"Challenging Circumstances" - returning to Mark 9 (verses 14-29)

(1) Introduction

Here we have a case where the disciples came up short. They had been assured by Jesus that they had the capacity to deal with issues such as this (3:15, 6:7), but despite their best efforts the boy remained ‘demon-possessed’, unable to hear or speak.

Now, we are going to face many challenging circumstances in life, often concerning how best to address the issues that face people close to us. They may even come to us for help, expecting that we should actually be able to provide that help. And why not … after all we are Christians, theoretically God is on our side!

The problem often is, despite being Jesus followers, we are not Jesus. This is the situation addressed in our passage from Mark’s Gospel today – the need was there, but Jesus was physically absent from the scene at the time. This is our ongoing dilemma – trying to represent Jesus, without his actual physical presence. How would we go about addressing the needs that confront us given this reality?

(2) Context of Passage

To remind us of the context – Jesus had just been transfigured on the mountain, in front of Peter, James and John; revealing Jesus’ glory and divinity. If the people were now to experience God, then they would have to look to Jesus. All of God’s invitations to humanity … all of God’s efforts to connect with us … would now hinge around our response to Jesus. Coming down from the (spiritual) heights of this mountain, Jesus, Peter, James and John were rejoining the other disciples … to find a crowd around them, and also “scribes” (Jewish religious leaders) arguing with them (v.14).

(3) Understanding the Narrative

When the crowd saw Jesus and were “overcome” and rushed to him, we are probably being led to understand that some of his glorious appearance on the mountain (identifying Jesus as Son of God) remained with him (9:3). Rather than basking in the glory though, Jesus wanted to inquire as to the nature of the debate; and as the “scribes” were involved in argument with his disciples, it was likely to be a matter of some importance to Jesus’ mission. It was the father of the afflicted boy that answered, when the disciples were perhaps a little too nonplussed to do so.

To have been said to have a disabling “spirit” suggested at the time the inhabitation of a demonic (anti-God) presence. Whether this is seen as purely demonic, or whether in a more scientific age we might sense elements of autism and/or epilepsy here, the gravity of the presenting need is the issue. Here was a boy who had been badly afflicted with shocking hardship and misery right back from early in his life. And there was also a father traumatised by the implications of this. [You would surely want to help if at all possible.]

Now this concerned father had brought out his son looking for Jesus, hoping that Jesus would be able to cure him. Obviously, as Jesus was absent, the father approached the known (and currently present) disciples waiting at the bottom of the mountain. These disciples had had some outstanding public success in healing other people in the name of Jesus (6:13), so this was seemingly a sensible thing for the father to do.

Here was a real-life struggle to be addressed in the midst of a crowd comprising of both ardent opponents and potential converts. However, as we read at verse 18, these disciples could not come to the party … they could not rise to the occasion … they just “could not do so”. [And their opponents “the scribes” must then have had a field day in the midst of the crowd, no doubt suggesting that these disciples were misguided fools for following Jesus.]

The question for us to consider is … why the disciples had no effect! And then to consider … what could they have done, or what did these disciples need to learn and understand (for them to have facilitated a better outcome)?

It’s fair to say that Jesus wasn’t very impressed with his disciples here (refer verse 19). As this response by Jesus was very public, you could even say that Jesus was here venting his frustration with a whole society that failed to recognise and appreciate God, particularly his disciples who obviously hadn’t moved very far forward in their own understanding.

Jesus then took charge with immediate impact. Evil was immediately stirred in the presence and light of Jesus, such that the boy convulsed around and foamed at the mouth. The father had come to Jesus in great hope, but was now only able to say, “… if you are able to help” (v.22)!

“If …” said Jesus, “If”!! Jesus was taken aback by this uncertainty, but didn’t seem to hold this against the father. Where did this uncertainty derive from?? It seems to actually have derived from the disciples’ lack of success! This lack of ability, on the disciples’ behalf, to respond positively to the father and son’s need, had had a negative impact on the father’s confidence in Jesus. So this is a very serious matter for us.

[As an aside, I wonder if these disciples here suffered from not only Jesus’ absence, but also the absence of their leaders … Peter, James and John? If this is the case, then the relevance of this passage has to be considered by every Jesus follower, just in case an immediate response is required without any more mature presence being available to us. Sometimes, quite appropriately, we rely on the leaders amongst us to make the big calls; however sometimes we are called upon ourselves to just know deep within ourselves just what to do. That’s what growing up is all about! Also this teaches us something about leadership … that good leadership (and good mentoring, and good parenting) is always about developing others toward maturity, and handing over increasing levels of responsibility to them.]

Anyway, Jesus reminds all and sundry that everything can be done for the person who believes in God through Jesus (v.23)! This allows the father to reconnect with his faith and confidence, yet admit how fragile this can be in the face of life events (refer verse 24). This is also a humble, vulnerable and open response from the father, which brings about the healing of his son. There was a special connection made here! But what would have happened if Jesus wasn’t able to turn up that day (if he’d been in another part of the country)?

What had the disciples missed? To the disciples’ great credit, this inability concerned them, and they were prepared to take a bit of a risk and ask Jesus what they lacked. And the answer stands out like a blot on an otherwise perfectly printed page! To some it might come as a surprise, to others as the obvious answer. In Mark it stands out all the more, because this gospel mentions prayer much less than the others (but then turns around and highlights prayer in the most dramatic way). In the most challenging of circumstances, where perhaps you would have thought you could handle things, but it turns out you can’t … the answer is PRAYER!!

(4) Prayer – Dependence on God

The disciples failed because they were trying to deal with a very demonic and drastic situation in their own strength. Jesus’ earlier response about their faithlessness showed that indeed, through Jesus, they did have the capacity to deal with this issue – but they didn’t call upon the resources available to make it happen! Prayer demonstrates that we are prepared to admit that we are dependent on God. As Athol Gill wrote: “In the story of the epileptic boy, his father’s wavering faith, and the disciples’ inability to perform a miracle, Mark breaks his silence [on prayer] and makes his own distinctive contribution to our understanding of prayer as dependence upon God” (Life on the Road, p.217).

Many human beings spend a life time trying to become independent. The problem is, we are created and designed to be relational beings that are interdependent with others. God didn’t create autonomous individuals, but rather human community (designed on the prototype of the Divine Trinity). And ultimately we are designed to respond to and respect our Creator, whom we are dependent upon for the very oxygen we breathe, the water we drink, as well as quality community functioning.

Thus if we are to be effective followers of Jesus, then we have to be prayerful. We have to seek and gain the resources from God through which to respond to all challenging circumstances. It’s amazing how the most difficult of prospects gains new perspective and ultimate resolution through prayer. [The disciples could have healed the boy, if they had only realised that Jesus would truly work through them, and thus properly prepared themselves.]

Mark’s Gospel gives us an honest picture of the struggle Jesus’ disciples had in coming to terms with this new movement of God. The fear and misunderstanding that they continued to show (again as soon as verse 32) reflect very slow learners indeed. But these words are recorded so that those of following generations might know that “all things can be done for the one who believes”, and also in the case of the (wonderful) father in this incident, for the one who is prepared to work through their unbelief.

This father’s admission of “unbelief” rightly acknowledged his human dependence on God. Doubt is not the enemy of our faith, rather … the lack of courage! God’s power is limitless for those who have the courage to expect great things from God.

At a corporate level, we as God’s church in this place will need to express our dependence on God through prayer, in tackling all of the challenges ahead. It is God’s undertaking, blessing and guidance that we will need, if we are going to get where we are meant to be. Don’t expect it to happen otherwise!