Self-Dependence - Mark 9:14-29 Series

Mark 9:14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 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." 19 "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."

20 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. 21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. 22 "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." 23 " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

25 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." 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

Introduction

In our first session on this miracle we saw Jesus drag this situation out because he was dealing with a problem much bigger than this demon. He wanted to do expose this father’s unbelief and build his faith. And it works. At the end the father is begging Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief. Then, Jesus leaves and goes into a house where he’s alone with the disciples, and now it’s time to work on their faith.

This Kind

28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. "

Very often commentators take this to mean the disciples had become lax in their prayer lives—skipping their devotions, and so they lost their power over demons. That’s not what Jesus says. He’s very clear—their inability was due to the kind of demon this was. The word is genos. We get our word genus from it. They couldn’t drive this demon out because this was a species of demon that wasn’t subject to their power. Most demons were.

Mark 3:14 He appointed twelve-- designating them apostles-- that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons.

Mark 6:7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.

So this was a power the disciples had. We’ve all been given different powers. God gave LeBron James the power to dunk a basketball. He doesn’t have to pray first or seek any help from God. He can just decide to do that any time he wants and he can do it. For me, that could only happen through prayer and major divine intervention. If you come to me with a cut, I can put a band-aid on it. But if you come to me with a corpse, all I can do is pray and ask God to raise the dead. God has given me the power to put on band-aids, but not to raise the dead. If a friend is sick in the hospital, I have the power to drive to the hospital and read him some psalms—even without praying first, I’ve been given that power. But if my friend has terminal cancer, that’s where my power runs out. If I want that gone, all I can do is pray.

For the disciples, driving out demons and healing was like me putting on a band aid or Lebron dunking a basketball. They could do it at will. Remember the beggar in Acts 3? He wanted money from Peter and John.

Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.