Help My Unbelief (Mark 9:14-29)

As we near the end of our study of the book of Mark, we're dedicating a whole episode to one extraordinary miracle that personally challenges my faith. Together we'll learn:

• How context gives this passage a deeper meaning.
• Why this miracle is less about the miracle and more about faith.
• A simple prayer to pray when we long for more faith.

Bible study is always better together. I can't wait to study with you!

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Transcript

Welcome back to Hanging on Every Word. This season we’re studying through the miracles in the book of Mark and we are nearing the end of the book as we study the 17th miracle today. I promised we’d come back to Mark 9 and I’m dedicating a whole episode to this one miracle because I think there’s a lot of good to dig up here. In my Bible it’s called Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit and it’s found in Mark 9:14-29. And like we do on this Bible study podcast, I will read that passage to you. 

Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit

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 “You 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 one 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 impure 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, “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.[a]”ne out only by prayer.[a]”

This particular miracle is really important to wrap in some context as we read through chapter 9 of Mark. When it says “when they came to the other disciples” it’s referring to Jesus, Peter, James, and John joining coming down from the Mountain to join the other disciples in town who are apparently in the middle of an active argument with the teachers of the law with a growing crowd around them.

Why were Jesus, Peter, James, and John up on a mountain by themselves? This is why context matters. Because at the beginning of Mark 9 we find the account of the transfiguration. If you’re not familiar with this moment in scripture I’ll give you as simple and brief of an overview as possible, but I encourage you to go read Mark 9 for yourself after this episode. 

Jesus took three of his disciples up a mountain and was transfigured before them, meaning his appearance changed, he glowed with white bright whiteness of his glory. And along with Jesus Moses and Elijah appeared on the mountain to the great amazement of Peter, James, and John. God also speaks over Jesus as he did at his baptism with the statement “this is my beloved Son, listen to him.” 

Then, just as quickly as it came on, it was over. Moses and Elijah were gone and Jesus was back to his human form. Peter, James, and John got to experience the radiant manifestation of Jesus’s divinity on the top of that mountain. 

So imagine, then, them coming down from that life-changing experience, still processing it, still talking it over with Jesus, to then find the rest of your friends at the bottom of the mountain having an argument. 

And the argument goes something like this in Mark 16 - A father tried to bring his demon possessed son to be healed but Jesus’s disciples couldn’t cast the demon out. And this moment of weakness is capitalized on by the scribes and teachers of the law to call into question the power of Jesus’s ministry. 

Commentator Matthew Henry drew a connection here back to Moses on Mount Sinai coming down from an incredible encounter with God only to see Aaron and the people worshipping a golden calf. And I think we are meant to see some parallels here because just as with the Israelites in the desert, the disciples in Mark are struggling with a lack of faith. 

In fact, this whole section of scripture is drawing our attention less to the miracle and more to this theme of faith. 

There’s a father who brings his son, desperate for his healing, but struggling to believe.

There’s the scribes questioning the authority of Jesus and looking for any change to condemn him.

And There’s the disciples trying to act on the authority of Jesus but failing to heal with power in his name. 

Jesus says in verse 19 - You unbelieving generation,”“how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

We don’t know for sure if Jesus’s lament is directed toward the disciples for their lack of faith to perform this miracle, or to the scribes for their constant self-righteousness aimed at finding Jesus at fault. Perhaps it’s a little of both. But we clearly see the sorrow and perhaps a bit of frustration Jesus feels toward the people’s lack of faith.

And again, when we draw our attention back to the context, to Jesus glowing on a mountain with Moses and Elijah, we can better understand the stark contrast of divine authority followed immediately by petty unbelief.

This theme of faith continues as Jesus asks about the boy’s condition. The evil spirit has tormented him from a young age and tried many times, even, to kill the boy by burning him or drowning him. There’s no doubt this father is tired and terrified for his son’s safety. The father who originally brought his son to Jesus’s disciples in faith that they could do something seems to have lost some confidence after this whole scene where the disciples could not cast the demon out. 

He says to Jesus, 

But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

His request sounds a bit like the leper from Mark 1 who asked, If you are willing, you can make me clean. But there’s a difference in the wording here. While the leper showed confidence in Jesus’s ability but wondered about his willingness, the father in this passage questions if Jesus even can help the boy. His comment is a picture of failing faith.

And that’s not shade thrown at this dad, because I’ve prayed very similar prayers. Defeated prayers. Prayers that were left unsaid because I thought in my heart, what’s the point? This lack of faith is so very easy to fall into. 

Jesus’s response is really interesting thought. He’s says ’If you can’?“Everything is possible for one who believes.”

I’ve always read this as an indignant response. And it likely is. Jesus has every right to be indignant. But as I studied this verse, I read some commentary that showed the masterful way Jesus took the man’s unbelief in him, and turned it around, back to the man. Not If I can, but if YOU believe. Jesus, confident in his ability to heal, is calling this man to faith.

And I want us to see the great emphasis Jesus places on belief here. Jesus could heal the boy, no problem. That’s obvious. But he takes the opportunity to challenge the father’s belief because he wants to grow his faith. Jesus always wants more than the physical in these miracles and in our own lives. Yes, healing the boy is important to Jesus, but growing this man’s faith comes first. 

That’s true for us when we experience seasons of suffering. We just want the solution. We look at God and pray desperate prayers with lackluster confidence, all while questioning his plan and doubting his goodness. And while Jesus can answer any request he wants, he often lets us sit in our suffering in order to help us see him more clearly. To see him as Peter, James, and John did on the mountain. Not just as someone who answers our requests but as savior, divine king, almighty god, powerful, worthy, awe-inspiring. 

Our faith grows by drawing close to Jesus and letting him reveal to us who he really is. 

The father’s response in this passage is one of the most beautifully honest lines in scripture. With all the desperation of a parent fearing for their child, losing hope, longing for a solution her cries out “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 

What a humble acknowledgement. It shows the step he takes toward Jesus in belief and the desperation he has for Jesus to grow his faith. That is the right posture before Jesus. That we take a step of faith toward him while relying on him to grow and strengthen the faith he has given us. 

We all have unbelief. It’s healthy to acknowledge that, to not become prideful thinking our faith is strong enough apart from Jesus. And I love that this man is willing to confess his unbelief before Jesus. We struggle with that as Christinas we want to look like we never doubt, we never waver in faith, we have the utmost confidence in God. But the truth is, we’re all the father in this account, desperate for Jesus to give us eyes to see and ears to hear, desperate for Jesus to help our unbelief. 

This little line is a verse that you can easily remember and pray when you’re struggling in faith. It’s short, it’s simple, and it’s complete. I do believe, help my unbelief. 

After dealing with the man’s heart first, he then went on to perform the miracle with great ease. There was never a question of IF he could do it. He commanded the spirit both to come out and to not enter the boy again. 

And of course, as we’ve seen throughout these miracles in Mark, the evil spirit obeys because they have not real power. But he dones’t leave the boy without a fight and the great show of crying out and convulsing leaves the little boy so still and sickly that the crowd thinks he’s dead. Then Jesus, as he did with Peter’s MIL and Jairus’s daughter, goes to the boy, grabs him by the hand and lifts him up. 

The miracle is complete, the father is no doubt overjoyed, the crowd likely disperses with the scribes hanging their head, once again defeated by Jesus. But we don’t get any of those details. The text turns our attention back to the disciples, the ones who couldn’t cast the demon out before Jesus got their. When they are alone in private, the disciples ask Jesus Why couldn’t we drive it out?

Jesus answers simply, this kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer. Some other instances of this verse say prayer and fasting. I think it’s interesting that John Mark draws our attention back to the disciples because this miracles doesn’t just showcase the scribes lack of faith and the father’s lack of belief. It’s Jesus’s own disciples, the ones that have walked with him and witness every. Miracle we’ve studied so far, plus countless more that aren’t recorded. They are the disciples that have heard Jesus’s teaching and eaten with him. They’ve never seen him sin. They know him as a friend and they’re beginning to know him as Messiah. These disciples don’t have enough faith to cast out the demon. 

Jesus says it can only be cast out with prayer and fasting. Both spiritual disciplines are meant to look to God and acknowledge our own weakness. They are meant to draw us away from ourselves and toward dependence on a holy God. In other words, prayer and fasting are both acts of faith. And so Jesus’s words could be simplified to, this kind of demon can only be driven out by faith. 

There is a warning here for us, that even if we walk with Jesus, even if we’ve known him for years, even if we can recite his teachings, we can live with very little faith in his power and authority. The disciples needed to pray the same prayer as the desperate father - help my unbelief. 

Jesus, the reigning king, transfigured on the mountain before his disciples with Elijah and Moses, glowing in glory, also lowered himself to love the weak in faith, the ones who couldn’t see his true identity. And this great love shows us that he isn’t just the king of kings, he is the kindest king, the kind of king our hearts long to believe in. Jesus, help our unbelief.

I know I am inspired to pray that prayer this week as I face the challenges that life inevitably brings. I hope you are encouraged in your faith. He is worthy. And until next time, friends, I can’t wait to study with you again.