Mark 9:14-29
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.We have reached a key point in the ministry of Jesus. The time is about six months before Jesus' suffering and death. Jesus had predicted His suffering and death prior to this reading and his second prediction follows this text.
Jesus has just returned from the mountain where Peter, James and John witnessed the transfiguration. The other nine disciples were probably instructed to wait for their return. When Jesus and the three join the other nine disciples they find them arguing with some teachers of the law. A man had brought his demon-possessed son to the nine for help but they could not cure him. Their failure was most likely the root of the argument, but it also could have been the distraction that kept them from the task at hand.
After leaving Nazareth Jesus sent out the twelve to teach in villages and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits. We read that they used this authority to cast out many demons. On this occasion when the man brought his son to the disciples, they could not cure him. I'm sure this was an embarrassing moment for the disciples as the teachers watched the disciples efforts come to naught.
As Jesus approaches He asks what the argument is about. The father of this boy tells Jesus the plight of his son and the failure of the disciples. Jesus chooses this event to give a very severe indictment of the people of His day. He says: "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?" The greatest problem which Jesus faced was that they would not believe Him. They would not believe that He was the Son of God. They would not believe that He was the Messiah.
When Jesus healed the blind man near the Pool of Siloam, the Jewish authorities had the evidence of Jesus' divine nature but they would not believe. Likewise when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead they would not believe. Even the disciples lacked faith evident by there failure here and at other times.
When the disciples asked about their inability to cast out this demon Jesus answered, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer." What does Jesus mean by this? The basis of prayer is faith in the promises of God. Faith is a gift of God. Luther says in his explanation to the third article of the Apostles' Creed: "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith." Paul tells us faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The disciples failed because they lacked faith. That's what Jesus meant.
Even the father of the possessed boy was weak in his faith. Jesus criticizes the man by repeating his words "If I can". The man cries: "I do believe; help my unbelief." Its likely millions of Christians have prayed this prayer. And the Lord always answers the person who prays like this man did. Sinners can be helped, but stubborn unbelievers can't be helped.
The only one in this reading who received help was the father of the possessed boy. Even though his faith wavered he did believe. The father is like so many who fit the observation of James; "Their faith is like the waves of the sea, rising and falling, unsteady".
If we step back for a moment and look at what transpired aren't we looking at a microcosm of mankind? Some are like the teachers who just want to argue with believers. They are unbelieving people who don't really want Jesus and His promises. Then there are people, like the disciples, who have received the gifts of God but who do not use them because of the littleness of their faith. And then there are people like the father of this sick boy who cry: "Lord I do believe. Please help my unbelief."
The first group refuses to believe in what Jesus did and said. They have heard that they are in need of salvation. They have heard about what God has done for them through Christ, but they reject it. Remember, it's not sinners who will be lost but the unbelievers that will be lost. The Lord permits them to live on so that they will have the opportunity to repent. The Lord continually invites them into the kingdom.
This group wants to needle and harass believers when the opportunity arises. When Jesus found the nine, the crowd and the teachers were arguing with them. The unbelieving Jews grieved Jesus. Wherever St. Paul went to preach the Word, the unbelieving Jews hounded him and made his life miserable.
The second group is like the helpless disciples. This account of the disciples is truly a paradox. Jesus had given His disciples authority over the unclean spirits. And we know that they used this authority to cast out many demons. Why then couldn't they cast out the demon on this occasion? Was the demon too strong for them? Were they afraid of the demon? No. We have the answer from Jesus' own lips. When they asked Him: "Why could we not cast it out?" Jesus answered "This kind cannot come out by anything but by prayer." His rebuke of His disciples is not as severe as His rebuke to the people but it is still a rebuke. In the parallel account Matthew records Jesus saying: "Because of the littleness of your faith." Jesus' authority only works by faith. Our strength is in our faith in Him who sacrificed all for our sakes.
The third group is like the father of the possessed child. He confessed his sin to Jesus, the weakness of his faith. The man had a terrible problem with his and desperately needed help, but he was struggling with doubt. He said to Jesus "If you can." He was not quite sure that Jesus would or could help. When Jesus repeated these words to the man, he was criticizing the man's doubt. Jesus said: "All things are possible to him who believes." That is a promise! And then the man cried: "I DO believe; help my unbelief." This man was where a Christian must always start, in confession of our sin and weakness of faith.
The good news is the man did believe and was helped. Jesus will answer prayers which are prayed in faith, even if our faith is weak. The greatest of theologians struggled with doubt yet they still had faith to go on.
Every one of us wrestles with doubt that is not where we fail. We fail when we stop believing. We are not isolated and alone in doubt, but we are isolated and alone in disbelief.
All things are possible to him who believes. That is an absolute promise!
In the name of our risen Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
