Two Facts About Faith From our Lord Mark 9

There is a line in the prophecy of Habakkuk that the apostle Paul picks up and runs with as he writes his letter to the Christians at Rome. It is just three words in the Hebrew and five in the Greek. We translate it into English in seven. “But the righteous will live by faith.”

When was the last time you asked yourself, what kind of faith do I have? What kind of faith in Christ do I live by? Is it big, medium, or small faith? Is it growing stronger as I get older or is it growing weaker? Is it like a volatile stock market graph which goes up and down and up and down depending on my stress level? Is it like a clock pendulum that swings one way or another according to whether something good or bad happens during the day? It is like a teeter totter that sinks down when I feel like a failure?

Mark 9:14-29 is a passage that contains two facts or truths about faith which are meant to help us trust in our Lord, especially as it regards dealing with trials and solving spiritual problems. This is one of those places in the Bible, that no matter how many times I read it, I come away encouraged to turn my doubts over to Christ, and surround all that I endeavor to do with prayer.

Here is the prelude to these verses: Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the mountain top where they caught a glimpse of His glory as He was transfigured before them. The other nine disciples were left below in the lowlands. They didn’t get the mountain-top experience. They were left behind where their faith was put to the test and they had to deal with failure in ministry. How fun does that sound? It’s kind of like having a root canal while your friends get to go eat BBQ. Here is the situation at hand when Jesus and the three came down off the mountain.

When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15 Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16 And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17 And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18 and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” 19 And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” Mark 9:14-19

If you remember, Peter wanted to stay on the mountain. He got an eyeful of Jesus’ glory. Then on top of that, Moses and Elijah showed up and Peter was ready for a week-long campout. Now he, James, and John are back in the hubbub of the valley – where people have problems and arguments occur. Peter, John and James enjoyed an epiphany and the friendly banter of a theological discussion about Elijah while their fellow ministers got their lunch handed to them by an unclean spirit, not to mention the nitpicking of the scribes.

Time away for spiritual refreshment is good, but sooner or later we have to get back to work; come down off the mountain. And back to work isn’t always at our pace; sometimes we return and immediately are in the thick of it. Mark uses his favorite word, immediately, to let us know how quickly the mountain-top high becomes a real-world low. FYI: I like how the KJV translates verse 15. The crowd came running to Jesus and saluted him. That cracks me up. I can just see the people saluting Jesus like soldiers do when their commanding officer shows up. In essence, the people were excited to see Jesus and turned their attention to Him.

Jesus’ question to the crowd in verse 16 gets the focus off the argument itself and on to the need at hand. “What are you discussing? What is the problem?” That is always the best recourse when arguments break out. Dealing with the what of the issue rather than with the who is at fault, is a wise approach to problem solving. My experience tells me that most of the time when quarrels break out, there is more than enough blame to go around.

The father of the boy steps forward and tells Jesus that a demon has caused his son to have epileptic-like seizures. It would throw him to the ground, cause him to foam at the mouth and grind his teeth, and then complete envelope him in a full body seizure. When the demon took over, the boy was completely helpless. This dad must have been filled with heartache for his son and a passion to see him rid of this demon.

The father goes on to say that Jesus’ disciples tried to cast out the demon but they could not, they weren’t able, they didn’t have the power, they weren’t spiritually strong enough. Don’t worry, they day is coming when they will be strong enough. The book of Acts tells us all about the miraculous ways in which the Lord used these men to preach the gospel.

Let me make a couple of comments. First, it is very common for people to bring their problems to the church or to ministers expecting the miraculous and not receiving what they hoped for. The nine disciples could not cast this demon out. It’s not for the lack of trying. But they did forget to do something. We will find out what it was as we read on.

Second, failure isn’t just a part of life, it’s a part of ministry. The disciples didn’t tell this guy to shove off. They tried to help, but fell short. Likewise, we may be asked to help people in ways that result in failure. People may ask us for help with their marriage or with parenting; for help in kicking a bad habit; and nothing seems works; the problem doesn’t go away.

And on top of that, failure in ministry tends to attract attention, especially in this day and age of social media. The skeptics of this world love to rub failure in the faces of those who align themselves with Christ. We would be naïve to think we will not fail while our Lord is away. But when we do, we must follow the disciples’ example in verse 28 and ask our Lord why; what went wrong?

Jesus’ initial response sets the tone for the facts about faith He’s going to give. “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?” His words remind me of what God says in Psalm 95:10 about those He delivered from Egypt. “For forty years, I was continually disgusted with that generation and said these are a people whose hearts turn away from Me and don’t know or understand My ways.”

But what Jesus says here truly encompasses the root of the problem that wreaks havoc with everyone’s relationship with God. We do not tend to live by faith in what our Lord reveals to us about Himself, what He says is true, or what He tells us to do. We tend to rely on ourselves, our wisdom, our ideas. We ignore or reject what He reveals about Himself in creation and in His word. We doubt His readiness and ability to help any and all who cry out to Him. Let me repeat what I said: The root of the problem between God and man has always been a lack of faith.

Jesus’ words, “How long shall I put up with you?” do have an answer. Our Lord will put up with this generation all the way to the cross. He will lay down His life for those who reject Him. Quick Lesson: Let’s never take our Lord’s patience with us for granted. It extends far beyond what we deserve. Let’s move on to the next five verses.

They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Mark 9:20-24

Right away, Mark inserts another immediately. As the boy is brought to Jesus, the demon begins his deviltry. Most of us have an extra portion of compassion for children even when they trample our flower beds and scrape our cars with their bicycle handlebars. But no matter what, demons do not. They do not care to see children safe or secure.

Jesus’ question to the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” helps us understand how tragic this situation is and how desperate the dad is for his son. We think we have had our fill with this COVID pandemic and the quarantine restrictions. It’s been nine months. This boy and his father have endured demonic abuse for years.

The father answers Jesus’ question with the clinical facts, “Since childhood,” as he further explains what the demon has done to the boy. It has tried to kill him on a number of occasions by throwing him into fire or into water. Then the father says something that Jesus is not going to let slide. He says, “But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” The father ifs Jesus. “If you can do anything …” Maybe the dad has doubts because the problem has gone on so long, or because the disciples were ineffective.

By the way, the word for take pity is not the usual word for mercy. It is a fun Greek word to pronounce; σπλάγχνα. It literally means guts or bowels, but is used also for affection as in, “You make my stomach all queasy.” The father is pleading for Jesus’ to feel the way the he feels about his boy. We can all take comfort. The wonderful reality is this: As much as we love our children, our Lord loves them even more.

Jesus throws the man’s if right back at him, “If I can?” And then He goes on to say, “All things are possible to him who believes.” There is the first fact. Jesus says that all things are possible to Him who believes.

Here is the context of this first fact: Jesus is telling the man it is not a question of if. He has the ability, the power, the strength to free the boy from the demon. The real question is: “Do you believe I am able? The real problem is not with Me, but with you. The real issue has to do with the lack of faith on your part. Will you trust Me?” What Jesus says in verse 23 gets to the heart of the matter for the father and for all of us. Living by faith means we trust that Jesus is there for us, willing and able to help in our time of need. Living by faith begins with acknowledging our need to be forgiven our sins, and Jesus’ power to do that, grant us peace with God and give to us the gift of eternal life.

All things are possible to the one who believes doesn’t mean that our Lord gives us everything we ask for. It means that nothing is too great or difficult for Christ to do for the one who trusts in Him. But faith in God to do the impossible does not operate apart from faith that He knows best, does all things well, and for our good. Living by faith does not preface prayer with, “If you can.” It closes our prayers with “Thy will be done.”

Look now how the dad immediately responds to Jesus. “I do believe; help my unbelief.” No matter the what or the when, God always desires us to be honest and truthful with Him. Living by faith includes admitting our weaknesses. Living by faith means we readily and humbly admit our doubts and ask for our Lord’s help to trust Him even more.

I wonder how many of us can relate to what this man is saying. I know I can. There have been times I have asked the Lord to help me trust Him more, because I am struggling with what is going on in my life, and the answers do not seem to be coming. There are times we all need to admit our faith is small, weak, and we need our Lord’s help to trust Him more. It is okay to pray and ask for more faith. God is not like Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist. It is okay for us to ask for a second helping of faith when we are in the thick of things.

This dad sets a good example of an honest confession and plea for Jesus’ help to overcome any doubt he might have. “Help my unbelief!” That’s what Jesus wanted to hear. And Jesus does help the man’s faith by healing his son. Here is the rest of the storyline.

When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” 26 After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. 28 When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29 And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.” Mark 9:25-29

Jesus used stern commanding words toward the unclean spirit and it had no recourse but to obey. When it came out it the crowd thought the boy was dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up to his feet. Passages like this make me think of 1 John 3:8. “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

Jesus casts the demon out and the boy is set free. But that is not the end of the storyline. There is a bit more and it involves the disciples. They wanted a word with Jesus in private. Look at verse 28. “Why couldn’t we cast out the demon?” “Why did we fail?” Jesus gives them His answer. “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

If I were to venture a guess, the disciples may have been relying on their strength, the authority Jesus previously gave them, and therefore on what happened in the past. And they did not pray. They did not ask God for His help, for His enablement, for His power. And if that was what happened; most, if not all of us, can relate. So often we fail, because we fail to pray. It is far too common for Christians to live by self-effort and self-reliance. Living by faith mean living by prayer. We ask, we seek we knock. We confess weakness and inability to do what only God can do. We trust Him for answers and for miracles. When we read Matthew’s account of this event, He links Jesus words about prayer to faith.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20 And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” Matthew 17:19-20

There is Jesus’ analogy and it’s not about teeter-totters, pendulums, or stock market graphs. It is about a mustard seed. Even faith as tiny as a mustard seed, when it rests in the person of Christ, is able to accomplish great things for God’s glory and the good of others. There is the second fact about faith from our Lord. Jesus says if we have faith the size of a mustard seed nothing will be impossible to us.

Jesus is telling us that a little faith truly goes a long way, and that is because we have a big God. I wonder if Jesus were teaching kids here if He would have inserted the children’s song that goes, “My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do. The mountains are His. The valleys are His. The stars are His handiwork too. My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do – For you!”

This second fact is basically the same fact Jesus gave the dad of the demon-possessed boy. Nothing is too difficult or impossible for Him to do for those who trust Him. Here is the point. When we rely on ourselves, our gifts and abilities, we set ourselves up for eventual failure. We must depend on our Lord and not ourselves to solve spiritual problems

Faith in the Lord is the absolute necessary ingredient to live pleasing to Him and to have His imprint and His impact on what we do. Any type of ministry without faith and prayer is a formula for failure. I’d tell our sons that life rewards those who work first and play second. Likewise, the Lord blesses or rewards those who pray first and proceed second.

Just because the Lord has given us authority to do certain things doesn’t mean we should overlook the necessity to pray for His help in all matters. So let’s take Jesus words to His disciple in verse 29 to heart. It is futile to go about life and ministry without prayer. Any and all of what Christ has called us to do will only find success in His power and strength.

I’ve called the disciples slow learners. But they did learn. In Acts 6 they were faced with a problem of discrimination. The church appeared to be neglecting the needs of widows from a gentile background. The disciples responded with this. “Select from yourselves seven men of good reputation … But we will devout ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” They put prayer first. It is one more example of how devotion to prayer is a mark of living by faith in any age, culture, or setting.

I said at the beginning, this passage in Mark should cause us to ask ourselves, “What kind of faith do I have?” Maybe we should ask, “What is my prayer life like?” Do I pray with ifs? Do I pray at all? Do I pray with faith like a mustard seed? Let’s choose the last one.