Mark 9:14-27

I think it's significant the the teachers of the law were arguing with the disciples. The last time we saw them in Mark, they were challenging Jesus to produce a sign to prove who He was. They needed a miracle to believe. So, since the disciples were supposed to be able to do what their rabbi did, it's natural that they would start making the same demands of them.

Then, "all the people" (disciples, gawkers, teachers, etc.) saw Jesus (and the three with Him). It says that they were overwhelmed with wonder. It's interesting to me that the teachers of the law are not separated out from this. Remember, Jesus and the three had just come down from the mountain where Jesus was transfigured. If that was anything like what happened with Moses on Sinai, they would have come down shining with God's glory, just as Moses did.

The teachers of the law were arguing with the disciples. Jesus asked the disciples what it was about, but His answer didn't come from the disciples. It came from a man who brought his son to Jesus to have a demon cast out. Again, as the disciples were being taught to do what Jesus did, it's not a stretch that he would have asked them to do the same. After all, they had done this earlier when Jesus had sent them out in pairs. What they were arguing about was that they weren't able to cast the demon out of the boy. Teachers of the law were arguing with the disciples about this. Interesting. The last time they got into it with Jesus, Jesus refused to comply with their demands. Here it appears that the disciples were trying to do something, then weren't able to do it, and now were into it with the Teachers.

So what does Jesus address here? The "unbelieving generation." He doesn't upbraid the disciples. He responds to the whole group, really. The disciples believe, though. Who was this unbelieving generation? Teachers of the law? The crowd? The father of the boy?

Jesus had the boy brought to him by the disciples (and his father, based on the context). He gets the boy out of the crowd. This can't be about the crowds. It can't be about the Teachers who are probably making the same arguments they made earlier... "If He's the Son of God, He should be able to do a miracle to prove it! Since you guys, his followers, can't do it, He must be a fraud!"

Who is the unbelieving? Enter verse 22: "... if you can do anything..." In verse 23, Jesus calls the father out on this. It seems kind of cruel, from a human perspective, the father of a very tormented boy being reprimanded. But think about it... miracles, at this point, are down to confirm belief, not prove Jesus' Messiahship.

Jesus goes through with it. He casts the demon out of the boy, and lifts him up to his feet again. He confirms Scripture, and He confirms belief. The father was desperate. It wasn't about proving anything. The teachers of the law just saw an opportunity and pounced on it (arguing with the 9 disciples). This man just wanted his son back. I imagine all the arguing over his son must have been really messing with him. I can picture him seeing the glory of Jesus, descending from the mountain, and having hope again, yet still knowing the doubt the teachers were instilling in the people. "If" becomes more understandable to me in this light. But the best part of this man to me? "Help my unbelief!"

That is an authentic prayer!

Before the crowds could swoop upon them, before he was in the position of proof verses confirmation, he healed the boy.

As for the disciples, they had to know that it wasn't about proving Jesus. Jesus had proved Himself plenty already and had the Scriptures to back Him up. They had to know that it wasn't about them. "Why couldn't we cast them out?" implies something insidious, that in their minds it was about them and proving themselves (and Jesus, by extension). Why else would they argue with the teachers of the law?

Miracles and the power of God can only be effective because of prayer, where Christ's followers are truly submitted to His will and agenda. If they were truly trying to be like their Master, arguing with the teachers of the law wouldn't have been necessary, and proving anything to the crowd wouldn't have been an option. It has to be about loving the person and submitting to God.

• Do I feel a stronger need to prove Jesus or my own belief? Or is my desire to love people and submit each day to God's agenda in my life?
• Do I feel a need to argue the identity of Jesus? Or is my greater felt need to see Him for who He really is in my life and share that without saving face before people?
• Is following Jesus about me? Or is it really about Him? Should I even care what others think about Jesus-in-me?
• If I'm living like this... submitting, loving, glorifying Jesus, witnessing to who He is in me... do I even need to worry about proof? Could it be possible that miracles (healing, casting out demons) will just happen as a natural outflow from this? If this is the case... how many followers are really out there? Kind of challenging!

Jesus, transform me! Teach me to be submissive to Your will. Help my unbelief! Holy Spirit, fill me! Empower me to love and witness. Father, walk with me! Show me Your glory and the identity of Your Son in my life. Fling laboring harvesters into Your fields... begin with me.