Mark 9:14-29 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
The commotion that Jesus came upon revolved around the teachers of the law disputing with the disciples about healing. They were probably contesting the disciples' authority in praying for the sick. Who are they but simple men? In the Old Testament miraculous healing materialized out of the prayers of important people such as prophets and kings. Common men were not considered important enough for God to answer their prayers for healing. The teachers of the law probably were pointing out this fact to the crowd as well as to the disciples. This is undoubtedly true because the passage says that a man in the midst of the crowd reveals that this commotion was caused by him wanting the disciples to deliver his son from demon possession. He describes to Jesus the condition of his son and also that he brought his son to the disciples to be delivered from this possession, but they could not help him. Jesus responds in frustration: O unbelieving generation. What are they unbelieving about? Were they unbelieving about the fact that healing was occurring in the name of Jesus? The religious elite were fighting this reality. They did not want the people to believe this simple man, Jesus, or his followers had power to actually heal people. Healing for the religious establishment came only through the channels of the "well-connected" with God, meaning patriarchs, prophets, and kings, chosen by God to rule and act in his name. In the Old Testament, we have twelve such healings--all under the auspices of such authority. But here we have a man with a needy son, coming first to the disciples and now to Jesus, asking him to take pity on them and to heal the boy who has been afflicted from childhood.
As the father presents the son's condition, describing how the evil spirit has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him, he ends by asking for Jesus to help them: But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. Jesus is disturbed by the father's comment: if you can do anything. This statement was dressed in unbelief; ignoring or disbelieving the many marvelous works that Jesus had already performed in the land of the Israelites. Jesus responds to him somewhat rudely by repeating the father's words of unbelief: If you can? How can this man dare question Jesus' power to heal? It was well known that Jesus was performing marvelous healings throughout the land, acts that no man had performed from the beginning of time. The people were witnessing this in and through Jesus, the One who had declared, with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) Jesus' journey through Israel was accompanied by miraculous acts, confirming him as the Messiah, the Son of God. So, for the father of this troubled boy to question Jesus' ability to cast out demons was an affront to what Jesus was doing everywhere. No wonder Jesus questioned how long He should put up with such unbelief. He was constantly speaking to his disciples about faith, such as when he talked about the birds in the air and the flowers in the fields. He said, Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! (Luke 12:27-28)
In Acts we see healing carried on by the New Testament church. As the disciples journeyed through the area, many people were healed and set free from demons. The power of God was so strong on them even their shadows carried a delivering power. Many came to Christ because of these wonderful, supernatural acts and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Peter plainly tells the men of Israel the source of this power. While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the NAME of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ NAME and the FAITH that comes THROUGH HIM that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. (Acts 3:11-17) Peter states the source of this supernatural power comes from Jesus: faith in him, in his name. When Jesus says this is an unbelieving generation, He is saying that generation will not believe He is from God and performing works under his Father's authority. When the disciples questioned Jesus why they did not have authority over the demon, Jesus responds, This kind can come out only by prayer. This is a reminder for all of us not to fight the good fight in our own strength, not to think we can take on the enemy unless we are prayed up, strong in the Lord, and full of the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. Today we will not say: If I can do all things through Christ, I will overcome. We will declare: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
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