A healing for you

A Coming Day of “Never Again”

(Mark 9:14-29, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, June 2, 2019)

[14] And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. [15] And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. [16] And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” [17] And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. [18] And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”

[19] And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” [20] And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. [21] And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. [22] And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” [23] And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” [24] Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

[25] And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, 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] And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” [27] But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

[28] And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” [29] And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

What are you arguing about with them?

When Jesus and three of his disciples came down the mountain after the amazing and life-changing Transfiguration of the Lord, they all immediately ran into an ongoing argument involving the scribes and some of Jesus' other disciples. The Lord had previously warned the disciples about the teaching of the scribes and the Pharisees, and he had just been speaking with Peter, James, and John about how the scribes had missed the importance of John the Baptist, doing with him whatever they wanted.

When the master was temporarily gone, these religious enemies were causing trouble. Meanwhile the crowd was amazed to see Jesus and they rushed right to him. They had a need (or a passion to test him one more time) and he had a question for his friends: “What are you arguing about with them?” The father of a boy who needed healing believed that the trouble was about the inability of the disciples to heal his son. We can readily imagine that the scribes had used this sad non-healing to rail against the friends of the Lord. But now the master had arrived and that debate was over.

A frightening enemy was lurking in the life of the young man. Note the words describing the activity of this unclean spirit against the boy. The spirit “seizes” him. It “throws” him down. The spirit was not the boy's friend. It would want to break him and kill him.

Bring him to me.

Jesus would help the son by casting out the unclean spirit, but the boy was not the only one in trouble that day. His father also needed help. In fact, the whole generation, Jesus said, was “faithless.” They were a heavy burden on the honest shoulders of the Messiah.

Jesus said these welcome words of power: “Bring him to me.” They brought him to Jesus. That's when the frightening performance began, as if this bully spirit asserted its limited authority over the boy, like a jackal jealous for his possession of a prey that it considered its own. It “convulsed” the boy. Naturally such a sight would have been overwhelming to all observing. Jesus asked the father a basic question. “How long?” That's a great question, not only going back, but especially going forward. “How long?” Going back the question was “How long has this been happening to him?” Answer: “From childhood.” Devastating. Going forward the question was different: “How long will this be allowed to continue?” We are waiting for that answer as the issue changes from the possessed son to the desperate father.

The father used understandable words for someone who had long been disappointed and was almost out of strength: “If you can do anything...” Jesus then exposed the bigger issue that he had touched upon by mention of the argument with the scribes and his reference to the “unbelieving” generation. Where is the father's faith?

We tend to focus on the father, or the disciples, or the crowd when we think of the topic of faith here, but the key focus of faith is the OBJECT of faith, not the person who may or may not be exercising faith very well. The important thing about our faith is our own inability and our then finding someone who is able. God is able! Jesus is able! The Holy Spirit is able! We are the ones who stand in need of divine compassion and world-changing help. God heals and God gives faith. Suddenly “all things are possible.”

Come out of him and never enter him again.

Jesus did not do what he did that day to impress the crowd. He performed most of his miracles because of compassion for needy people like us who would be able to have hope in him through his word. When we read and find faith, we are healed. Jesus said two things that should impress us as we read about this encounter with a frightening adversary. First, “I command you.” Who was in charge? Jesus. What about today? Same answer. Second, “Never again.” The day is swiftly approaching for a final “never again.” He will remove from us every enemy, take us by the hand, lift us up, and we will rise.

Faith and prayer

Who needed Jesus that day? The boy. The father. The disciples. The crowd. The scribes. Who needs him today? We do. Remember to believe. Remember to read the word and pray. All of these good spiritual exercises are not about impressing any crowd. They are first about God, the great object of our faith, who gives us every good and perfect gift.

Inability, possibility, and the power of God

Jesus, the God/man who died for our sins, overturns an evil empire by His word. That was true in the life of his disciples 2000 years ago and it is true all over the world today.

Our attempts to fix ourselves and this very damaged life all around us often lead us to frustration and despair. Who can defeat the powers of darkness? We know this for certain: Jesus casts out evil by his own divine authority. He calls his disciples to a life of faith and prayer as he continues to overturn demonic oppression everywhere.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 111 – His wondrous works

New Testament Reading—James 4:1-10 – He gives more grace