MARKAN MEDITATIONS

Meditations in the Gospel of St.Mark

St. Mark 9:14-32 (Part 2)

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WE COME to this passage once again. Last time we looked at some general truths. Now we look at the healing miracle itself. As we would suppose, there are some general similarities between this healing and all the others, but there is something new about this healing, and this must chiefly occupy our attention as while at the same time we remember some of the lessons we have already learnt.

The new factor is in the way the father of the devil-possessed child approached Jesus. In the healings we have considered early in Mark's Gospel, there has always been faith on the part of those suing for Jesus' healing power. This faith varied in strength, but it was there. The question was not whether Jesus could heal, but rather whether he would heal. This father of the boy had little or no faith whatsoever (v22). It was a kind of desperation with him. He had tried every other avenue of help with the problem of his son, and the fact that no one had been able to help him had sapped his confidence that there was any help anywhere. He had heard Jesus healed in an amazing way, but such was his pessimism that he had not any more hope here than in all the rest of avenues of help he had tried. He came in desperation, though with little hope, and so he expresses himself "but if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us". He had little or no faith in Jesus. He just came in desperation as the last vain hope.

Jesus corrects this unbelief with the words "if you can? Everything is possible to him who believes", which then prompts the father to say, "I do believe, help me to overcome my unbelief." Then we read Jesus responded by showing his complete authority over the devil, and thus the devil's power and kingdom, by casting out the devil, in a very public way, so restoring the boy to his father completely delivered and whole.

This a very remarkable story and teaches us something very important. It is remarkable because Jesus has placed such a very great emphasis in earlier incidents on the importance of faith in him for his power and blessing to be known. Here the father came with virtually no faith at all. He rather came with doubt. It is true his faith increased a little after Jesus corrected his unbelief, but the fact is that the unbelief of the man did not exclude him from the blessing. The important thing we see in this father is an earnest desire for help, healing and saving from this terrible affliction which effected his family with such pain. It was this that Jesus responded to. The approach was one in which the father confessed his total impotence, and cried for mercy and help. He brought nothing but his need. He did not bargain because he had nothing to bargain with before Jesus. He just threw himself on the love and mercy of the Saviour. This really is the crux of all approach to God for salvation. We read in the Old Testament God promising that he would be found by the people if they only would seek him with all their hearts. We can then leave all the rest to the mercy and grace of God.

Notice the result of this approach. Jesus first began to change the attitude of the father to himself. He began to deal with the problem of his lack of faith. There must have been something very compelling in the way Jesus responded in the words "If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes." There was evidence here of a supernatural work of God working in the heart and mind of this father, and changing his doubt into faith. There was a realisation brought about in his heart and mind that Jesus was someone special, and well able to change things, and change the impossible situation. Here is an example of the saving work of God in everyone who believes unto salvation. None of us would even think of turning to Christ in true faith without this work. This is the work Jesus immediately starts when we come in our desperate need seeking his help.

Then we see how ready Jesus is to seek and to save those who are lost. Whether this father of the boy went on to believe on Jesus as Saviour we are not told, though I believe it is a reasonable deduction from the history accounted in this passage, but the readiness of Jesus to lovingly save this family in their desperate need, reveals to us that Jesus is never silent to the heartfelt cry of the desperate lost soul. The fact that this little boy was in the power of Satan, illustrates the slavery all of us are in as we are born into this world. The fact that Jesus cast out this demon assures us of the great purpose of his coming, which is to deliver his people from Satan and sin. We may be sure that any soul coming in their sin and need to Jesus, will find the same ready and powerful saving blessing.

Lastly, let us note again how this whole story illustrates the fact that Jesus came into this world to destroy the works of the devil. The way he in fact did this is amazing. This Jesus refers to at the end of this passage where he speaks again that he will be delivered up to death, and then rise again. Jesus had power, which we see in the way he cast out this devil, to overcome all the power of the evil one just by his sovereign kingly word, except in one respect. This is in respect to our sin. This was the devil's trump card. He knew God could annihilate him any time he wanted to, but he also knew that God could not deny his holiness and his holy law, and while his law remained unsatisfied, for God to annihilate Satan would mean the annihilation of all sinners in captivity to Satan. So we see the greatness of the wisdom and love of God, that he defeated Satan wholly by removing this trump card. He satisfied all God's holy law in his death, bearing the punishment of the sin of the world. Now all who throw themselves on the mercy of the Saviour, find that he is a total deliverer, freeing us from the bondage of Satan forever.