Jesus comes down from the mount of transfiguration to discover his disciples are involved in a dispute with the Scribes. A crowd have gathered who are greatly amazed (ἐξεθαμβήθησαν) when they see Him. Some commentators have suggested that it is because Jesus face is still shining from the transfiguration. However this text makes sense without this interpretation as people were no doubt excited to see a man whom so many have talked about. Jesus ministry is gaining popular approval .
Jesus seeks to find out the cause of the dispute. The focus of the story now switches from that of groups (disciples, scribes, crowds) to the plight of a father whose son has a ‘spirit that makes him mute’. The father had sought help from the disciples but they were not able to cast out the spirit. The stage has been set, Is Jesus greater than his disciples? Is Jesus able to do what the disciples could not? The desciples lacked strength (οὐκ ἴσχυσαν ), will Jesus?
Jesus does not immediately heal the boy but calls the generation unbelieving (ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος ). Mark’s gospel is full of sayings about faith/belief. See 2:5, 4:40, 5:34, 19:52, 11:22-23). Jesus accuses the generation of being unbelieving. One is reminded of Deut 32:5, Numbers 14:11 and Is 65:2 which speaks of the rebellion of God’s own people. Jesus came to heal and restore and bring the kingdom. He also offered a challenge to those who were living lives of rebellion.
The boy was brought to Jesus and the spirit took over the boy. The presence of Jesus causes evil to raise its head. (Mark 1:23-26, 34, 3:11-12, 5:6-13). Jesus looks to the father for faith, in contrast to the faithlessness of the generation. The man is weak in faith, perhaps due to numerous failed visits he had made with exorcists and the inability of the disciples.
True faith is always aware how small and inadequate it is. The father becomes a believer not when he amasses a sufficient quantum of faith but when he risks everything on what little faith he has, when he yields his insufficiency to the true sufficiency of Jesus, “ ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’ ” The risk of faith is more costly to the father than bringing his son to Jesus, for he can talk about his son but he must “cry out” (Gk. krazein) for faith.103 True faith takes no confidence in itself, nor does it judge Jesus by the weakness of his followers. It looks to the More Powerful One (1:7) who stands in the place of God, whose authoritative word restores life from chaos. True faith is unconditional openness to God, a decision in the face of all to the contrary that Jesus is able.
Edwards, James R.: The Gospel According to Mark. Grand Rapids, Mich; Leicester, England : Eerdmans; Apollos, 2002 (The Pillar New Testament Commentary), S. 278
Jesus commands the spirit in the first person (I command you) and it is not in the name of YHWH or one of the prophets. Jesus has power, he could do what others could not. He has authority.
on the theme of politics Jon, what are your views of Christians in politics? Towards the end of my time in it all, I was so full of Christ as the ultimate deliver of what could be deemed to be good policies, that doing things like arguing for the abloition of council tax for a local income tax felt very weak.
What do you think a Chirsitan politician’s primary focus should be?
A Christian should see their primary focus as that of the glory of God, of the advancement of his kingdom and reign. This holds true for politicians who shoudl seek with every ounce of their being to furtehr the Lordship of Christ. Yet what does this mean? I don’t know I’m not a politician but the follwoing can help.
1) He can imagaine a world/a cummunity where Christ is King. He then heads towards that goal
2) He does not accept a dualism which keeps his spirtual life as seperate to that of his work life
3) He looks out for worldviews view are anti-kingdom and then, with God’s strength, resists them with all his might
4) He looks looks around for support from other groups which are foretastes of the kingdom, for groups who stand for justice. They may not neccesarily be Christians but they are acting christianly.
If he is a tory then he must resign. (Just Kidding)
Jesus delivers where others don’t, but we must not forget that we are called, as children of the king, to be kingdom people, to be workers of reconcilaiation and redemption. We simply can’t just pass the buck onto Jesus without recognising that he calls us, when empowered by the Spirit of CHrist, to be light and healing to the nations.
Hi Jon,
I really like your site and find myself referencing it in my morning devotions. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on verses 28-29, where the disciples ask why they couldn’t cast out the demon, and Jesus says “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer. (ad some manuscripts add fasting.” You point out the great contrast between Jesus’ authority, which is inherent, and the disciples, which was given to them. But still, they had been casting out demons, so why not this one? Was it a lack of faith? I’d appreciate your thoughts. Thanks, and God bless.
Hi, glad that you like the site.
That is a good question, here are my ramblings….
The disciples in the Gospel of Mark are portrayed as being those who don’t quite get it. eg. Just when Peter seems to understand the identity of Jesus he is rebuked for not realizing that Jesus has to suffer (Mark 8:27-33). The issue seems as you rightly say to be about their lack of faith. Mark 9:29 suggets they were not praying, and the parallel in Matthew Jesus tells the disciples specifically that they have little faith (Matthew 17:20).
Is it possible that the disciples were kind of trusting their own strength? They had driven out demons, after having received the explicit power for that from Jesus.
Now they tried it again, but perhaps trusting in their own powers, just like Moses and Aron did when the wanted to give the people water.
They forgot that driving out demons goes always ‘in the name of Jesus’.
See vers 38 and 39, where the disciples complain about one ‘not from them’ who drives out demons in Jesus name. They seem to think that that is the exclusive right of the 12. Jesus shows that’s wrong.
It speaks of GRACE ALONE.
We are poor miserable sinners that don’t merit Salvation. Because we are imperfect we can not be pure on our own nor possibly have pure Faith.
Because it’s Grace Alone the response of the Lord is NOT based on how much Faith you have.
1-Lest no man boast.
2-If you have Faith the size of a mustard seed.
3-No one is righteous, no not one.