we looked at the transfiguration of Jesus. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus in His glory—He was transfigured before their very eyes.

When we looked at the passage last week, Jesus was up on Mt Hermon, just north of Caesarea Philippi. Now Jesus and His three most trusted disciples are headed down the mountain. You may remember that we said Mt Hermon was around 9200 feet tall.

This morning we will pick up our story in Mark chapter 9, and we’ll begin reading with verse 14.

The Predicament

Mark 9:14–15 NIV84

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

As they approach the other disciples they could see that there was a large crowd gathered around them.

When the people see Jesus that run to meet Him. When they get to Him, Jesus asks them a question.

Jesus’ Question

Mark 9:16 NIV84

“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

As Jesus was coming down the mountain, He must have observed that there was some kind of heated discussion going on. So He asked them, “What were you arguing with them about?”

That’s when a man in the crowd spoke up.

Mark 9:17–18 NIV84

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

This man brought his son to the disciples to help him. The man needed the disciples to cast out the evil spirit which was controlling his son.

The Evil Spirit’s Power

It robbed him for his speech.

When it grabbed hold of the boy it would throw him to the ground.

The boy would foam at the mouth

Gnash his teeth.

And become rigid.

The Father’s Request

The man told Jesus, “I asked your disciples to drive out the evil Spirit, but they could not.”

Question: Why couldn’t the disciples cast out this evil spirit?

We are going to find the answer to this question a little bit later on in the story. But verse 19 gives a clue.

Jesus’ Response to the Disciples

Mark 9:19 NIV84

“O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

Notice Jesus begins with “O unbelieving generation. . .” Jesus is calling them “faithless.” Being faithless is a character quality that involves spiritual failures and is represented by generalized lack of faith in God.

But the question that really needs to be asked is who was “faithless?” Jesus addresses the entire crowd. But the emphasis seems to be on His disciples. Look at the second part of the verse. It seems to indicate that he was upset because His own disciples were “faithless” were a large part of the “faithless” generation. Jesus asks, “how long shall I stay with you? How long will I put up with you?”

Question: How often does our lack of faith keep us from experiencing a message from God?

Jesus goes on to gather more information about the boy. Look at verse 21.

Jesus Gather’s Information.

Mark 9:21–22 NIV84

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

He’s been this way from childhood—this was a long standing condition.

The evil spirit seems to be trying to kill the boy. (c.f. John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” )

If You Can Help?

Then he says, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Apparently, the lack of the disciples ability to cast out the demon had shaken the father’s faith. He wasn’t sure anyone could do anything to help his son—not even Jesus.

Jesus’ Response

Mark 9:23 NIV84

“ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

There are two things in this short little verse that we need to grasp in this story:

Jesus addresses the man’s unbelief, “If you can?” Notice that Jesus doesn’t chastise the man, but He does address the father’s unbelief.

But then Jesus follows up with the promise, “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

The Father’s Response

Mark 9:24 NIV84

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Again there are two things that we need to notice in the Father’s response.

First, he acknowledges his belief—his faith.

Second, he asks Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief!

Question: Have you acknowledged your lack of faith? Your disbelief?

Question: Are you asking Jesus to help you overcome your unbelief?

Another Miracle of Jesus

Mark 9:25 NIV84

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Jesus sees the crowd running to the scene—The group witnessing the miracle is about to get a lot larger.

Jesus’ command

So he commands the evil spirit—the deaf and mute spirit—to come out of the boy.

And Jesus tells the spirit to never enter him again.

The Demon’s Response

Mark 9:26 NIV84

The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”

The demon shrieked.

Made the boy convulse violent.

Then left the boy—so the boy looked like he was dead, “Looked so much like a corpse. . .”

Mark 9:27 NIV84

But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

Jesus’ Compassion

Jesus reaches down and gently helps the boy to his feet.

First, this action was a compassionate act for the boy.

Secondly, it proved to everyone that he was not dead.

Back in the House

When the disciples finally get Jesus away from the people, they have a question for Him, look at verse 28

Mark 9:28 NIV84

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

The disciples want to know what they did wrong. Why couldn’t they do the miracle—Jesus did, but they couldn’t—why?

Since they want to know, Jesus tells them.

Mark 9:29 NIV84

He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Why couldn’t the disciples accomplish the miracle for the man and his son? Because they were not connected to the power source—God’s power!

“This kind can come out only by prayer!” It appears that the disciples had failed to connect with the power of God, but instead trusted in their past success like in Mark 6 when Jesus gave them authority over evil spirits, and the disciples did had success, look at Mark 6:13.

Mark 6:13 NIV84

They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Yet in this case they had apparently not understood that they needed a constant connection on God the Father.

Some translations include the phrase prayer and fasting, but fasting is not in the oldest manuscripts. Many scholars believe it was “added” because of the early church’s emphasis on fasting in general.

It doesn’t matter whether or not you include both prayer and fasting, or only prayer it still emphasizes a strong connection to God!

On the Move

This section closes with Jesus and his disciples back on the move.

Mark 9:30–32 NIV84

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

First we’re told that Jesus and his disciples left Caesarea Philippi, and passed through Galilee.

Jesus didn’t want anyone to know where they were, because He wanted to teach them.

Part of what He taught them was that:

He would be betrayed.

He would captured by men.

These men would kill Him.

But after three days He would rise from they dead

But the disciples still did not understand, and they were afraid to ask Him about it. Isn’t this amazing? They still do not understand the power of Jesus, and they still don’t understand the identity of Jesus—He is the the essence of God! Philippians 2:6

Philippians 2:6 NIV84

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

There’s a lot for us to learn in this passage. It begins with our memory verse for this week—verse