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Back to Work
A Sermon on Mark 9:14-29
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
Luke has it “The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.”
If you remember, after Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up onto a mountain, and there, as Moses and Elijah appeared, Jesus was transfigured before the disciples. Here we see Jesus in His glory as God the Son, holy and radiant. This is Messiah.
But what does Messiah do? Well, the second half of the book of Mark tells us what kind of Messiah Jesus is, and what it means to follow this Messiah.
So what does Messiah do?
He comes down from the mountain. Back to the dusty roads, pushy crowds, sufferings of human beings, conflicts, irritations of dealing with sinful deceitful people, then ultimately betrayal, suffering and death as a ransom for many..
Do you ever just get tired of the muck of human life, the conflict, the hurting, the demands upon you? Well, so did Jesus, but he came down off the mountain, because that was his mission as messiah -- into the muck of this broken world.
And so Jesus, Peter, James, and John reenter the world of men, and it’s not a moment before they are again embroiled in controversy.
There up there are the other disciples, and a large crowd around them, and scribes, and a big argument. Welcome back guys!
Remember, the scribes were not horrible mean people we make them out to be. They were considered as experts in the Scripture and the Mosaic Law. Because the Mosaic law was also the civil law, the scribes had an important role in understanding the body of precedent and judging situations according to precedent. Jesus was a real phenomenon, and the officials rightly needed to look into him and see what he was about.
15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
So, as Jesus and the three disciples approach, the some people see them, and run over to greet them, so glad they are to see Jesus.
It says that the people were overwhelmed with wonder. It has been suggested that Jesus having been transfigured on the mountain, shone perhaps as Moses had on coming down from Mt. Sinai, filling the people with wonder.
But shine or not, there’s an argument to sort out.
16 "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.
We are not sure whether Jesus directed this question to the scribes or disciples.
We can reconstruct the argument from the various accounts. A man had brought his son to Jesus to be healed, but Jesus was away with Peter, James, and John. So the man asked the disciples to heal his son, and to cast out the demon in his son. The disciples tried to do this and failed. Then scribes who had been sent to to check out Jesus, saw this, and started to accuse the disciples. They took this as an opportunity to make a case against Jesus and his disciples. One can imagine them sneering at the disciples, rubbing it in, turning the crowd against them. The disciples try to defend themselves, and soon there is a big brouhaha.
But Jesus’ question shut the mouths of the scribes.
There is silence.
Neither the scribes nor the disciples answer Jesus’ question. Rather, the man with the demon possessed boy, who knows himself to be the reason for the argument, speaks up. I think this is very brave of the man, full of integrity and responsibility.
17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 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 steps forward and takes responsibility for the situation. It is in fact his desire to have his son healed that resulted in the events which led to the argument.
A parent will go to almost any length for the sake of a child. This man had one child – as Luke tells us – and this only child suffered from demon possession, probably had epilepsy, and was a deaf mute. The father had heard about Jesus and had brought is child to Jesus to be healed, only to find Jesus gone.
But now Jesus is there, and the man steps forward.
19 "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."
Whoa!
Jesus here is deeply moved and anguished. He lets out a sigh, a groaning exclamation. “O” faithless generation.” How long will I be with you. How long will I put up with you.”
His cry of exasperation expresses a weariness that is close to heartbreak.* No one seems to recognize who he is and what he can do. No one seems to believe in His God. All around is pride, hardness of heart, suffering, intrigue, lack of faith. Jesus is alone.
The cry “How long” is rooted in the Psalms. It is one of the common cries of the heart. We also can cry out “how long.” We too can join with the Psalmist and with Jesus and cry out to God together.
Do we not also in some ways feel exasperation and anguish and weariness approaching heartbreak – with ourselves, with the unending conflict around us, with the brokenness of the world, with the unbelief of our generation, with the grind of life. Do we not also cry out ‘How long.’ Do we not say “Come Lord Jesus!”
But we like Jesus have a job to do. We like Jesus have been sent into this world. We are called as he was to be in this world of hurt and to love the hurting and work for justice and proclaim the truth of God who made and is redeeming the world.
Jesus too, having expressed his anguish, goes to work.
“Bring the boy to me”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
So they bring the boy to Jesus. As the boy nears, the evil spirit within him sees and recognizes Jesus. There is an immediate reaction and the demon throws the boy into a horrible epileptic type convulsion.
If you have ever seen a grand mal seizure, you know what a terrible thing it is. This convulsion of the boy was at least that, and with the presence of the demon even more than that.
While the boy writhes on the ground, Jesus, like a calm and ympathetic physician, addresses the father. He wants to connect with the father’s heart. He wants the father to express his own desperation.
21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. 22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him.
They stand there, Jesus and this brokenhearted father, as the child writhes on the ground. Not for one week or two weeks but since childhood this only child has been this way. There they are – Jesus, this one and only child, and this tender and loving and helpless parent.
And now the father has a question for Jesus.
But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
He appeals to Jesus compassion and pity. He asks for help. He is not sure that Jesus can help, but if Jesus can help, would he please have pity and do so.
Earlier in Mark a leper had said, ‘If you are willing you can make me clean.” The leper knew Jesus could do it, but wasn’t sure he would. This man in appealing to Jesus’ pity, perhaps believes Jesus might want to, but isn’t sure he can.
This father certainly would have believed in a general way that the God of Israel had the power to heal his son. But he had not yet come to know Jesus to be God’s anointed. He wasn’t completely sure if Jesus could do anything to help. Jesus’ disciples hadn’t been much help, maybe Jesus wouldn’t be much help either.
But there seems to be something about Jesus that evokes at least a mustard seed of faith in the man. He believes in Jesus just enough to appeal to Jesus perhaps to try.
“But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
23 "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Jesus compassion and pity gives him great patience with this dear father. He doesn’t rebuke the father’s failure to believe that Jesus can heal his son. But he does turn the request around. The issue here isn’t Jesus and his ability, but the man’s faith in Jesus.
“All things are possible for him who believes.”
If we could cast ourselves in total trust and faith upon Jesus alone then there is no end to what Jesus can do.
If we could trust completely in the promises of Jesus there is no end to what He could do in and through us.
Where do we begin? By looking to Jesus.
Something in Jesus’ person, in His words, are used by God to awaken even greater hope and belief in the heart of this dear father.
24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
These are some of the most precious words in the whole of Scripture.
Jesus’ words seem to awaken within the father a lively and personal faith in Jesus. Jesus’ words also seem to pierce the man in a convicting manner, bringing about a beautiful and true self-awareness.
“Yes, I find that I’m believing, and to the extent that I’m not believing, help me overcome my unbelief.”
Doesn’t this describe us? Can we not each also say to the Lord, “Yes Lord I believe, but I don’t really believe, and I need you to heal my unbelief.”
We are like little toddlers learning to walk. We love being held by mom or dad. We love to be held, and we don’t want to step out from that embrace. But the world is calling. And mom or dad is saying, “Go on, take a step, walk. I’ll catch you if you fall. I’ll be right here.”
The child is afraid. The child knows the safety of being held. But he can’t spend his life there. So with encouragement the little duffer takes two steps and then stops. He looks around. You still there, Mom?
When you want a child to step out and take a step, you don’t stand behind the child. You don’t get the child to look at his feet.
No you stand in front of the child so he can look at you and at least for a moment forget himself. Then he steps forth.
Jesus says that all things are possible for him who believes.
This is of course hyperbole, and has to be understood in terms of many other scriptures.
It would be tempting to use this passage to address the question of how should we pray when it comes to healing. But I’m not going to do that. For most of us, our core issues of faith and belief and trust are not centered on the issue of healing. For most of us problems of faith and belief and trust are centered on our response to God’s promises and His commandments.
Do we trust and believe God sufficiently to believe in His word?
Do we trust and believe God sufficiently to obey and follow Him?
Fear grips us. Do you know what commandment is most often repeated in the Scripture?
Do not fear. Do not be afraid.
What promises are attached to this command? I am with you. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you?
For every commandment a promise is attached. Think of these commandments. What are the fears which keep us from obedience? What are the promises attached?
God commands me to believe in Jesus.
God commands me to follow Jesus.
God commands us to go and make disciples.
God commands me love others as he has loved me.
God commands me to be honest.
Gods commands me to be content.
Can you imagine what would be possible if we would relinquish our fears and trust in His promises?
Can you imagine what effect we could have in the world if we would relinquish our fears and go forth in faith?
Jesus is telling us here that the issue isn’t His faithfulness or His goodness or His ability, but our faithfulness, our belief, our trust. Will we step boldly and joyfully into a faith where Jesus is the only prop we have holding us up, where He will either meet our needs or we will perish?
I want us to see Jesus’ words as they apply to the struggle that we each have to believe in and trust ourselves to Him in all the situations we face in our lives. For that was the real issue for this man. Could he have a radical faith in the person of Jesus to meet him at his point of helplessness? Can we.
What’s the cutting edge of faith for you this week?
To do so we look not at ourselves but at Him and we let him carry us forth into belief. We ask Him to heal our unbelief even as we go forth believing.
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene,
Before we see what Jesus now did, notice that he rushed to heal the boy before the crowd gathered in full. Jesus healing ministry was not a circus event. Crowds are not by any means a sign of belief or success. Generally the disciples who followed were very few compared to the crowds who turned away after the excitement was over.
he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
Rather than stay out amongst the mob, Jesus retires indoors into a house with the disciples. The disciples are nursing their wounds. Jesus had given them authority to drive out demons, so why couldn’t they drive out this one?
29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
The faith that Jesus says makes all things possible is a dependent faith – a faith that prays to God through Jesus. It is a faith that knows that we are the end of our resources. The faith that Jesus says makes all things possible is not a feeling of inner boldness that fills us with self confidence. The faith that Jesus says makes all things possible is not spiritual bravado. This faith is not confident in itself.
Saving faith, and the faith that carries us through discipleship, looks not at itself at all. Rather it looks to Jesus, the author of faith. Prayer is looking to Jesus and letting Him be the answer to our need. Prayer is the first way faith shows itself.
The disciples had believed perhaps that the gift given to them was now theirs and in their control. But even in our area of giftedness, we must always be dependent and prayerful.
So what about us?
If like Jesus we are going to go forth into the world and deal with its hurt and with its overwhelming issues and problems, we must go forth with a dynamic and dependent faith. Jesus had this faith in God the Father. He lived as we are to live – by faith. He came down from the mountain. He didn’t forsake his mission to this fallen world. He didn’t abandon in his calling in fear. He rolled up his sleeves and went to work, exasperating as that sometimes was.
The man with the sick boy began to have this same kind of dynamic and dependent faith – but in Jesus, and only with respect to a thing he wanted Jesus desperately to do for his son. We do not really know if this man went forth in faithful discipleship. I bet he did.
The disciples did not yet have this kind of faith in Jesus. They had not yet rearranged their God understanding to include Jesus. They had not yet reached a point of radical dependence, which is why they hadn’t prayed. Prayer implies dependency and helplessness and looking to Jesus alone as the source of good. The disciples weren’t there yet.
Where are we?
What are our belief issues?
Where is our belief inadequate?
Sometimes when we look at these issues of faith we would despair. How will we ever have enough faith. How can we ever be the kind of disciple Jesus calls us to be? But if we turn inward and begin to look at the inadequacy of our own faith, we stop looking to Jesus and the adequacy of his promises.
Rather let us do what this man did. Let us step out with the faith we have. Let us obey the radical commandments with the little faith we have, and look to Jesus to increase our faith as we go. He will provide the trust and belief we need as we need it. As he does this we will know the blessing of God.
We will then know more how true it can be that all things are possible for him who believes. |
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