Mark 9:14-29, “Help me overcome my unbelief!”
Today’s chosen text comes from Mark 9: 14-29, which describes the scene Of Jesus and his disciples coming down from the Transfiguration Mountain, and they saw a large crowd and scribes arguing with them. As they arrived, Jesus asked them, “What are you arguing about?” Then, the father of a demon-possessed boy in Vss. 17 and 18 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.” If we read on Vss. 21-25, we can see that this boy was deaf as well, and he had been like that from childhood; he had seizures by demonic spirits that often threw him into fire and water, trying to destroy him.
From today’s text, we can learn a couple of things.
First, this troubled boy, who had symptoms like epilepsy in modern terms, collapsed on the ground, foamed at the mouth, gnashed his teeth, and became rigid, could not hear nor speak. The father of the boy in our text said that it was because his boy was “possessed” by a demonic spirit, which Jesus confirmed. Vs. 25, Jesus “rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” At this point, I wonder how modern medicine would have diagnosed him If we had taken this boy to a doctor. In this time and age, people do not believe that there are demonic spirits causing people trouble but are being diagnosed with all sorts of things. Modern medicine diagnoses someone who might be possessed by a region of spirits as having multiple personal disorders. Frequently, when someone demon-possessed shows epileptic phenomena such as foaming at the mouth, collapsing, or becoming rigid, modern medicine might diagnose them as having epilepsy. Of course, I am not saying that epilepsy is the work of demons. But when demonic spirits possess someone like the boy in our text, it accompanies epilepsy phenomena; the boy was possessed by “mute and deaf spirits.”
We must be careful not to demonize people when people behave abnormally in our eyes. But, at the same time, we must know that demon spirits are not far from us either. Suppose we cannot help but criticize, curse, and discourage others by being negative instead of loving, blessing, and encouraging them. In that case, we are to know that demonic spirits possess our tongues, robbing us of speech. If we cannot hear God’s voice, the promptings of the Holy Spirit, even if we read the Bible, yet we cannot hear God’s voice to become more like Christ, then we are deaf. It is because of the demonic spirit that closes off our ears. Do we hear God’s voice of love beaconing us to the presence of God? Even if we hear God calling us, we cannot seem to move toward the presence of God; then it is because demonic spirits might be at work. I shared about this man in his 70s who hasn’t returned to church since he moved out of his parent’s house. He said there was not a Sunday that had gone by without feeling that he had to go to church but could not go. We know that we need to read the Bible and talk to God more, but it seems we cannot. Instead, if we are drawn further and further away from church and godly life, although we want to get closer to God, then it is the work of demonic spirits.
Suppose we have no control over our actions that destroy us, such as addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, and uncontrollable anger and hatred leading to violence and destruction, isolating ourselves from family. In that case, it is the work of demonic spirits. Do we find ourselves mute and deaf to the cries of the needy? If we cannot hear the cries of the lost souls out there in the dark, then demons might be at work in us. Then, what do we have to do? We must cry out before God, ‘Help me, Lord!”
That leads to the second point. The father of the demon-possessed boy could not have absolute faith in Jesus, seeing that his disciples could not drive out the demonic spirit that was tormenting his boy day and night. He said in Vs. 22, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus replied, “What do you mean if you can? Everything is possible for one who believes!!” If I paraphrase it, it goes like this. ‘Do you know who you are dealing with now? You need to believe that I am the healer and the author of your life!’ This father cried out immediately, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!” I do want to believe. I want to believe that you can heal my son, but I have been let down by so many unsuccessful attempts to help my boy in the world, including your disciples! If my faith is not enough, help me increase my faith in you! He cried out! His helpless plea to help him to believe in Jesus was heard. Jesus healed his boy. Jesus raised his boy from the ground, who was lying there like a corpse. Jesus raised him to life from death, from the grasp of satanic power. Like this, we need to cry out. When we know what to do, and even if we want to get closer to God but cannot, we need to cry out, ‘Lord, help me!’
Thirdly, the disciples had failed to cure this demon-possessed boy, and the scribes were giving a hard time to the disciples over their failure to heal the boy. The scribes were using the failure of Jesus’ disciples to attack Jesus and question His authority since they were Jesus’ disciples. In other words, their failure reflected poorly not only on them but also on Jesus. What does that tell us? If we fail as followers of Christ, if we fail to function as who we are supposed to be, it has spiritual fallout: we hurt ourselves, we hurt those we love, we hurt the gospel, and we hurt the reputation of Christ! In countries where many people do not know Christ, they first get to know Christ through believers in Christ, seeing their conduct, –speeches, and behaviors. When I was living in Korea, I heard people saying, to my shame, that Christians are the worst kind of people to trust. I heard them saying, “Those Christians cheat, they lie, they defraud. It is an elder of a church that swindled my money. I do not want to deal with Christians ever!” I also hear patients at the hospital saying that they quit going to church because of how people in the church talk behind, criticize, and fight amongst themselves. If we fail to shine the light of Jesus, we hurt a refutation of Christ. If we are powerless in dealing with demonic spirits, we give people the idea that God is powerless. Are we powerful or powerless in fighting with demonic spirits?
Lastly, without prayer and fasting, we cannot be followers of Christ doing His ministry effectively, including healing. We are to heal those people who are sick spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Without prayer and fasting, we cannot bring people to Christ. Without prayer and fasting, we cannot lead them to the joy of salvation found in Jesus. Without prayer and fasting, God’s power cannot be manifested through us. However, fasting seems to be a forgotten discipline in our Christian living. Even many Bible versions attempted to erase the word “fasting” in their translation. Do you know all other versions, except for KJB and HCSB, omit “fasting” from their translation? Praying and fasting go hand in hand, as “fasting” means surrendering to God in recognition of His sovereign power and strength. When we pray and fast, it means we are saying to God, ‘You are the sovereign God and the source of our strength and power. We depend on you, and without you, we are nothing. Likewise, when we empty ourselves before God, we can be filled with His power and love through Jesus Christ, who emptied himself and gave up his life to save us. Amen!