Good evening y’all. Today we are studying mark 9.

I am focusing today’s blog on  verses 17 – 27.

Be blessed 🙂

“One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” Jesus said to them,  “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up”.
(Mark 9:17-27 NLT)

For the disciples this must have been shocking and at the same time humbling for them. Considering in the earlier chapters Jesus sent them out and gave them authority over unclean spirits and they came back with reports on how they casted out demons. Now they seem to have met with one demon who seems to be too much for them to handle.

I found a commentary online from Grace Gems about this which brought things home for me….

“Let us learn from these verses, how dependent Christ’s disciples are on the company and help of their Master.
We see this truth brought out in a striking manner in the scene which meets our Lord’s eyes, when He came down from the mount. Like Moses, when he came down from Mount Sinai, He finds his little flock in confusion. He sees His nine apostles beset by a party of malicious Scribes, and baffled in an attempt to heal one who had been brought to them possessed with a devil. The very same disciples who a short time before had done many miracles and “cast out many devils,” had now met with a case too hard for them. They were learning by humbling experience the great lesson, “without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5.)–It was a useful lesson, no doubt, and over-ruled to their spiritual good. It would probably be remembered all the days of their lives. The things that we learn by smarting experience, abide in our memories, while truths heard with the ear are often forgotten. But we may be sure it was a bitter lesson at the time. We do not like to learn that we can do nothing without Christ.
Let us learn a lesson of humility from the failure of the disciples. Let us strive to realize every day our need of the grace and presence of Christ. With Him we may do all things. Without Him we can do nothing at all. With Him we may overcome the greatest temptations. Without Him the least may overcome us. Let our cry be every morning, “leave us not to ourselves–we know not what a day may bring forth–if your presence does not go with us we cannot go up.” (http://gracegems.org/Ryle/mark09.htm)

In verse 23 Jesus said to the father all things are possible to him that believes. The father replied in verse 24 I believe but help my unbelief.

I can so relate with the fathers response in v24. Sometimes the situation is overwhelming that we can’t truly see a way out, even though we are praying and believing God for a miracle. There is a part of us that thinks: can this really be fixed? I believe that’s were the father was at that moment, especially after the disciples had tried and couldn’t cast out the demon in the boy.

Jesus didn’t condemn the man for asking him to help his unbelief. Instead Jesus went ahead and healed the boy.

Today be real with God and sincerely tell him how you feel and invite him to help you. I believe he won’t cast you away or condemn you rather he will draw you nigh and step in like he did for the father who cried out to him on behalf of His son. Have faith that He is able and willing to help you.

Remember all things are possible to him that believes.

Thanks for joining today. Pls feel free to share your thoughts on the chapter.

Have a blessed evening 🙂

***With God all things are possible***