And scribes questioning with them ( ). Mark alone gives this item. He is much fuller on this incident (9:14-29) than either Matthew (Mt 17:14-20) or Luke (Lu 9:37-43). It was just like the professional scribes to take keen interest in the failure of the nine disciples to cure this poor boy. They gleefully nagged and quizzed them. Jesus and the three find them at it when they arrive in the plain.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

The scribes. The particularizing of the scribes as the questioners, and verses 15, 16, are peculiar to Mark.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

THE POWERLESS DISCIPLES – – – THE MIGHTY CHRIST V. 14-29

1) “And when He came to His disciples,” (kai elthontes pros tous mathetas) “And (upon) coming to His disciples,” when He had come down from the mountain of transfiguration, Mar 9:2. He found His disciples, the nine, teaching and awaiting His return.

2) “He saw a great multitude about them,” (eidon ochlon polu peri autous) “They (Jesus, Peter, lames and John) saw a great size crowd around them,” with a controversy going on between the scribes and the other nine disciples, about Jesus and their work with Him, Mat 17:16.

3) ”And the scribes questioning with them,” (kai grammateis suzetountas pros autous) “And the scribes were debating (in heated controversy) with them,” wrangling with them.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

As Mark is more full, and explains the circumstances very minutely, we shall follow the order of his narrative. And first he points out clearly the reason why Christ uses a harshness so unusual with him, when he exclaims that the Jews, on account of their perverse malice, do not deserve to be any longer endured. We know how gently he was wont to receive them, even when their requests were excessively importunate. (486) A father here entreats in behalf of an only son, the necessity is extremely urgent, and a modest and humble appeal is made to the compassion of Christ. Why then does he, contrary to his custom, break out suddenly into passion, and declare that they can be endured no longer? As the narrative of Matthew and Luke does not enable us to discover the reason of this great severity, some commentators have fallen into the mistake of supposing that this rebuke was directed either against the disciples, or against the father of the afflicted child. But if we duly consider all the circumstances of the case, as they are related by Mark, there will be no difficulty in arriving at the conclusion, that the indignation of Christ was directed against the malice of the scribes, and that he did not intend to treat the ignorant and weak with such harshness.

During Christ’s absence, a lunatic child had been brought forward. The scribes, regarding this as a plausible occasion for giving annoyance, seized upon it eagerly, and entreated the disciples that, if they had any power, they would exercise it in curing the child. It is probable that the disciples made an attempt, and that their efforts were unavailing; upon which the scribes raise the shout of victory, and not only ridicule the disciples, but break out against Christ, as if in their person his power had been baffled. It was an extraordinary display of outrageous impiety united with equally base ingratitude, maliciously to keep out of view so many miracles, from which they had learned the amazing power of Christ; for they manifestly endeavored to extinguish the light which was placed before their eyes. With good reason, therefore, does Christ exclaim that they could no longer be endured, and pronounce them to be an unbelieving and perverse nation; for the numerous proofs which they had formerly beheld ought at least to have had the effect of preventing them from seeking occasion of disparagement. (487)

Mar 9:14

. He saw a great multitude around them. The disciples were, no doubt, held up to public gaze, as the enemies of the truth are wont, on occasions of triumph, to assemble a crowd about a trifle. The scribes had made such a noise about it, as to draw down on the disciples the ridicule of many persons. And yet it appears that there were some who were not ill disposed; for, as soon as they see Jesus, they salute him; and even the insolence of the scribes is restrained by his presence, for, when they are asked what is the matter in dispute, they have not a word to say.

(486) “ Encores mesme qu’ils se monstrassent import uns et facheux en leurs requestes;” — “even though they showed themselves to be importunate and troublesome in their requests.”

(487) “ Qu’ils n’allassent plus chercher des cavillations et moyens obliques pour luy resister;” — “not to resort any more to cavils and indirect methods of opposing him.”

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Mar. 9:14-29

(PARALLELS: Mat. 17:14-21; Luk. 9:37-43.)

The afflicted child.Moses, when he descended from the mount, found that the people in his absence had lapsed into idolatry; and our Lord, in descending from the Mount of Transfiguration, found that His followers had been surprised into spiritual impotence and failure. The swift transition from the glories of the Mount to the trials and toils that awaited Him below may be regarded as typical of the life of all Christians,the mount (Mar. 9:9) and the multitude (Mar. 9:14); the supreme festival and the fiery trial; to-day, ecstasies and glories that tell of heaven; to-morrow, conflicts with demoniacal degradation and fury that disclose the depths of hell. The appearance of our Lord on the scene wrought an immediate transformation; it was like the arrival of a general on the field of battle in time to retrieve the fortunes of his army when wellnigh defeated. He always comes to succour His own at the right time and with the right blessing: He is a very present help in trouble.

I. A distressed child.The ground of the disorder was natural; the child suffered from a physical complaint, perhaps the most severe form of epileptic lunacy that was brought to Christ for healing. But on this ground a worse spiritual disorder was superinduced. The disorder of the child is a picture of sin as a spiritual evil. The child was deaf; so a sinner refuses to hear the voices of God and conscience. The child was dumb; so the sinners tongue is not used for God in testimony and song. The child was mad; so the sinner, under the influence of that spirit that now worketh [lit. energiseth] in the children of disobedience, is a maniac.

II. An anxious father.The colloquy our Lord had with him is a type of the method by which a seeker is led into stronger faith. The man had said to Him, If Thou canst do; Jesus retorts upon him, If thou canst believe. The man had said, If Thou canst do anything; Jesus replies, All things are possible to faith: My doing all depends on thy believing. To impress this still more He redoubles upon the believing: If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Two things are very remarkable here:

(1) The felt and owned presence of unbelief, which only the strength of the mans faith could have so revealed to his own consciousness.
(2) His appeal to Christ for help against his past unbeliefa feature in the case quite unparalleled, and shewing more than all protestations could have done the insight he had attained of a power in Christ more glorious than any he had besought for his poor child.

III. The baffled apostles.In their worshipping exercises on the Mount some of the disciples had to contend with infirmity and sleep; whilst in the activities of public life in the valley others had to contend with impotence and the shame of failure. Possibly the disciples, deprived of the presence of the Master, and the chief apostles, in whom dwelt most of His spirit, had neglected fasting and prayer; the sad prophecy of His death may have damped the spirits of the weakest of them, or they yielded to fear in view of the special virulence of the disorder. The kind of demon that tortured the child required more than ordinary spiritual vigour to expel hima faith braced up by intense devotion, and such rigorous self-denial as would weaken the hold of the lower nature upon the higher, and aid in spiritual meditation and fellowship.

IV. An effectual Healer.In the exercises of devotion on the Mount He was declared to be the Master; and in the exercises of active zeal below He asserts His absolute power and dominionnot only over the minds of men, as illustrated in the scribes, the multitude, the father, and the disciples, but also over the rage and malice of demons. Impotence, in some form or other, prevailed in all the actors in the scene except Himself; but power belonged unto Hima power that fell in anger on a malicious demon and in blessing on a helpless child.J. H. Morgan.

The power and the difficulties of faith.This story is strikingly illustrative both of the difficulties and the power of faith,the power of faith, which caused the ultimate healing; the difficulties of faith, which caused the previous failure of that power.

I. The difficulty of believing is very great and very strong.

1. The disciples of Jesus frequently and very keenly felt this difficulty. Their faith was constantly breaking down; at almost every great crisis it completely failed them: the falsehood and treachery in Pilates hall, the desertion at the Cross. Their impotency to heal this epileptic child is an illustration of this. From the context of the narrative it would appear that it was the three most conspicuous of our Lords disciples to whom the sorrowing father brought his epileptic child, and that at a time when we should naturally suppose their faith would have been in a condition of the greatest and most triumphant vigour. For they had just descended from the Mount of Transfiguration, they had just been enveloped in the glory of the Lord, and had heard celestial voices testifying to the Divinity of their Master.
2. When we turn away from the disciples to the distressed and sorrowing father, we find an illustration of the difficulties of believing under changed and opposite circumstances. The disciples were in a state of joy and gladness after the Transfiguration; the father of the epileptic child was in a state of grief and sore affliction. They were in the light on the mountaintop; he was amid the darkness down in the valley. Yet he found the difficulties of believing not less hard than they. If Thou canst do anything. Lord! I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.
3. Faith is one of the most difficult of Christian exercises. A little faith is more or less common; but much faith is very rare. We all, I suppose, believe in a greater or less degreea degree at least large enough to justify our repetition of the Churchs creeds. But the faith which statedly recites the creeds is not commonly great faith; it is the ordinary faith of the ordinary Christianthe minimum, without which we could not decently profess to be Christians at all.
4. The difficulty of miracles, according to Christs declaration, is not the difficulty of Gods doing, but the difficulty of mans believing. Not material laws, but spiritual unfaiththis is the insuperable hindrance to miracles.
5. The experience of all the ages fully attests the truth of the explanation of Christ. Extraordinary faith is pre-essential to extraordinary action; the miracle of believing precedes the miracle of doing. It is as impossible to think living thoughts with a dead brain, or to raise heavy weights with a palsied arm, as to do wonders with a doubting soul or a dead faith. Failure, even in miracle, is practically synonymous with faithlessness.

II. In every age power has been given to men in proportion to their faith.

1. Seldom, indeed, has the power of faith extended to the control of the material universe, though in the instance of Christ frequently, and of others occasionally, even matter has been visibly subjugated to the influences of faith; and modern psychical researches are ever tending more and more clearly to demonstrate the possibility of the interpenetration of matter by will, and therefore a fortiori by faith, which as a spiritual energy is often more powerful than will. But outside the material universe and in the realm of purpose and religion we see the power of faith perpetually exemplified. According to the measure of our faith it is daily done unto us. According to the measure of our faith it is also daily done by us. Great deeds are great faith made visible; great faith is great deeds made possible.

2. Seeing, then, that the experience of the ages attests the truth of Christs explanation concerning the rarity of miracles, and also His declaration of the potency of faith, the possibility of believing is for each of us a very momentous possibility. Canst thou, is it possible for thee, to believe? That is the great question, upon the answer to which everything of real importance in life depends. If thou canst believe, there is possible to theeeverything; but if thou canst not believe, there is possible to theenothing!

3. The difficulties of belief in our age are without denial peculiarly great. It is not merely that doubt is in the air; that the intellectual and academic atmosphere is charged with currents of dubitation; that physical science, which depends for its existence upon experiment and demonstration, and has achieved such striking successes in the department of matter by the diligent use of its own methods, should have been emboldened to try those methods upon religion,it is not these things which make the difficulties of belief so peculiarly great in the present age.
(1) The moral and spiritual characteristics of our age are not favourable to faith. Our age is an age of great wealth; and an age of great wealth is never an age of great faith, the tendency of wealth being always towards luxury and great comfortableness, and neither luxury nor great comfortableness being a good soil for religious growth. Moreover the effect of spiritual drowsiness among the rich is to produce a similar drowsiness among the poor. The poor perceive that the profession of Christianity by the rich seldom produces anything great or striking in the way of sympathy or self-sacrifice, and they therefore grow largely indifferent to the profession of it among themselves.

(2) But far greater than all other difficulties are the difficulties inherent in our own moral and spiritual constitution. The visible over-masters us; the invisible is less than half real. Our occupations and employments, the urgency of earning our daily bread, the need for concentrating our thoughts upon worldly things in order to gain subsistence and make progress in our trade or professionall unite in giving prominence to temporal realities, and in hiding from view the realities which are eternal. Above all, the natural deceitfulness of the human heart revolts against the constraining power of faith.
4. Yet great as these difficulties are, they are by no means insuperable. Far from it. All things are possible to God; and to that man whose mind is ever dwelling upon the Eternal, the Infinite, the Invisiblewhose spirit is thoroughly interpenetrated with the Spirit of Godto that man also most things are possible likewise.Canon Diggle.

OUTLINES AND COMMENTS ON THE VERSES

Mar. 9:14. The scribes questioning.The scribes probably argued that failure in one case proved deception in all. How true to nature is this picture! If they had encouraged the disciples to try again with prayer, and had knelt with the father of the boy asking God to give the disciples power, they could have prevented the failure which they denounce! It is like the worldto withhold help, and then give blame for what it might have prevented. Pity the woes of men, so often intensified and perpetuated by men disputing as to who is to blame for them, instead of uniting in the effort to cure.R. Glover

He cameas always, and to us alsounexpectedly, most opportunely, and for the real decision of the question in hand. There was immediate calm, preceding victory.A. Edersheim, D.D.

The world wants us.However good it may be to be in natures silent retreats for a season, the world wants us; for it is full of evils to be remedied, full of work to be done, full of demons to be cast out. There are calls down as well as up. And we must be as alert to the one call as to the other.J. Halsey.

Mar. 9:16-18. Lessons.

1. When Jesus Christ absents Himself from us we are nothing.
2. A minister must not expect to have always success in the conversion of sinners.
3. Sometimes the greatest care, application, and talents signify nothing, because God designs to effect the thing by Himself, and to make His ministers more fit for His work by making them more humble.
4. Children diseased and possessed are an evident proof of original sin, because under a just God none are miserable unless they deserve it.
5. Bodily possession is a consequence and emblem of that of the soul, and of the dominion which the devil exercises over the heart by means of the passions.P. Quesnel.

Mar. 9:17. A dumb spirit.The poor lad was a demoniac, and the demon had deprived him of the use of the affiliated organs of speech and hearing (see Mar. 9:25). There is nothing incredible in such power, if evil spirits there be at all. Even some men have power to deprive, for the time being, some of their fellow-men of speech, hearing, feeling, seeing. What marvel, then, that unincarnated spirits should have a corresponding power? There are assuredly in existence, as W. G. Palgrave says, malignant cosmical influences, be they what they may. The spirit world, says Delitzsch, good as well as bad, has been in all times the background of the events that transpire on earth.J. Morison, D.D.

Mar. 9:19. Christs forbearance to be imitated.Let us imitate on occasion the obedience and charity of Christ, which detained Him in the world, though the incredulity and contradiction thereof were a continual trouble to Him. How intolerable soever some ministers and pastors, by reason of their want of faith and their other defects, may possible be, yet Christ ceases not mildly to bear with them, to continue with them, according to His promise, to work by their ministry, and even to produce by them extraordinary effects. Whoever finds his endeavours ineffectual on souls enslaved to sin and the devil ought to conduct them to Christ, by addressing himself to Him in more fervent prayers, or by procuring them the assistance of some others of His servants.P. Quesnel.

Mar. 9:23. Faith is in its essence the power by which we grasp the future, the unseen, the infinite, the eternal; and in its application it is a principle of knowledge, a principle of power, a principle of action. It is then on mans side the condition and the measure of Divine blessing. By faith we lift up the sightless eye, and it is opened: by faith we stretch out the withered arm, and it is made whole: by faith, bound hand and foot with gravecloths, we come forth from the tomb of custom which lies upon us

With a weight

Heavy as frost and deep almost as life.

In the Creed I do not simply acknowledge the existence of these Divine Persons of the One Godhead, but I throw myself wholly upon their power and love. I have found and I trust without reserve Him who made, redeemed, sanctifies me. I have gained not a certain conclusion, but an unfailing, an all-powerful Friend. I believe in Him! He can help me; and He will help me.Bishop Westcott.

There is in faith a power to make Gods resources our own tributaries and auxiliaries.The great reason why we make such slow gains in our own religious life in the warfare with inward sin, selfishness, and pride, is that we make no calculation for any strength but our own, and do not muster in our reserves. We are in this respect where manufacturing was in mechanical life a hundred years ago, when everything was done by hand; where travelling was fifty years ago, when everything was done by stage; where communication was twenty-five years ago, when all messages were sent by post. We do not calculate on a margin. We are doing all by a dead lift.C.H. Parkhurst, D.D.

Mar. 9:24. Prayer for faith.He who implores faith with tears has it already in his heart.Canstein.

Doubt and faith.

1. Doubt and faith can coexist in the heart, and actually do. As creatures of God we must believe; as fallen, disordered, and disorganised creatures we must doubt.
2. The will can choose between doubting and believing. It can control and shape the thoughts; it can throw its weight on one side or the other when the battle rages in the soul. And because it can do this we are responsible for the strength or weakness of our faith.
3. If we choose to believe, God will help.M. Dix, D.D.

Faiths progress.We have here

1. The birth of faith.
(1) Eager desire.
(2) A sense of utter helplessness.
(3) The acceptance of Christs calm assurances.
2. The infancy of faith. The sense of possessing some feeble degree of any virtue or excellence, and the effort to put it forth, is the surest way of discovering how little of it we have. On the other side sorrow for the lack of some form of goodness is itself a proof of the partial possession, in some rudimentary and incipient form, of that goodness.
3. The cry of infant faith. Help Thou mine unbelief may have either of two meanings. The mans desire was either that his faith should be increased and his unbelief helped by being removed by Christs operation upon his spirit, or that Christ would help him and his boy by healing the child, though the faith which asked the blessing was so feeble that it might be called unbelief. Heal my child, though it is unbelief as much as faith that asks Thee to do it.
4. The education of faith. Christ paid no heed in words to the mans confession of unbelief, but proceeded to do the work which answered his prayer in both its possible meanings. He responded to imperfect confidence by His perfect work of cure; and by that perfect work of cure He strengthened the imperfect confidence which it had confessed. Thus He educates us by His answersHis over-answersto our poor desires; and the abundance of His gifts rebukes the poverty of our petitions more emphatically than any words of remonstrance beforehand could have done. He does not lecture us into faith, but He blesses us into it.A. Maclaren, D.D.

Unbelief helped.Beautiful to the eye of the father was the lad brought to Jesus, when the spasm was not on him. So is a true faith in Christ. It is the child of the heart. It is the image of all that is parental and Divine in the human soul. The affections so naturally fasten upon it as upon the child given to the arms and the bosomto the kiss and fondnesses of maternal and paternal love. We so speak of a favourite idea of an author, an artist, a schemerwe say, It is the child of his heart. It stands out, as it were, to his eye as a child born to him, in whom he has garnered up great hopes, and with whom is linked all the happiness of life. More justly may this be regarded the Christians faith in immortality, with the light it sheds on present duty, joy, and sorrow. So did Socrates regard his fainter and less beautiful hope of life beyond death. When Socrates held his last conversation with his scholars, it seemed at one time that all the arguments for the immortality of the soul had been overthrown; and as it was a custom for the Greeks to cut off their hair and throw it into the tomb at the time of the burial of a friend, Socrates took hold of the long drooping locks of one of his disciples, and asked if that pretty hair would not be cut off on the morrowthe time he should be dead. He was answered Yes; and then he added, If you take my advice, you will not stay so long! and explained his meaning that it was more fit that the death of a great hope be mourned than the death of a friend. But the beautiful faith of many a heart does not so much die as it may be said to be affected with spasms. It is tortured. Its harmonies are untuned, and it is a mournful thing. It is as uncontrollable as the poor lad to whom the apostles could bring no help, so that the sorrow of that father is but a picture of the troubles of him whose faith is not healthy, strong, and happy. There is just enough of life in their faith for them to say, I believe! but there is weakness enough to make them add, with tears, the confession, Help my unbelief! To Christ must the heart come; and the result of patient waiting upon Him shall be, the languid pulse of faith shall be quickenedthe veins shall feel the rosy tide, and as Christ lifted up the lad and he arose to tremble and to fall no more, so shall belief be released of all the spasms of unbelief and the fire and the flood be feared no more. Take to Christ thy faith. Its weakness will not be despised. Thy tears will be pearls in the treasury of Christ. Bring to Him thy soul by adopting the simple rule, to try by the spirit of His life all doctrines and theories, all creeds and articles.Henry Bacon.

Mar. 9:25. Lessons.

1. Those who love not either to speak or to hear of God are possessed with a dumb and deaf spirit, from which Christ alone can deliver them. Happy are they into whom he never enters any more!
2. What would not God grant to a faith which is perfect, since even to an imperfect one He grants much more than it asks?
3. Jesus Christ never speaks to the devil but with threats, as to a slave. There are no measures to be kept where there is no longer the least hope of reconciliation or charity.P. Quesnel.

Mar. 9:26-27. Mans extremity, Gods opportunity.It is generally when things have come to the worst that God interposes and deliversand not until then.

1. Because then the need of help is the greatest.
2. Because then there is the clearest evidence of the failure of all human help.
3. Because then deliverance is seen to be of God only. 4 Because then the omnipotence of God is displayed in accomplishing what none other can effect.

Mar. 9:27. Took him by the hand.

I. Look at the hand, as the helping organ and instrument of a man.Jesus took him by the hand. Very well, some of you say, how common, how natural! Men take each other by the hand every day. And therefore, my friends, be sure, since it is so common and so natural, that it is most beautiful and most significant, when we consider it closely. Our most common and familiar actions are the richest in beauty and in meaning. The most precious thoughts lie hid in the most homely things.

II. This action of the Lord appears to be most characteristic of His whole ministry to man.In Christ the hand of God touched the sick and tormented world and lifted it up; for in Christ God brought Himself into living, loving, and helpful contact with the mass of sin, misery, and corruption wherewith the devil had filled His world.

III. The true form of Christian activity is indicated to us in this hand-helping of our Lord.The touch of a Christians hand, the tones of a Christians voice, the strong sympathies of a Christians heart, have a magic potency. This is Gods own appointed instrument for healing and blessing the world. You are not following His footsteps if you are not entering yourself into some chambers of sickness, some homes of sorrow, some dens of vice and crime; if sinners are not feeling that you are not afraid of them; that like your Master you have come to seek them, and would rather have it said that you kept company with publicans and sinners than hear your name rung from the trumpet of fame.J. B. Brown.

Christs humanity.Christ proves His Divinity by His humanity. I know He is Divine because He was so humane.

The helping hand.What a happiness is it when, amidst the pangs and struggles of conversion, a sinner meets with an enlightened guide, a charitable hand to lift him up in his dejection, to comfort him under his pains, and to lead him into the ways of God! But what docility, what respect, what gratitude, does not the invincible hand of Christ, which is concealed under this visible one, deserve?P. Quesnel.

Mar. 9:28. Dissatisfaction with failure a hopeful sign.There was hopefulness in the fact that they were dissatisfied with their own failing. As long as the Christian Church is keenly alive to the humiliation which it brings upon itself and the dishonour upon its Master by its failures there is hope of it. It is when the Church is utterly indifferent to its failures in casting out demons that it subsides into a hopeless condition. But whenever the Church of Christ after failing to do its work feels keenly the disgrace of failure and will not tolerate it until at least the secret is explained, but goes to the Master and asks Him in the agony of a keen disappointment, Why could not we cast him out? then the very failure will lead up to nobler attainments. The Master will give the secret of successful work, and sooner or later the Church will arouse itself again and rise into the dignity of its calling and its position.D. Davies.

Mar. 9:29. Prayer and fasting.It is not meant that faith might be omitted (Mat. 17:20); nor that faith must be merged in prayer and fasting: but that faith must be in maximum degree, and that consequently those spiritual exercises which condition its highest attainable exaltation must be realised. There must be prayer, the uplifting of desire till it settle in the will of God. There must be fasting, the denying of all in the periphery of self that would hinder the uprising of the desire to God, or its absolute repose in His will.J. Morison, D.D.

Prayer and fasting, in the life of Christ, were the human expression of two deeper and Diviner things. His prayers, whether on mountain-slopes or at open grave-sideswhether for the renewal of His own strength or for the benefit of otherswere the outcome and expression of a personal intercommunion with God, of which His life was the highest exemplification which the world has ever seen. His fastings were the expressionthe manifestation to manof a self-denial which can only be adequately expressed as absolute and unselfish self-forgetfulness. In this utter and complete self-renunciation and its counterpart of close and unbroken intercommunion with the Fatherin His absolute oneness with the FatherJesus went up to His struggles with evil in its many forms; and before this consecrated and engodded life the evil invariably fell. Demoniacal possessionsno matter what their form or how great their intensitycould not live in the white light that flashed from perfect self-oblation and unbroken intercourse with Heaven. Then why did the disciples fail? Because they fell immeasurably short of the Masters character. They were not nearly as close to God as He was. There was a great gulf between their puny and imbecile faith and His grand hold of God.R. H. Starr, D.D.

The power of prayer.It is not enough to have seen the vision on the mountain. We must foster the memory of it by our prayers; for prayer is the secret of holiness. It is the witness of our spirituality. It is the promise of the victory which shall be ours. We can do nothing of ourselvesthat is the law of the spiritual life. But we can do all things by leaning on a higher Power. When the faith of men and of Churches has proved impotent to cope with the evil which has vitiated the heart of society, then a Divine voice is heard above the tumult, saying only, Bring him hither to Me. It is Thy voice, O Lord Jesus, and we will obey it.J. E. C. Welldon.

ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 9

Mar. 9:19. Lack of faith.Admiral Dupont was once explaining to Farragut the reason why he failed to enter Charlestown harbour with his fleet of ironclads. He gave this reason, and that reason, and the other reason; and Farragut remained silent until he had got through, and then said, Ah, Dupont, there was one more reason. What is that? You didnt believe you could do it!

Mar. 9:23-24. The use of weak faith.When the suspension bridge across Niagara was erected, a kite took a string over to the other side; to this string a cord was attached and was drawn over, then a rope which drew a larger rope, and then a cable strong enough to sustain the iron cable which supported the bridge, over which heavily laden trains now pass in safety. This could never have been done but for the small kite, which may represent a faith which, though weak, yet reaches to Christ and heaven.

Little faith in a great God.There was once a woman who was well known for her simple faith and great calmness in the midst of many trials. Another woman hearing of her, went to learn the secret of her holy, happy life. She accosted her by saying, Are you the woman with the great faith? No, she replied, I am not the woman with the great faith; but I am the woman with a little faith in the great God.

Mar. 9:24. Obedience has a firm basis.The same state of mind, looked at from its two opposite ends, as it were, may be designated faith or unbelief; just as a piece of shot silk, according to the angle at which you hold it, may shew you only the bright colours of its warp or the dark ones of its weft. When you are travelling in a railway train with the sun streaming in at the windows, if you look out on the one hand you will see the illumined face of every tree and blade of grass and house, and if you look out on the other you will see the dark side. And so the same landscape may seem to be all lit up by the sunshine of belief, or to be darkened by the gloom of distrust. If we consider how great and how perfect ought to be our obedience, to bear any due proportion to the firmness of that upon which it is built, we shall not be slow to believe that through life there will always be the presence, more or less, of these two elements. There will be all degrees of progress between the two extremes of infantile and mature faith.A. Maclaren, D.D.

Fluctuations of faith.Travelling on the plain, which, notwithstanding, has its risings and fallings, I discovered Salisbury steeple many miles off; coming to a declivity, I lost the sight thereof, but, climbing up the next hill, the steeple grew out of the ground again. Yea, I often found it and lost it, till at last I came safely to it, and took my lodgings near it. It fareth thus with us while we are wayfaring to heaven. Mounted on the Pisgah top of some good meditation, we get a glimpse of our celestial Canaan; but when either on the flat of an ordinary temper, or in the fall of an extraordinary temptation, we lose the view thereof. Thus, in the sight of our soul, heaven is discovered, covered, and recovered; till, though late, at last, though slowly, surely, we arrive at the haven of our happiness.Thomas Fuller.

Mar. 9:29. Prayer.I once went to see Channing at Newport, and he told me that a minister had been to see him that day, and bad told how he had once been called in to exorcise a madman. The man was in a paroxysm; but his friends had an idea that it could be relieved by prayer. The minister, himself a man of simple faith, could not refuse the request, and went into the room where the maniac was, took him by the hand, and said, Let us kneel down and pray. He said that he never prayed so sincerely in all his life. When he began, the mans muscles were like iron; as he went on, they gradually relaxed, and when he finished the maniac was quiet and peaceful. Channing thought, and I think, that the strong faith of the minister acted on the patients body, through his mind.J. F. Clarke.

Fasting.Some years ago, an excellent, well-meaning clergyman preached during Lent on the duty of fasting, which he clearly proved from Scripture. But having done this, he proceeded to discount all he had said by making a series of exceptions. The working-man, for instance, could not be expected to fast, for he had his work to do; the weak and sickly were excepted because of their health, the children on account of their tender years, the old on account of their age, the brain-worker because of the severity of intellectual labour, etc. Doubtless there is some truth in all this, but the answer lies in the word abstinence. Many who are unable to fast literally can do so spiritually by taking plain food and avoiding luxuries and self-indulgence. And we should ever look beyond ourselves, and make our self-denial of benefit to others. A good old lady used to have her plateful of meat, cut off from the joint at dinner-time, set aside whilst she ate her dry bread, and then putting it in her basket she would hurry off with it to some poor, sick person in the neighbourhood.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

11. HEALING THE EPILEPTIC BOY 9:14-29

TEXT 9:14-29

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great multitude about them, and scribes questioning with them. And straight-way all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. And he asked them, What question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered him, Master, I brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast it out: and they were not able. And he answereth them and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straight-way the spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long time is it since this hath come unto him? And he said, From a child. And oft-times it hath cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. And Jesus said unto him, if thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth. Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him and enter no more into him. And having cried out and torn him much, he came out: and the child became as one dead: insomuch that the more part said, He is dead, But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up; and he arose, And when he was come into the house his disciples asked him privately saying. We could not cast it out. And he said unto them This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 9:14-29

444.

Where had Jesus and the three apostles left the other apostles?

445.

What was it that caused the excitement and amazement when the people saw Jesus?

446.

For what purpose had the scribes followed the disciples? About what were they disputing? Show the futility of such a dispute.

447.

To whom is the question of Mar. 9:16 addressed?

448.

What is meant by the words of the father who said his son: had a dumb Spirit?

449.

How do we know this boy was suffering from epilepsy? Cf. Mat. 17:15Are we to conclude that epilepsy is caused by demon possession? Explain.

450.

What is meant by the expression pineth away?

451.

Discuss the inability of the disciples as related to casting out this demon.

452.

Who was the faithless generation of Mar. 9:19?

453.

Why the reaction of the evil spirit upon seeing Jesus?

454.

Did Jesus know all about the boy? Why ask the father the question of Mar. 9:21?

455.

Did the father have some doubt as to whether Jesus could help him?

456.

Jesus picked up the words of the father and made a special appealwhat was it?

457.

How did the father interpret the words of Jesus? In what sense did he believe? In what sense didnt he believe?

458.

Jesus hastened to perform the miraclewhy?

459.

Note how Jesus addressed the demonwhat significance is there as to the powernature and work of demons?

460.

If the boy was dumb how could he cry out?

461.

What is meant by the phrase torn him?

462.

Was the boy dead when Jesus raised him?

463.

What rebuke and lesson for the disciples were in the words of Jesus in Mar. 9:29?

COMMENT

TIMESummer A.D. 29.
PLACEAt the foot of the mount of transfigurationin the district of Caesarea Philippi.

PARALLEL ACCOUNTSMat. 17:14-20; Luk. 9:37-43.

OUTLINE1. The place and the people of the healing, Mar. 9:14-15. 2. The occasion of the healing, Mar. 9:16-18. 3. The healing, Mar. 9:19-27. 4. The question of the disciples, Mar. 9:28-29.

ANALYSIS

I.

THE PLACE AND THE PEOPLE OF THE HEALING, Mar. 9:14-15.

1.

The nine disciples at the base of the mount questioning with the scribes; a great multitude gathered.

2.

Many were shocked to see Jesusran to him and greeted him.

II.

THE OCCASION OF THE HEALING, Mar. 9:16-18.

1.

Jesus asked about the point of the discussion.

2.

The father with his possessed son said he had asked for help from the disciples but could not get it.

III.

THE HEALING, Mar. 9:19-27.

1.

The grief of Jesus because of their unbelief, Mar. 9:19.

2.

The son brought to Jesusthe demon convulsed him, Mar. 9:20.

3.

The sympathy of Jesusthe desperation of the father, Mar. 9:21-22.

4.

All things are possible to him who believesdo you believe?Yea Lord, I believehelp thou my unbelief. Mar. 9:23-24.

5.

Because the multitude was about to make a scene Jesus delayed no longer in the healing, Mar. 9:25.

6.

The final attempt of the demon to destroy the boy, Mar. 9:26.

IV.

THE QUESTION OF THE DISCIPLES, Mar. 9:28-29.

1.

In someones house the disciples askedwhy couldnt we do it?

2.

Jesus said, you lacked the proper attitude to exercise healing power.

EXPLANATORY NOTES. 9:14-29.

I.

THE PLACE AND THE PEOPLE OF THE HEALING.

Mar. 9:14-15. The time was the day after the Transfiguration (Luke), and the place was the foot of the mountain. Early in the day, probably, Jesus and the three came down, the three burdened and uplifted by their glorious secret; thinking, perhaps how Moses with shining face, and Joshua, came down Mount Sinai. It is to Peter, who was one of them, that we owe the mention of what he saw in coming down. (Instead of he, the revisers, on manuscript authority, read they.) It was an excited throng listening eagerly to the discussion of scribes (not the scribes) with the nine apostles and any other disciples who may have been present. How vivid is the picture of the effect of Jesus approach!the excitement, the amazement, the instantaneous turning away from the one object of interest to him.Greatly amazed, or awestruck; not, so far as we can judge, from any peculiarity in his appearance, as if some light of the glory were still shining in his face, as when Moses drew near to Israel at the foot of the mountain (Exo. 34:29-35), for, if that had been the case, we should certainly have heard of it; and such a shining, too, would have defeated the purpose of concealment. Rather was it because he was the person of whom they were talking, and they were at once delighted and impressed by a certain sense of solemnity by the appearing of him who had never failed in a work of miraculous healing.The eager interest with which they all turned from futile discussion and failure to the Mighty One appears in their running to meet him.

II.

THE OCCASION OF THE HEALING.

Mar. 9:16-18. But he cared for his own and came down like a father to his children in trouble, asking the crowd, and especially the scribes, what they were discussing with his friends. He knew their weakness, and saw that they were perplexed and defeated. They were saluting him with welcome after his absencenot the nine only, but the multitudewhen he broke in with his question.

The answer came from the most interested, and the one who had the best right to tell the story. One of the multitude. Matthew says that he came kneeling, and Luke that he cried out with his request.I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spiriti.e. a spirit that makes its victim dumb; so in Mat. 9:32; Mat. 12:22. When Jesus addressed the spirit (Mar. 9:25), he spoke to it as dumb and deaf, perhaps because of what he had observed in addition to what the father told him.The additional symptoms described in Mar. 9:18 are those of violent convulsions, and plainly they are those of epilepsy, which in this case was complicated with insanity. Luke uses the word sparassein, to convulse, and Mark, at Mar. 9:20, the stronger compound word susparassein. Matthew says that the child was lunatic, or epileptic; but he adds that the lunacy was the work of a demon. More particularly, when the demon seized the boy he tore or convulsed him, or, as some explain it, threw him to the ground; and then he foamed and gnashed his teeth, and the consequence was that he pined away or was steadily wasting. These are the symptoms of epilepsy, which was well known among the ancients, and was regarded by the Greeks and Romans as a sacred disease, brought on directly by supernatural power and of evil omen. The word lunatic, or moonstruck, is applied to the victim in this case, as often, probably because the attacks were associated with the recurrence of the full moon. The questions, both physiological and psychological, that are connected with the subject of demoniacal possession are full of difficulty; but nothing is more certain than that our Lord on many occasions, and most emphatically on this, recognized the presence of a personality distinct from that of the victim and commanded it away.

The man said, I have brought unto thee my son.i.e. to the place where he supposed that Jesus was, because his company was there; brought him, apparently, half in hope and half in despair; this was the last resort, and he came to it without much faith.But Jesus was not there; probably the man came in the cool of the morning, when Jesus and the three were about coming down from the mountain. And I spake to thy disciples, that they should cast him out; and they could not, In Luke, I entreated thy disciples. Their inability is often explained by the fact that Jesus was not with them, but they had cast out many demons in his absence when he sent them forth for such work (chap. Mar. 6:13). Then, however, they were sent; and perhaps the lack of the consciousness of mission now embarrassed them. The three leading apostles, too, were absent, and perhaps the company at the foot of the mountain felt itself to be really the less, though actually the larger. No doubt, also, the severity of the case gave them pause. Their confidence was not strong enough to bear the sense of publicity and of being tested that came with the challenge; for the scribes at once followed up their failure; plying them with questions that must have made them most uncomfortable. The penalty of unbelieving fear is confusion. (See Jer. 1:17.) Nor was there much to help them in the faith of the father.

III.

THE HEALING.

Mar. 9:19. He answereth him, and saith. The revisers text, more correctly, He answereth them and saith. Not to the afflicted father, but to the inefficient disciples.O faithless generation! Not now of little faith; in Matthew and Luke, Faithless and perverse generation. Here expressly, as in chap. Mar. 8:18 implicitly, he ranks his own disciples with the generation to which they belong, since he finds in them the ordinary unbelief. They ought, he implies, to have been able to cast out the evil spirit. Perception of the sadness of the case probably repressed their faith; but it ought to have aroused their compassion, and their compassion ought to have increased their sense of the possibility of healing through the grace of Christ. Our Saviour is exacting in the expectation that his friends will be in possession of the spiritual gifts and graces that he offers them. His almost impatient question means, How long shall this generation, whose unbelief I am learning so thoroughly, vex me so? How long must I live among the faithless?But he ends with Bring him unto me. The Mighty One now takes hold where the weak have failed.

Mar. 9:20. The sufferer was brought, but the sight of the great Healer maddened the malign spirit; so that the boy went into a violent convulsion and wallowed foaming on the ground. Was it the dumbness of the victim that prevented such confession as that of chap. Mar. 1:34; Mar. 3:11; Mar. 5:7? There was no confession, and no vocal objection or entreaty on the part of the spirit.

Mar. 9:21-22. The sad sight arrested even the Healers mind in the midst of his act of mercy. Compassion was prompting the act, and one would think compassion would urge him on to finish it. But nowhere does the true human thoughtfulness of Jesus appear more plainly; he looked on pityingly while the boy suffered, and compassion even stopped him for a moment while he tenderly inquired how long the infliction had been upon him.The naturalness of this pause is inimitable; and not less so is the fathers answer, We can hear in it the tones of anxiety and despair, and of eagerness for the utmost that can be done. Ofor froma child. Then, apparently, the boy had passed beyond early childhood, though in Mar. 9:24 he is called by the diminutive name paidion, a young or little child.And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters to destroy him. But it has been baffled thus far. This demoniac had more watchful friends than the one at Gergesa (chap. Mar. 5:3), who had no home but in the tombs. It was but too common in ancient times so to turn maniacs loose, and this boy was fortunate above many in having care and protection.For healing at the hand of Jesus the father had strong desire, but very little faith. If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us, counting himself in with the child as calling for the gift, but looking upon this as a kind of forlorn hope, concerning which he had as much despair as confidence. The disciples had failed; it was supposed that the Master had more power, but who could tell? If thou canst do any thing was much as he could say. Was not this one of the faithless generation? But there was more excuse for him than for the disciples, who had seen so much.

Mar. 9:23. As by the revisers, the word believe should be omitted. It was doubtless added by copyists, though very early, to complete an imperfect construction and explain a sentence which without some help they could not understand, With the word omitted, Jesus took up the fathers words, If thou canst do any thing for us, or rather, merely, If thou canst, indicates, moreover, that the quoted words form grammatically a part of his sentence. We have not an indignant exclamation, as if he had said in amazement, If thou canst! and we have not a question, as if he had asked, Do you say, If thou canst? rather did he mean, As for that if thou canst of thine, that ei dune, all things are possible (dunata) to him that believeth. The play upon the words (dune, dunata) cannot be reproduced in English, except very imperfectly, but it is something like, As for that if thou canst of thine, all things can be to him that believeth. By this he means, You have inquired about ability and whether any help is possible, but you have misplaced the question. The question of ability is in you, not in me. Faith is the secret of ability and of possibility. The power is sufficient on my part; is it on yours? I can give, but can you receive? Yet the thought is expressed, not so much reprovingly as cheeringly; for the conclusion is not a severe one, but rather the hopeful announcement of the boundless breadth of the possibilities of faith. This is another way of saying, Believest thou that I am able to do this? but with a gracious hint that the man will do well to believe. So does the great Object of faith love to encourage faith. He loves to be trusted.

Mar. 9:24. The fathers answer was a cry strong and eager, but the words with tears are of doubtful manuscript authority. Lord should quite certainly be omitted, and the insertion of thou, which in the Greek is unexpressed, misrepresents the rapidity of the mans utterance in the eagerness of his impassioned prayer. I believe, help my unbelief. The saying is commonly, perhaps, taken to mean, I believe, but I desire to believe more worthily; increase my faith. This makes help to mean remove or abolisha sense for which no good support can be found. If the man had meant to ask that his faith might be rendered equal to the occasion, one would not expect him to ask it in this ambiguous way; and especially is it certain that he would not use the same word, help, that he had just employed in quite another sense.This word is repeated from the former prayer, have compassion on us, and help us, and naturally means, as there, heal my son. So the thought is, I believe, and yet my faith is scarcely worthy of the name; I hardly dare to call it faith or to plead by it as a believing man. Yet do not wait for something better, but grant my prayer, even to this faith which is no faith. I do believe; but if my belief is no better than unbelief, still heal my son. Do not sternly judge my faith, but help me as I am. There is no contradiction here, and scarcely even paradox, but only deep sincerity in the beginnings of faith, joined with the eagerness of strong desire for a special gift. This is an early Just as I am, and a very rich and suggestive one. If the man had paused to study his own faith and to make it sufficient, and withheld his prayer till he could make it satisfactory, would he more have injured himself or grieved the Master? He was pleasing Jesus best when he ventured wholly on him, trusting all the defects of his faith to the mercy from which he was imploring help. Just as I am is the word most acceptable to him.

Mar. 9:25-27. The excitement was rising, and it was time that the scene should be brought to an end, more especially as the father was now ready in heart to receive the gift for which he prayed. The form of exorcism employed in this case was the most elaborate and solemn of all that are recorded in the Gospels. Thou dumb and deaf spirit. So addressed with reference to its work upon the child, the effects of its agency.I charge thee. I is emphatic in the GreekI, thou knowest who, as the spirit knew at chap. Mar. 1:24. The emphasis upon the pronoun is our Lords solemn self-assertion in the spiritual realm.Come out of him. The customary command; but the addition, and enter no more into him, is found here alone, It is pleasant to think that this exceptional command sprang from our Lords perception of the exceptional severity of the case, and the more than usual interest that he seems to have taken in it.The rage of a hostile will when compelled to yield vented itself in the final cry and convulsion; for here also the word is convulsed. rather than rent.How intensely vivid is the narrative in Mar. 9:26-27the prostration of the child, the whisperings of the spectators, the kindness of the Healer! He took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. Luke, and he alone, notes the amazement of the beholders at the mighty power or majesty of God. The same word is used in 2Pe. 1:16 of the glory or majesty which the three disciples had seen in Jesus on the very night before this healing.This is one of the many cases in which we would be thankful to see what has been hidden, and know the subsequent relations of this father and child to Jesus. Did the child appreciate the Healer and grow up into a holy Christian manhood? Were all the demons exorcised in his soul? Did the father grow in faith, as one ought after such a beginning?

IV.

THE QUESTION OF THE DISCIPLES.

Mar. 9:28-29. This final reference to the failure of the disciples is omitted by Luke and given more fully by Matthew who adds here a saying about the power of faith similar to that which followed the blighting of the fruitless tree (Mar. 11:23). When he was come into the house, or home, to the temporary home that the company had in that region.Why could not we cast himrather, itout? The question had already been answered by the exclamation, O faithless generation! in Mar. 9:19, but they were not quick to take reproof, and this inquiry was one of the many illustrations of their slowness, with which he had to be patient. Yet perhaps unbelief never fully understands its own failures, but supposes there must be some reason for them to be sought.This kind (of demons) can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting (some manuscripts omit and fasting)i.e. This is an extreme case, one that can be made to yield only to faith nourished by the earnest use of all the means of strength, Prayer is recognized as the first great spiritual agency; and if the reference to fasting is genuine, our Lord associates with prayer self-denial, regarded, evidently, as the fitting means of attaining a holy self-command. Fasting in itself, considered as an end, would certainly command his instantaneous and unutterable contempt, as did the many performances of a similar kind that came under his notice; and fasting in general received from him such comments as showed that he esteemed it not very highly. But prayer and self-control go harmoniously together as the means by which an efficient faith may best be sought. (W. N. Clarke).

FACT QUESTIONS 9:14-29

498.

What is the peculiar value of Marks narrative of the healing of this demoniac?

499.

How is the genuineness of this record observed? Why is this important?

500.

How would any shining or glow on the face of Jesus have defeated the purpose of concealment?

501.

Why were the people so eager and happy about the appearance of Jesus?

502.

Who was best qualified to answer the question of Jesus as of Mar. 9:16?

503.

Specifically describe the illness of the boy.

504.

In what sense was the boy moonstruck?

505.

Describe the characteristics of epilepsy.

506.

Our Lord on many occasions, and most emphatically recognized one fact about demon possessionwhat was it?

507.

In what sense had the father brought his boy to Jesus? Hadnt the disciples cast out demons before? (Mar. 6:13) Why not here?

508.

Jesus classified His apostles with others in calling them a faithless generation. Why? Cf. Mar. 8:18.

509.

Why didnt the evil spirit confess the deity of Jesus? Cf. Mar. 1:34; Mar. 3:11; Mar. 5:7.

510.

What caused Jesus to pause in the midst of healing the boy to ask a question of the father?

511.

If the demon cast the boy into water how is it he did not drown?

512.

Show how there was more excuse for the faithlessness of the father than for the disciples.

513.

Explain just how Jesus used the words of the father: If thou canst.

514.

The answer of the father is commonly understood to mean: I believe, but I desire to believe more worthily; increase my faith.but this is not the true or whole meaningwhat is the meaning?

515.

Show how the expression Just as I am fits the father.

516.

What word was emphasized in the charge of Jesus to the evil spirit? Why?

517.

Why did Jesus use the wordsand enter no more into him.?

518.

Show how intensely vivid the narrative is in Mar. 9:26-27.

519.

What was the reaction of the healingi.e. on the beholders?

520.

Why did the apostles ask about their inability? didnt they already know it was because of unbelief?

521.

What are the efficient means by which faith may best be exercised?

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(14-29) And when he came to his disciples.See Notes on Mat. 17:14-21. The narrative of St. Mark here becomes much the fullest of the three. He alone mentions, e.g., in this verse, the presence of the scribes disputing with the disciples, and in the next, the running and the greeting with which the multitude received our Lord as He came down from the mountain, and the question in Mar. 9:16 as to the cause of the dispute.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

76. HEALING THE CHILD POSSESSED OF A DEAF AND DUMB DEMON, Mar 9:14-29 .

(See notes on Mat 17:14-21.)

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And when they came to the disciples they saw a great crowd about them, and scribes questioning with them.’

The fact that scribes were there suggests that this took place somewhere in Northern Galilee, from where they would ‘pass through Galilee’ (Mar 9:30) to Capernaum. The Scribes would have limited authority outside Galilee. It is not impossible, however, that they had travelled further North although less likely. From this point of view we can ignore the time references. ‘And He said’ in Mar 9:1 has divided this episode from what happened at Caesarea Philippi, so that we have no time reference as to when that was. The time reference in Mar 9:2 simply links back to Mar 9:1. But even were we to relate the incidents the six days mentioned would have given them time to get back to Galilee. We thus do not know on which ‘high mountain’ this took place. The lack of article may suggest that there only two or three scribes present. They were probably suggesting that the disciples were using the wrong methods for exorcising spirits and taking the opportunity of drawing the crowds attention to their failure. Note that now that Jesus had returned to Galilee the crowds had gathered once more.

‘They came — they saw.’ Some important manuscripts have the singular ‘He’. The latter is very possible, placing the emphasis on the presence of the Unique One. But the point is probably that the three, having been in the mountain and seen the certainty of the glory of Jesus, had now descended and together with Him saw a scene of doubt, need and despair.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Casting Out of the Deaf And Dumb Spirit (9:14-29).

This incident provides a fitting climax to this section of the Gospel. It is the final example of Jesus acting to cast out evil spirits. That was a work in which He was involved from the beginning (Mar 1:23-27) and had become a permanent aspect of His ministry (Mar 1:32; Mar 1:34; Mar 3:11; Mar 3:22-30; Mar 5:1-20) and of the ministry of His disciples (Mar 6:7). Now at the end of His Galilean ministry He faces a final challenge. In the chiasmus of the section from Mar 4:35 to Mar 9:33 a it parallels the healing of the Gadarene demoniac, and this is very fitting for both cases presented peculiar characteristics. Both represented unusually difficult cases. It is doubtful if the disciples would have been able to cope with the Gadarene demoniac, and they were certainly unable to cope with the unclean spirit here. The Gadarene demons tried to prevent Jesus’ success by weight of numbers, the unclean spirit here did it by being deaf and dumb so that it could not be ‘attacked’, and had thus prevented the disciples from being successful. The Gadarene demons destroyed their host swine in water, the unclean spirit here had constantly tried to destroy its host in the same way, although up to this point had failed (Mar 9:22). Thus we must not underestimate the authority that Jesus reveals here. But it was an indicator that no demon, however astute, could resist His awesome power. It was a fitting finale to His revelation as the Messiah and His transfiguration on the mountain.

The passage also brings out the limitations of the disciples. They had been given authority over unclean spirits (Mar 6:7) but here they had come across a case in which they had failed miserably. They could not cope with the subtlety of this unclean spirit. Their failure was, however, a salutary lesson, for as the later evidence reveals, they were beginning to feel a little superior to others. Considering what was happening in their lives it was not surprising. Their being sent out to preach in order to pass on the teaching of Jesus, the ability bestowed on them by Jesus to heal and cast out evil spirits, and the respect that would be paid to them by the masses who came to hear Jesus would be enough to cause many a person to feel inordinately proud. It was something that had to be tempered by careful warnings. And there is no better warning than the kind of failure that they suffered here.

On descending from the mountain Jesus and his three disciples found that a man had brought along his son who was possessed by a dumb spirit, and that none of the disciples had been able to cast it out. It was clearly a more powerful spirit than they had previously dealt with. Indeed we note how Jesus had to bid it not to return (Mar 9:25). But Jesus cast it out permanently and demonstrated once again His unique power and authority. The account is very vivid and suggests an eyewitness to the final stages of the ministry, which we need have no doubt was Peter.

Analysis of 9:14-29.

a And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about them, and Scribes questioning with them (Mar 9:14).

b And immediately all the crowd, when they saw Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him, and He asked them, “What do you question with them?” (Mar 9:15-16).

c And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought to You my son, who has a dumb spirit” (Mar 9:17).

d And wherever it takes him, it dashes him down, and he foams, and grinds his teeth, and pines away, and I spoke to Your disciples that they should cast it out, and they could not” (Mar 9:18).

e And He answers them and says, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me” (Mar 9:19)..

f And they brought him to Him, and when he saw Him, immediately the spirit tore him grievously, and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming (Mar 9:20).

e And He asked his father, “How long time is it since this has come to him?” And he said, “From a child” (Mar 9:21).

d “And often it has cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him, but if You can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us” (Mar 9:22).

c And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes”. Immediately the father of the child cried out, and said, “I believe, you help my unbelief” (Mar 9:23-24).

b And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter no more into him”, and having cried out, and torn him much, he came out, and the boy became as one dead, insomuch that the majority said, “He is dead”. But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up, and he arose (Mar 9:25-27).

a And when He was come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “How is it that we could not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer” (Mar 9:28-29).

Note that in ‘a’ the disciples were being questioned because of their failure, and in the parallel they question Jesus because of His success. In ‘b’ the crowd run together and welcome Him, and are amazed, and in the parallel the crowd run together and see Him heal the boy, and we are left to imagine that they are amCommentary on The Gospel of Mark (Mar 9:5)

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jesus Heals the Epileptic Boy ( Mat 17:14-20 , Luk 9:37-43 a) Mar 9:14-29 records the account of Jesus healing the young boy who had epileptic seizures. It is important to understand this story within the context of Mark’s Gospel. Jesus began Him ministry by preaching the Gospel with signs following. He then appointed twelve apostles and sent them out to do the same. Now that they had been with Him for some time, Jesus expects them to have delivered this boy with epilepsy. Instead, they failed and received a rebuke from Jesus because of their unbelief.

Mar 9:18 Comments The disciples has been casting out demons when Jesus sent them out by twos. They clearly understood the necessity of using the name of Jesus during exorcism since they will soon complain to Jesus that a man was casting out demons in Jesus’ name who was not in their group (Mar 9:38). The disciples will later ask Jesus why they could not cast out the demon and He will respond by explaining that this demon does not come out without prayer and fasting. It seems that some demons were more stubborn and resistant than others.

Luk 10:17, “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.”

Mar 9:38, “And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.”

Mar 9:19 Comments The author of Hebrews makes a similar statement to his readers when he tells them that they should have grown in spiritual maturity, yet they were still babes in Christ (Heb 5:11-14).

Mar 9:23 Scripture References – Note similar passages regarding faith in God:

Gen 18:14, “ Is any thing too hard for the LORD ? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Isa 59:1-3, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.”

Jer 32:27, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”

Mar 14:36, “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

Luk 18:27, “And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Eph 3:20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Mar 9:24 “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” – Comments – With a man’s heart (spirit) he can accept the things of God, while with his “natural mind” he struggles to understand the things of God. Jesus still responded to this man’s faith, because of his honest and sincere heart. Note these words from Frances J. Roberts:

“Never stifle the cry in your heart. God put it there. God puts no special premium on our perennial spiritual Pollyannas. His joy springs forth most abundantly in souls that have been soaked in tears. Not the tears of self-pity. Never. But the tears of devotion and longing after Him. Weep. But when you weep, weep in His arms. Doubt if you must, but tell each doubt to Him candidly . You will be surprised how quickly they will melt away. His love and His smile will dispel every doubt as silently and surely as sunshine removes frost. You cannot look in His face and doubt at the same time!” [114]

[114] Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 46.

Mar 9:29 Comments – One of the early jobs of a sports coach in training a group of men or boys is to instill discipline into the team members. Those who develop discipline will excel in the sport. This topic of discipline underlies what Jesus is explaining to His disciples in Mat 17:21 about prayer and fasting.

Note that the disciples had already prayed for him without results. Yet, the twelve apostles had already received power to deliver men from unclean spirits, and surely some of these nine apostles (note that three disciples were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration) were among those praying for this demon-possessed boy, but to no avail.

Jesus explained to them that the answer to their dilemma was to pray and fast. Fasting weakens the flesh while prayer edifies the inner man, the spirit. This is effective because the spirit of man and the flesh oppose one another.

Gal 5:17, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

Prayer and fasting do not give us more spiritual authority over the devil. Jesus gave His disciples the authority to use His name when He sent them out two by two. Rather, fasting and prayer causes us to become more sensitive to the Spirit of God. Another way to say it is that our anointing will increase through prayer and fasting.

Jesus appeared to Kenneth Hagin and gave him a special healing anointing by touching the palms of his hands with Jesus’ finger. Jesus told him that when the anointing left, he was to pray and fast, and the anointing would return. [115] The Lord also spoke to him about leading a “fasted” life, rather than doing routine fastings. [116] It is the fasting that keeps a person close to the Lord by learning to be led by the Holy Spirit, and this keeps our faith-level high.

[115] Kenneth Hagin, Understanding the Anointing (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, c1983, 1994), 136.

[116] Kenneth Hagin, A Commonsense Guide to Fasting (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, c1981, 1994), 21.

Mar 9:29 Comments – Andrew Murray says, “If the life is not one of self-denial, of fasting – that is, letting the world go; of prayer – that is, laying hold of heaven, faith cannot be exercised. ” [117]

[117] Andrew Murray, The Prayer Life (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1912), 18.

Scripture Reference – Note the parallel passage in Matthew:

Mat 17:21, “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Casting Out a Deaf-and-Dumb Spirit.

The return to the plain:

v. 14. And when He came to His disciples, He saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

v. 15. And straightway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed, and, running to Him, saluted Him.

Jesus had been gone over night, leaving His other disciples (except Peter, James, and John) in the plain. It is immaterial, once more, whether they were in Galilee or still in the neighborhood of Caesarea-Philippi at this time; also, whether the apostles in His absence had preached and performed miracles. But when the Lord returned to His disciples, He saw, even from a distance, that there was some unusual commotion. They were in the midst of an excited crowd, and there were some scribes, probably from the neighboring synagogue or even from Jerusalem, disputing with them. Things were apparently not running very smoothly in His absence. Immediately, as soon as the people saw and recognized Jesus, they were amazed with joy. They had not expected to see Him so soon, and matters were approaching a crisis here; so it was with a feeling of relief and joy that they all welcomed Him. Running to Him, they saluted Him most respectfully. “The situation is easily conceivable: The disciples have tried to heal the boy and failed; the scribes, delighted with the failure, taunt them with it, and suggest by way of explanation the waning power of the Master whose name they had vainly attempted to conjure with. The baffled nine make the best defense they can, or perhaps listen in silence. ” For that reason also the people were delighted to see Christ, because they wanted to see fair play and hoped to see a miracle.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Mar 9:14. Questioning with them. , “Disputing by asking questions in the Socratic way.” See the former chapter, Mar 9:11. The Scribes had taken the opportunity of their Master’s absence to interrogate and confound the disciples

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Mar 9:14-29 . See on Mat 17:14-21 . Comp. Luk 9:37-43 . The narrative of Mark is more original, characteristic, fresher, and, for the most part, more detailed than the other two.

.] according to Mar 9:16-18 , on occasion of the circumstance that the disciples had not been able to perform the cure, and so concerning their power of miracles which was now so doubtful.

.] they were very much amazed (Orph. Arg. 1217; Sir 30:9 ; Polyb. xx. 10. 9 : ; in the N. T., used by Mark only). But at what ? Euthymius Zigabenus leaves the open choice between two explanations: either at the approach of Jesus so exactly opportune, or at the brightness of His countenance ( , comp. Bengel, de Wette, Bisping). But the latter must have been expressed ; moreover, this cause of astonishment would rather have been followed by a remaining at a distance than a and . Hence (comp. also Bleek) the first explanation of Euthymius Zigabenus (comp. Theophylact and Victor Antiochenus) is, in accordance with the connection, to be preferred. It was the amazement of joyously startled surprise , that, whilst the disciples, who had not been able to help, were in so critical a situation, as was also the father with his unfortunate son, just at that moment the mighty miracle-worker Himself came to their aid. According to Fritzsche, there is denoted generally: “ quanta fuerit Jesu et admiratio in plebe et veneratio .” Much too general and aloof from the context. According to Lange, what is meant is, “the starting back of a multitude, that had become somewhat profanely disposed, at the sudden emergence of a manifestation of punishment ”. But Mark has nothing of these psychological presuppositions, and . . . is not in keeping therewith. According to Baur, Markusev. p. 70, Mark has only attributed to the people the impression, “with which he himself accompanied the Lord, as He descended from the mount of transfiguration.” With such modes of dealing all exegesis is at an end.

Mar 9:16 . . ] This cannot without arbitrariness be referred to any but those mentioned immediately before therefore to the people , [124] who are accordingly to be conceived, Mar 9:14 , as likewise taking part in the , so that there also applies jointly to the . So also Bleek; comp. Ewald. The usual reference to the is consequently to be rejected (although Fritzsche adopts this, and Lange, who, however, assumes a sympathetic participation of the people); and so, too, is the reference to the disciples and scribes (Griesbach, Paulus, Kuinoel), or merely to the disciples (Mill, Bengel). From the above reference it is plain at the same time that in what follows there must be written, not (so usually ; hence also the readings , A * , and , D, Vulg.), but (with Bengel, Fritzsche, Lachmann, Tischendorf), since , like in Mar 9:14 , applies to the disciples .

Mar 9:17 . The father , included among this , begins to speak in the natural impulse of the paternal heart , not as if no other would have ventured to do so (Euthymius Zigabenus, Bengel, de Wette). He is designated, in apt delineation of what occurred, as . , since it is by his utterance that he first shows himself as father.

] that is, thither, where I might presume Thy presence, because Thy disciples were there.

] according to the point of view, that the condition of the sick man is the effect of the same condition in the demon. Comp. Luk 11:14 ; Wetstein in loc.

Mar 9:18 . . . .] and wherever he has taken hold of him . The possession (Mar 9:17 ) is not conceived as constant , but as such that the demon leaves the sick man (epileptic) at times, and then again returns into him (Mat 12:44 ), and lays hold of him, etc. Hence Mar 9:35 : . The of Mar 9:17 is not opposed to this (de Wette), for the son had the demon even although at intervals the latter left him so long as the was not yet realized.

] he tears him , which convulsive effect is not more precisely to be defined (Euthymius Zigabenus and many others: ). See on the word, Ruhnken, ep. crit. I. p. 26; Duncan, Lex. , ed. Rost, p. 1016. Comp. (of the gladiators); Salmasius, ad Ach. Tat. p. 657; and Jacobs, p. 821.

] change of the subject; Winer, p. 556 [E. T. 787]. The permanent effect of these paroxysms is: , becomes withered , wasted away. Comp. Mar 3:1 . See generally the description of the morbus comitialis in Celsus, III. 23.

] I told it that they .

Mar 9:19 . ] the disciples, Mar 9:18 . See, moreover, on Mat 17:17 .

Mar 9:20 . . . . ] when the demoniac (not: the demon, Bleek) had looked upon Jesus, the demon tore him (the patient). On the anacoluthic use of the nominative participle , see Matthiae, ad Eurip. Phoen. 283; Bernhardy, p. 479; Winer, p. 501 [E. T. 711]. Comp. also Ngelsbach, Anm. z. Ilias, Exo 3 , p. 385 f.

. ] belongs to (comp. Mar 14:35 ; Xen. Cyr. iv. 5. 54).

Mar 9:21-24 . It is only the specially graphic Mark that has this dialogue.

Mar 9:21 . ] Particle of time: how long ago is it, when this fell upon him ?

Mar 9:22 . ] even into fire . In Joh 15:6 also the article is not necessary (in opposition to Fritzsche), although critically attested.

] Euthymius Zigabenus rightly says: , . Hence the answer of Jesus at Mar 9:23 ; hence also the utterance of the father at Mar 9:24 , who felt his faith not to be sufficiently strong. On the form instead of , see Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 359.

] the father of the family speaks.

Mar 9:23 . After deletion of (see the critical remarks), is to be regarded (Winer, p. 163, 506 [E. T. 225, 718]) as nominative absolute: The “if thou canst” “Everything is possible to him, that believeth,” i.e. as far as concerns thy just expressed “ if thou canst ,” the matter depends on the faith ; the believer is able to attain everything . The article embracing the substantivally (Khner, 492) takes up the word just spoken by the father, and puts it with lively emphasis without connecting it with the further construction, in order to link its fulfilment to the petitioner’s own faith. Griesbach, Tischendorf, Ewald take interrogatively , and . . . as answering it: “Tune dubitans si potes aiebas? Nihil non in ejus, qui confidat, gratiam fieri potest,” Griesbach. Comp. Ewald: Askest thou, that: if thou canst ? etc. But the assumption of a question is not indicated by the non-interrogative address of the father (whence we should have expected , or the like), and so we are not warranted in mentally supplying an aiebas or askest thou ? Comp. Bornemann in the Stud. u. Krit. 1843, p. 122. With the Recepta or the explanation is: if thou canst believe (I will help thee); everything is possible , etc., in which interpretation, however, the is without warrant disregarded, as if it were of no significance (but comp. Mat 19:18 ; Luk 22:37 ), and taken only “as a sign of quotation of the direct discourse” (de Wette). So also Linder in the Stud. u. Krit. 1862, p. 559. Lachmann [125] places no point at all after , and we might accordingly explain it thus: if thou art in a position to believe that everything is possible to him that believeth (so in my second edition). But even thus the causes difficulty, and the thought and the expression would be too diffuse, not in keeping with the concise representation of Mark, especially in so impassioned a connection. Lange takes it thus: “the if thou canst means: canst believe .” How enigmatically would Jesus have so spoken! Bleek takes interrogatively . But neither the deliberative character of this question (see on Mat 12:10 ) nor the would be appropriate. Bengel’s interpretation also is impossible: ‘Hoc, si potes credere , res est; hoc agitur.” But he well observes on the state of the case: “Omnipotentiae divinae se fides hominis quasi organon accommodat ad recipiendum, vel etiam ad agendum.” Fritzsche has conjectured either: ; . . ., or: ; . . ., and Bornemann, l.c. p. 123: .

Mar 9:24 . ] help me unbelieving ; refuse me not Thy help, notwithstanding my unbelief. Calovius, Bengel, [126] and many others render: assist my unbelief , strengthen my weak faith, which, however, is at variance with the contextual meaning of (Mar 9:22 ). Moreover, the answer of the father, who has just said , but immediately afterwards, in consideration of the greatness of the issue made to depend on his faith, designates this faith in respect of its degree as , is quite in keeping with the alternation of vehemently excited feeling. Victor Antiochenus rightly says: , .

The substantive brings more strongly into prominence the condition than would have been done by an adjective. See Winer, p. 211 [E. T. 296]. And the prefixed represents at the same time the mihi of interest (Mar 5:30 ; Rom 11:14 , and frequently Stallbaum, ad Plat. Phaed. p. 117 A): render for me to my unbelief Thy help .

Mar 9:25 . ] that people were thereupon running together . He wished to avoid still greater publicity.

] emphatically, in contrast to the disciples.

] no more , as hitherto. See on Mar 9:18 .

Mar 9:26 . ] : crying out , not speaking. The masculines belong to the constructio ; Mark has conceived to himself the as a person (as ), and has used the attributive participles accordingly , not therefore by mistake (Fritzsche, de Wette). Comp. Xen. Cyr. vii. 3. 8 : , , ; see in general, Matthiae, p. 975; Bornemann in the Schs. Stud. 1846, p. 40.

] the multitude. The entire description is true and lifelike, and does not aim, as Hilgenfeld thinks, at attaining a very great miracle.

Mar 9:28 f. ] as Mar 7:17 .

] is to be written , , and, as at Mar 9:11 , to be explained as wherefore .

. ] this kind of demons a view of the words which Ewald also, in his Gesch. Chr. p. 385 (not in his Evang. p. 78, 277), recognises “in the present Mark,” but not in Matthew.

] by nothing , by no means. That prayer ( . . is not genuine) is meant as a means of increasing faith (Mat 17:20 ), Mark does not say indeed, but it follows from Mar 9:19 ; hence it is not to be concluded that the utterance contains in his case the sense of a reproach that the disciples had not prayed (and fasted) enough (de Wette).

[124] To whose Jesus replies with His question.

[125] Who nevertheless, Praef. II. p. vii., conjectures : “Istud si potes,” in quo dubitatio est, facito ut certum et confirmatum des, ut fiat “potes.” Ingenious, but very artificial; and only occurs in the N. T. at 2Ti 3:14 .

[126] Who, however, also admits our view.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

5. The Healing of the Possessed Child after the Transfiguration. Mar 9:14-29

(Parallels: Mat 17:14-21; Luk 9:37-43.)

14And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 15And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and, running to him, saluted him. 16And he asked the scribes 17[them 6], What question ye with them? And one 7 of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away; and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not. 19He answereth him, 8 and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me. 20And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare [convulsed] him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed [rolled] foaming. 21And he asked his father, How long is it ago 22since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And oft-times it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst 9 do anything, have 23compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, 10 If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, 11 Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge [command] thee, come out of him, and enter no more 26into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore [convulsed greatly], and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27But Jesus took him by the hand, 12 and lifted him up; and he arose. 28And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 29And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. 13

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

See on the parallels of Matthew and Luke.The immediate connection between this event and the transfiguration is affirmed by all three Evangelists. The time and the place are established, therefore, by the narrative of that event. In the communication of the incidents here before us, Mark is rich in individual traits, which place the scene in a much more vivid light. Jesus finds His nine other disciples at the foot of the mountain, not only surrounded by a multitude of people, but involved in controversy with the scribes, who have surprised them in a condition of entire impotence. The people are amazed, or are very much excited, when they see Jesus coming. They were probably in a profane and mocking state of mind, in consequence of the disciples failure to work the miracle, and of the attack of the scribes; and were disposed to indulge this inclination, when the sudden and overpowering appearance of Christ smote their consciences. To this may have concurred better motives, which induced the multitude to run to Jesus as the real arbiter and the only helper in this strange case. Thus we find that our Saviour at the very outset reduced the scribes to silence by His question, Wherefore do ye contend with them? While Mark passes over Matthews notice, that the demoniac youth was lunatic, and that of Luke, that he was the only son of his father, he gives the most vivid representation of his state of wretchedness: his dumb behaviour (he had a speechless spirit), his frightful sufferings (in his paroxysms foaming and grinding his teeth, and swooning away). In the Lords rebuke he is content with the description, : the explanatory he omits; on the other hand, he paints more vividly than Luke the scene in which the youth at once, on seeing Jesus, was overcome by the demoniac influence, fell down to the ground, and wallowed, foaming. But of priceless value is the passage between Jesus and the father of the youth, from Mar 9:21 to Mar 9:25. We see how the Lord, by His question as to how long the youth had thus suffered, pacified the excited feelings of all, especially of the father, and encouraged their faith. We hear the never-to-be-forgotten words, If thou canst believe, and the cry, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. The words which expelled the demon, Mark recites in all their solemn emphasis; and in them the addition is remarkable, Enter no more into him. Mark alone describes the paroxysm under which the demon departed, and the important circumstance that the youth lay as one dead; that Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him to conscious life. Moreover, he makes prominent (as he often does the like) the entrance of Christ into the house, where the disciples put their confidential question to Him as to the reason why they could not cast out the demon. And he gives the answer of Jesus without Matthews additional clause concerning the unbelief of the disciples, and without the words that liken faith to the grain of mustard-seed. Nor does he mention the circumstance, recorded by Luke, of the peoples renewed astonishment and increasing excitement.

Mar 9:15. All the people were amazed.At what? Euth. Zigabenus: Either on account of the singularly seasonable and sudden coming of Jesus, or at His glorious appearance. Of this latter we read nothing, and Meyer therefore thinks the former the sounder view: it was an astonishment of joyful surprise. But betokens an astonishment which is related to fear, which sometimes passes over into amazement, and is sometimes called terror. Hence we explain the astonishment as the amazement of a crowd somewhat profanely disposed at the sudden interposition of a punitive event like this (see Leben Jesu, ii. 2, 317). They sought to repair their error by running to Him with eager denials. And it is obvious to connect with that the supposition, that the reflection of the transfiguration glory still lingered on the Lords countenance. See Exo 34:29-30.

Mar 9:16. And he asked them.Bengel refers this to the disciples; Griesbach, to the disciples and scribes; Fritzsche, with most others, to the scribes alone; Meyer, to the people, because the people were just before spoken of. But the context points simply to the scribes as the contending party; not excluding, however, the people, so far as they sympathized.What question ye with them?Concerning what? The scribes were dumb. But the father of the possessed child gave the answer as to what they were contending about, Mar 9:17. Evidently they had impugned the power of the disciples to work miracles, and the authority of Christ; therefore they were now silent, because they suspected that the Lord would by a miraculous act convict them.

Mar 9:17. Brought unto Thee my son.That was his purpose. He was seeking the Lord in the place where the disciples were. But as Jesus was absent, His disciples and the man became engaged together.

Mar 9:18. Wheresoever he taketh him.This does not hint at an intermitting possession, in favor of which Meyer, without reason, adduces Mat 12:44, but to the antithesis between a latent action (in which, however, the youth by his dumbness betrayed his possession) and frenzied paroxysms, in which the spirit seized the youth, in order, as it appeared, to destroy him; and, according to Matthew, these crises had a connection with the changes of the moon. The following , Meyer himself acknowledges, implies that the demon had continuous possession.He teareth him.Probably this manifested itself in convulsions, St. Vitus dance, or the like. The fundamental form was epilepsy, or something of the kind. These circumstances depended partly on the change of the moon, partly on demoniac influences.

Mar 9:22. To destroy him.The father regarded the demon as a malicious enemy, who was bent upon the murder of his only son.If Thou canst do anything.Expression of doubt or infirm faith, which, having been at the beginning too weak, had become more and more weak in consequence of the failure of the disciples attempt.

Mar 9:23. If thou canst believe.The difficulty in the reading of the Text. Rec., together with the critical authorities in its favor, constrain us to retain it. The easiest solution explains the as a sign of quotation preceding the direct address (De Wette). For other explanations, see Meyer.14 We take the sentence as a breviloquence: the if thou canst means, if thou canst believe. = . To be able, and to be able to believe, are with the Lord one and the same,especially throughout Marks Gospel. Hence the clause, All things are possible to him that believeth, is an illustration of this fundamental law, this mathematical formula, so to speak, of the kingdom of God. The explanation of the passage on the other reading is indeed simpler: As it respects if thou canst, all things are possible, etc. (Meyer); or, the first clause is a question: Dost thou ask, If thou canst? all things, etc. (Ewald).

Mar 9:24. Help Thou mine unbelief.Bengel: Help away mine unbelief. Meyer thinks to improve it: Do not deny me on account of my unbelief. Certainly the , Mar 9:24, refers to the help of healing itself; but the man knew very well by this time that his son would be healed, if his unbelief was healed. And the faith which now sprang up in the man was the more spiritual, in that it was a belief that Jesus could strengthen the deficient faith into the ability perfectly to believe, and so by this means remove also his external distress.

Mar 9:25. When Jesus saw that the people came running together.His desire to preserve the secrecy of His journey tended now to hasten the performance of the miracle.I charge (command) thee.Emphatically, as in contrast with the disciples. Meyer.

Mar 9:26. The spirit cried.The crying out of the demoniac youth, seeming to be a work of the demon, though a shriek in inarticulate tones, was the first sign of cure: the youth had previously been dumb, whilst foaming and gnashing his teeth. See Mar 9:18.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. See on the parallels in Matthew and Luke.

2. We have here not only the grand contrast between the heavenly glorification upon the mountain, and the demoniac degradation reminding of hell at the foot of it, but also the contrast between the sound spiritual ecstasy of the disciples, and the diseased physical possession of the youth. So also a contrast between the supreme festival and the severe toil of the Lord.
3. As the contemplation of the disciples upon the mountain had to contend with infirmity and sleep, so the premature activity of the disciples in the valley had to contend with impotence and vain endeavors. Christ is the Master upon the mountain and in the valley, in contemplation and in activity.
4. The heaviest burden which oppressed the Lord in His career upon earth, even amongst His disciples, was the burden of unbelief.
5. The colloquy of Jesus with the father of the child a school of faith.
6. Christ in this narrative may be compared to a general, who retrieves by his own presence a battle well-nigh lost by his army.
7. Through the faith of the father the son is healed (as in the history of the nobleman, and of the Canaanitish woman). These facts tell against the Baptists. Even the blessing upon the faith of sponsors is represented by the history of the centurion.
8. Reischle: Over the life of the child the demon, despite his malignity, had no power. Later examples also show that possessed persons, falling from great heights, or into fire or water, are not easily killed or grievously hurt, while in their condition of unnatural paroxysms.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

See on the parallels of Matthew and Luke.How the entrance of the living Christ into the community of the disciples changes its whole character: 1. The profane disposition of the people gives place to reverence; 2. the supremacy of the divine word takes the place of school controversy; 3. excitement is allayed by the spirit of His peace; 4. faith conquers unbelief; 5. His miraculous help and salvation follow their impotence and bewilderment.The Lord comes at the right time for the help of His people.Not only the demon of the abyss, but also the scribes, embarrass the company of the disciples not firmly standing in the power of faith.The poor demoniac youth, and the world of poor, afflicted children (deaf and dumb, cretins, possessed, orphans, etc.).The anguish of the fathers heart could lead to faith, even as the anguish of the mothers heart (of the Canaanitish woman: but the mothers heart was the more brave).The colloquy of the Lord with the father of the youth, a type of the way in which He guides the soul to faith. 1. The preparation: allaying of excitement, and clear view of the affliction. 2. Help: reference to the power of faith. 3. Support and consummation of faith.The communication between Christ and the needy soul: 1. What is thy grief? 2. If Thou canst, help. 3. Thou canst, if thou canst believe. 4. I believe; help, etc.Thou canst; that is, if thou canst believe.The measure of faith, the measure of our ability.Weak faith must, with the prayer, Lord, help mine unbelief, stretch forward to its perfection.The faith of parents is to the advantage of their children.Prayer and tears the element of faith: 1. The expression of its ground, humility (prayer, the spiritual expression; tears, the bodily expression); 2. the voice of its need; 3. the nourishment of its strength.The fathers concurrence with the Lord in faith, severs the connection of the child with the evil spirit.What are we taught by the final throes of the hostile spirit? 1. Redemption is attained by a decisive conflict, in which all the powers of evil are excited; 2. we must distinguish between the external manifestation and the internal strength of the evil one; 3. when the distress is greatest, the help is nearest.The miracle of the Lord twofold: 1. Casting out demons with peril of life; 2. restoration of life, seemingly gone.Unclean spirits must be cast out, even though life seems endangered.If the soul is freed, the life is saved.Many kinds of impotence, and the one divine power: 1. Inability: a. of the childa miserable possession; b. of the peoplea stupid prejudice; c. of the scribesimpotence of malice, disguised under wise phrases; d. of the disciplesoccasioned by want of self-government and collectedness of spirit; e. of those who sought helpenabled to believe. 2. The almighty power of the Lord: punishing all the impotence of malignity, and confirming all the impotence of sincere infirmity.The power of demons having its root in the weakness of men (like the vampire sucking the blood of the living, and nourished thereby), but sinking into nothing before the awaking power of faith, under the omnipotence of the grace of Christ.The unclean spirit a murderer of man, and Christ the Saviour of mans life, here as everywhere.Jesus puts compulsion upon the wicked spirit of envious, dumb, and murmuring misery.He constrains him to cry out in his loudest utterance, and so expels him.

Starke:When a man has refreshed and strengthened himself in God, through prayer in secret, he must up and betake himself again to his calling.Canstein:When the world thinks that Christ has departed from His people, it deems that a good opportunity for tempting them, and misleading them into evil.Quesnel:The Lord Jesus sometimes suffers His people to be driven into a corner, that they may know how needful He is to them.In their presence, the world shows itself respectful enough towards Gods servants; but what passes behind their backs, He knows best who knows all things.Hedinger:Children a precious gift of God.Children may be a great joy, and also a great bitterness, to their parents.Quesnel:The devil is as angry as ever when he sees that Christ will rob him of a soul.We must not hold ourselves safe when we are disinclined to any particular sin. Satan knows how to vary his temptations; and to turn our thoughts now in one, and now in another, direction of evil.Cramer:Unbelief is the greatest sin, hinders the greatest works of God, and plunges the soul in condemnation.Hedinger:Faith is omnipotent (able for everything).Canstein:He who implores faith with tears, has it already in his heart.Majus:Weak faith is nevertheless faith.Amidst tears and prayers, we shall be delivered from unbelief, and attain unto true faith.The humble Christian prays incessantly for the increase of his faith.The devil must be rebuked, which he cannot bear; but he who would do it, must be armed with the power of the Holy Spirit.Quesnel:Those who do not like to speak of God, or hear God spoken of, are possessed by a dumb spirit, from which Christ alone can free them.Osiander:Let those who are once delivered from Satans power, take good heed that they be not entangled again in his snares.Even if Satan, by Gods permission, could inflict bodily death upon men, he cannot put their souls to death.Canstein:When the Gospel has little fruit, its ministers should examine themselves how far they are the cause.Hedinger:A submissive prayer.Osiander:Preachers should, beyond all others, be moderate and watchful.Rieger:The future coming of Christ will inspire such terror as this into very many.Men are not very willing to join cause with the poor disciples when they are in conflict, and at disadvantages. But when they see the Lord approaching, and have reason to think that He will utter His favorable and victorious voice concerning them, there is a great reaction in their favor.Braune:The sharp rebuke of Jesus is general; but it touches the disciples most keenly.Thou sayest to Me, Canst Thou do anything? but I must say unto thee, Canst thou do anything, that is, canst thou believe? for then thou canst do all: faith can do everything.There exists certainly between parents and children a deep, internal relation and sympathy.This passage is most important in relation to the nature of faith.It does not depend so much upon the theoretical consciousness of a truth, as upon the existence of a real and actual fellowship with God.It was noble in the disciples so frankly and openly to test themselves in their Masters presence.We should always act as they acted, when we fail of attaining what is the due of our office, and what our hearts are set upon.Reischle:Here also we find representative faith, as in Mat 8:5. (But connected with profound, living affinity between parent and child.)Lisco:(The people were amazed, and ran to greet Jesus.) Have you never found that, on occasion of special and mysterious interpositions of God, your neighbors heart was more than ordinarily inclined towards you?Schleiermacher:(The disciples excited by disputation with the Jews.) There are only a few men who are able to contend peacefully, and without losing their calm and peaceful temper, even about such matters as do not affect their external prerogatives,matters, for instance, of faith, which engender difference of opinion.There can be no doubt that they were the scribes who, in consequence of the estimation in which they were held, moved and swayed the minds of the people on the present occasion; and these scribes were mainly and primarily the persons whom the Lord described as an unbelieving generation.Ye were not able, because your minds were in so excited a state: ye could have accomplished it only in a tranquil, collected temper, in which alone can reside such spiritual power.The kingdom of God is never advanced in a passionate temper of mind, even if the zeal is a zeal for good.They must return into silence, and stillness, and rest (this, however, being attainable only on the condition of prayer and fasting; that is, devotion towards God, and self-denial towards the world).Gossner:If we do not abide in faith, we can do nothing.

Footnotes:

[6]Mar 9:16., B., D., L., ., Vulgate, Coptic, th., instead of (Elzevir, Scholz, Lachmann in margin).

[7]Mar 9:17. must be inserted after , according to B., C., D., L., ., Lachmann, Tischendorf, Meyer.

[8]Mar 9:19.Instead of , it is preferable to read (A., B., D., L., ., Versions).

[9]Mar 9:22.Instead of here and Mar 9:23, Tischendorf and Lachmann read , according to B., D., L., ., Meyer. This form, in itself the Conjunctive, was used later even in the Indicative, instead of ; but it lays stronger stress upon the question.

[10]Mar 9:23.The was omitted by many Codd. (D., K., M., U., Syriac, Persian) on account of its difficulty. Tischendorf omits the , following B., C. *, L., D., and many Versions; Meyer says, it was an exegetical addition to the mere , not understood. But the clause, If thou canst believe, may have been found still harder; and therefore corrected into as it regards, If thou canst? All things are possible, &c.

[11]Mar 9:24.The is wanting in A.*, B., C.*, L., ., Versions, [Lachmann, Tischendorf, Meyer.] The is very doubtful; Meyer rejects it.

[12]Mar 9:27.Lachmann reads , after B., D., L., ., Vulgate; Meyer cites in comparison, Mar 1:31; Mar 5:41; Mar 8:23.

[13]Mar 9:29.The omission of by B. (which Tischendorf follows) is not decisive.

[14][After omitting , the clause () is to be regarded as Nominative Absolute: The if thou canst,all things are possible to him that believeth, i.e., so far as concerns the words, if thou canst, which thou hast just spoken, everything depends upon faith; the believer can obtain anything. The article , belonging to as its substantive, takes up the words of the father; and with lively emphasis isolates them in the grammatical structure, in order to put them into relation to the faith that is required on his part. Griesbach, Tischendorf, and Ewald regard as a question, and . . . as its answer: Tune dubitans si potes aiebas! Nihil non in ejus, qui confidat, gratiam fieri potest. But in case of a question we should expect . Meyer, in loc.Ed.)

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

(14) And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. (15) And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. (16) And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? (17) And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; (18) And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. (19) He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. (20) And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. (21) And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. (22) And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou. canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. (23) Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. (24) And straitway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (25) When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into (26) And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him, and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. (27) But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

I hardly know among the miracles of JESUS, any, which opens more sweet, and precious instruction, and which under divine teaching may be rendered more profitable to the Church of CHRIST than this; and I hope therefore that the Reader will indulge me in enlarging upon it. Here is a tender father, with very slender faith, brings his child to CHRIST, to obtain a cure for him, under the possession of an evil spirit. The disciples who had in other instances, through the name, and by the authority of their divine Master wrought similar cures, here failed. It pleased the LORD, for the greater glory of CHRIST, the humbling of the Apostles, and the trying the faith of the father of the child, in his providence, so to order it. The poor man came, under great doubts and fears it is evident, by his manner of expression, probably tempted to fear that as the servants had failed, so might the Master. If (said he) thou canst do anything, have compassion upon us and help us. To which our LORD made this remarkable answer; If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth. No doubt the LORD JESUS accompanied his words with power; for immediately the man convinced of his little faith, and full of distress on account of his child, cried out, with tears, LORD! I believe; help thou mine unbelief. The event was as might be expected, JESUS healed the son and comforted the father.

The subject is too interesting not to follow it up, with suited observations: therefore the Reader will allow me to remark, what a sweet instruction it holds forth to persons of weak faith, to exercise more confidence in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. It should be observed, that this man had faith, though it was small. Now the smallest faith is not of human creation, it must be of GOD. And as all faith comes from JESUS, who is the author and finisher of faith; there is more cause to bless GOD, for the smallest degree of faith, than for all the riches of the world. For it implies an union with CHRIST, and interest in CHRIST. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Act 13:48 . And another scripture saith, that by him all that believe, that is, be they many or few, be they strong or weak, yet, as it is by JESUS and his great salvation, and not from the merits of their faith, all that believe, are justified from all things. Act 10:43 . So that the weak believer or the strong, the babe in CHRIST, or the father in GOD, are all alike as to their justification; though the joy in believing will differ, according to the weakness, or strength of faith, in the believer. Reader! I beseech you, to take occasion, from what is here said of this poor man’s faith, to make it in some measure a standard, by which to as certain your own. Weak as his faith was, it still led him to JESUS. Doth your faith in CHRIST do this? He had a consciousness of the weakness of it, and begged of JESUS to increase it: LORD! said he, I believe, help thou Mine unbelief. Do you feel this? and can a throne of grace witness for you, that you go there frequently with such petitions? This poor man not only sought an increase of it, but he sought it with tears. Straitway, saith the Evangelist, the father of the child cried out with tears, LORD! I believe; help thou mine un belief. It is a blessed sign, when the heart is softened under grace, and a sense of unworthiness and unbelief, leads the heart to GOD to seek relief in JESUS. Reader! I would ask for myself, and if the LORD so please, may he give you grace also so to ask for yourself, as the Apostles did: LORD! increase our faith. Luk 17:5 . But while the faith of an Apostle or a Patriarch, be desirable, let us learn to bless the LORD for what he hath bestowed. For, from the smallest degree of faith, we prove our call of GOD; and that we have eternal life abiding in us, by the spirit which he hath given us. 1Jn 3:24 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

Ver. 14. See Trapp on “ Mat 17:14 “

And the scribes questioning with them ] Purposely to put them to shame in their Master’s absence: Marcian the heretic, for his arroding the good names of others, was called Mus Ponticus. (Tertull.) And Epiphanius fitly resembleth heretics to moles, who do all their mischief by working underground. But if once they be above ground, they are weak and contemptible creatures.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

14 29. ] HEALING OF A POSSESSED LUNATIC. Mat 17:14-21 .Luk 9:37-42Luk 9:37-42 . The account of Mark is by far the most copious: and here, which is very rarely the case in the official life of our Lord, the three accounts appear to have been originally different and independent . The descent from the mountain was on the day following the transfiguration, Luk 9:37 .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

14. ] The Scribes were probably boasting over the disciples, and reasoning from their inability to that of their Master also .

As Stier remarks, there is hardly such another contrast to be found in the Gospel as this, between the open heaven and the sons of glory on the mount, and the valley of tears with its terrible forms of misery and pain and unbelief. I have already in the notes to Matt. spoken of the noble use made of this contrast in the last and grandest picture of the greatest of painters the Transfiguration of Raffaelle.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Mar 9:14-29 . The epileptic boy (Mat 17:14-21 , Luk 9:37-43 ). The story is told in Mark with much greater fulness than in the parallels.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Mar 9:14 . : the great crowd and the fact that the disciples at the foot of the hill, the nine, had been asked to heal the sufferer, are in favour of the view that the scene of the transfiguration was less remote than Hermon from the familiar theatre of the healing ministry of Jesus and His disciples. . ., scribes wrangling with them, the nine. This is peculiar to Mark, but the situation is easily conceivable: the disciples have tried to heal the boy and failed (Mar 9:18 ); the scribes, delighted with the failure, taunt them with it, and suggest by way of explanation the waning power of the Master, whose name they had vainly attempted to conjure with. The baffled nine make the best defence they can, or perhaps listen in silence.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar 9:14-29

14When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” 19And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 25When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” 26After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. 28 When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

Mar 9:14 “When they came back to the disciples” Jesus had left the rest of the disciples at the bottom of the mountain. Luk 9:37 says they returned the next day.

“a large crowd. . .scribes arguing” Both of these things characterized Jesus’ ministry and now the disciples were experiencing a foreshadowing of Jesus’ existential situation and also their coming ministry. These were recurrent problems, but also opportunities.

Mar 9:15 “immediately” See note at Mar 1:10.

“they were amazed” Some see this amazement as referring to Jesus’ face still glowing related to Exo 34:29-30, but the context seems to imply that Jesus’ appearance came at an opportune moment for ministry and teaching.

NASB”began running up to greet Him”

NKJV”running to Him, greeted Him”

NRSV”they ran forward to greet Him”

TEV”ran to him and greeted him”

NJB”ran to greet him”

This is an imperfect tense, which can mean (1) the beginning of an action (cf. NASB) or (2) a repeated action in past time. This crowd was excited to see Jesus and one after another ran up and greeted Him.

Mar 9:16 “What are you discussing with them” Jesus addresses this question to the crowd. The scribes were not concerned with the young boy, but with the theological aspect of the disciples’ inability to effect a cure.

Mar 9:17 “possessed with a spirit” The Gospels make a definite distinction between demon possession and physical illness. In this particular case there seems to be a blurring of this distinction. The symptoms described by the father and the implication of several Greek words in the text imply epilepsy, especially a grand mal seizures. This physical element was aggravated or instigated by demonic possession. See Special Topic: The Demoniac at Mar 1:23.

Mar 9:18 “stiffens out” This is a description of a grand mal seizure.

“I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it” The disciples were surprised also. Jesus gave them the power over the demonic in Mar 6:7; Mar 6:13, but in this case their attempts failed!

Mar 9:19 Jesus uses two rhetorical questions in Mar 9:19 to express His disappointment at the lack of faith of the disciples, the crowd, and the scribes.

Mar 9:20 “when he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion” This was demonic possession manifesting itself in epilepsy.

Mar 9:21 There are several accounts in the Gospels of demon possession of children. How and why this occurred is never stated.

Mar 9:22 The destructive nature of the demonic is clearly seen in the father’s description of this boy’s life.

“destroy” See Special Topic: Apollumi at Mar 3:6.

“if” This is a first class conditional sentence that is assumed to be true from the author’s perspective or for his literary purposes. This was the father’s affirmation of faith in Jesus’ ability to heal.

“‘take pity on us and help us'” This father had faith in Jesus even when the disciples failed to deliver his son.

In Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 1. p. 113, M. R. Vincent makes the point that this father identified completely with his son’s problems, as did the Syro-Phoenician woman to her daughter (cf. Mat 15:22).

Mar 9:23 “‘If You can'” This is a repeat of the man’s statement of Mar 9:22. It is another first class conditional sentence. This man affirmed Jesus’ ability; now Jesus tests his faith.

“‘All things are possible to him who believes'” This is not a blank check for humanity, even believing humanity, to manipulate God, but a promise that God will do His will through believing faith (see Gordon Fee, The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospels). There are two conditions: (1) God’s will and (2) believing faith! See Special Topic: Effective Prayer at Mar 11:23.

Mar 9:24 “‘I do believe, help my unbelief'” This is a present active imperative. Remember it is the object of faith, not the quantity, that is crucial (cf. Mat 17:20; Luk 17:6). Notice that Jesus worked with this man’s doubts, as He will with ours.

Jesus deals with the father’s faith, not the boy’s, because he has been possessed since he was a child. One wonders if one of the reasons the disciples could not exorcize the boy was the father’s lack of faith in them. Jesus often focused on parent’s or friend’s faith in effecting cures and deliverances. This father’s words admit his need and beseeches Jesus’ help to further his faith. This is a prayer we could all pray!

The Textus Receptus adds kurie (i.e., the vocative of Lord), which may be a scribal addition to show the father’s faith by addressing Jesus as Lord, but this addition is not in any modern English translation besides KJV and NKJV.

Mar 9:25 “a crowd was rapidly gathering” It is uncertain how this relates to the exorcism. It is opposite of the Messianic Secret found so often in Mark. Jesus demonstrates His power and authority in a situation the disciples could not handle. The press and curiosity of the crowd was always a problem, but also an opportunity. This could be the same crowd as Mar 9:14-15 or a large number of new arrivals.

“‘You deaf and mute spirit'” Apparently this was just another aspect of this boy’s physical problems (cf. Mar 9:17) related to the demonic possession.

“‘come out of him and do not enter him again'” This is an aorist active imperative and an aorist active subjunctive that meant “get out and do not ever start to come back.”

Mar 9:26 The physical manifestations accompanying the departure of the demonic appear to have been common in NT exorcisms.

“the boy became so much like a corpse” This is another symptom of a grand mal seizure.

Mar 9:27 “Jesus took him by the hand and raised him” This procedure showed Jesus’ concern and compassion (cf. Mar 1:31; Mar 5:41). He was not afraid to touch the sick and possessed!

Mar 9:28 “‘Why could we not drive it out'” They were surprised! Earlier they had been able to cast out demons; why not now? Mat 17:20 says it was because of the smallness of their faith.

Mar 9:29 “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer” Many other Greek manuscripts add “and fasting.” However, this in not found in or B, nor the Greek manuscript used by Clement. The addition of the phrase is very ancient and wide-spread, probably because of the early church’s propensity from Judaism in this area. It is included in MSS P45, cf8 i2, A, C, D, K, L, W, X, and the Diatessaron. See Special Topic on Fasting at Mar 2:18-20. The UBS4 gives the shorter reading an “A” rating (certain).

Theologically this account implies that there are different kinds of demons which require different techniques. See Special Topic at Mar 1:25.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

to. Gr pros. App-104.

multitude = crowd.

about = around. Greek. peri. App-104.

the scribes. This particularizing the scribes as questioners is a Divine supplement, here.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

14-29.] HEALING OF A POSSESSED LUNATIC. Mat 17:14-21. Luk 9:37-42. The account of Mark is by far the most copious: and here, which is very rarely the case in the official life of our Lord, the three accounts appear to have been originally different and independent. The descent from the mountain was on the day following the transfiguration, Luk 9:37.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Our Lord had been absent from the people, and transfigured on the top of the mountain; when he came down from this manifestation of his glory, he was brought face to face with Satans work at almost the first step he took.

Let us read about what he did.

Mar 9:14-15. And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

There was a glory about his face not altogether unlike that of Moses when he came down from the other mountain, so that the people were struck with wonder when they looked upon him.

Mar 9:16. And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

The battle had been raging between Christs enemies and his disciples but now that their Captain has come, he rallies his forces, and at once attacks his foes: What question ye with them?

Mar 9:17. And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

We do not know if the scribes gave any answer to Christs question; and it does not signify at all. What does always signify is practical, living, earnest prayer. So what the scribes may have said is not recorded, but the prayer of the poor father is: Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit. If any of you have come here to cavil, we shall take no notice of that; but if there is a soul that has come here to pray, the recording angel will write it down in the eternal book.

Mar 9:18. And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

No, it was no use going to the disciples, it is of no avail to pray to saints and angels; go to the Master himself. Straightforward makes the best runner. There is nothing like carrying your case to headquarters. Get to the Court of Kings Bench as soon as you can, for there the matter will be finally settled.

Mar 9:19. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

Grand words: Bring him unto me. Lord, he has a dumb spirit. Bring him unto me. It is the devil who is his enemy. Bring him unto me.

Mar 9:20. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

What a dreadful sight! He struggled on the ground, like one in a fit of epilepsy.

Mar 9:21-22. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him?. And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Help us, he cries, identifying himself with his child. Father, mother, when you pray, use the plural, as this man did, Have compassion on us and help us. That is the way to pray for every sinner whom you bring before Christ. Join yourself to the poor soul for whom you are pleading and say, Have compassion on us, and help us.

Mar 9:23. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Hear that, any of you who have come in here, desiring to be delivered from sin, to be made holy, to break off old habits, and to become new men in Christ Jesus. All things are possible to him that believeth. So, take courage, trust in Christ, and cry unto him to save you.

Mar 9:24. And straightway the father of the child, cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

There were within him two men, as it were, a believing man, and an unbelieving man, and the two struggled for mastery; Lord, I do believe; but there is so much unbelief in me, I pray thee to drive it out, that I may believe in thee wholly.

Mar 9:25-26. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him:

It must obey Christ. The Master bids that dog of a devil to lie down, and he must do so. It shows what an abject creature, after all, the prince of darkness is; he must obey the voice of Christ. Lord, speak to him at this moment, and drive him out of other souls by thine omnipotent word!

Mar 9:26. And he was as one dead; inasmuch that many said, He is dead.

It was not a case of kill or cure, but it seemed to be one of cure and kill, and, sometimes, poor sinners, in their struggles with sin and Satan are brought to such despair that they are afraid that they will die before they get a glimpse of hope. Many said, He is dead; but he was not.

Mar 9:27. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

So may the Lord come, and take by the hand any here who seem to be dead in despair! A touch of his hand will enable them to stand.

Mar 9:28-29. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

The watchword for Christs disciples is intensity. Here was the devil in an intensely terrible form, and he could only be driven out by intense grace. There must be prayer and fasting. Even Christ himself must exert the greatness of his power to work a cure in such a case as this. Oh, for more intensity in us all! Carry that word in your ear as we read on.

Mar 9:30-32. And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

See how intense he was; always thinking of his approaching death, that cruel, bitter death, yet he hasted towards it, longed for that baptism to be accomplished, for the great redeeming price to be paid. Oh, that you and I were as fully absorbed in the service of God as our great Master was!

Now let us see what intensity he requires of us.

Mar 9:43. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Anything is better than the loss of your soul. It is better to lose the greatest joy, skill, comfort, honour, that you ever had, than to lose your soul for ever.

Mar 9:44-46. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

That is the second time he said these words. Our Lord was not fond of dreadful metaphors and terrible language, but he knew that they must be used, though some of his servants shrink from the use of them. Are they more loving than he is? Is it, after all, a greater love for souls that makes men keep back terrible truths? Is it not more honest and loving to tell the whole truth, whatever it may be? It is harder to speak, but does it not show a tenderer heart to be able to speak so as to warn men of their peril? If anything should seem as necessary to you as your foot, so that you can make no progress in life without it, yet if it would cost you your soul, give it up. Just as it would be better to live without a foot than to die, so is it better to go to heaven without even the necessaries of life on the road than to perish everlastingly.

Mar 9:47. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out:

Notice how severe our Saviour is, how deep he goes. He does not say, Shut it, cover it up with a green shade; but, Pluck it out.

Mar 9:47-48. It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hellfire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

That is the third time he has uttered those terrible words; then they must mean something, what do they mean? Can they mean anything less than everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord? Oh, that we might be prepared to sacrifice everything rather than be lost for ever! Dear hearts, are you saved or not? If you are not saved, see first to this all-important business; let everything else go sooner than that, in eternity, you should find yourself for ever shut in where hope can never come.

Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Mar 9:14. , about them) They were still labouring, though alone.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Mar 9:14-29

8. A DEMON CAST OUT BY JESUS THAT

THE DISCIPLES COULD NOT CAST OUT

Mar 9:14-29

(Mat 17:14-21; Luk 9:37-43)

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great multitude about them, and scribes questioning with them.–After the transfiguration they now came down from the mountain and again joined the other disciples. They had gathered around the disciples to see if they could heal this demoniac. Doubtless when the scribes and the curiosity seekers in the midst of the multitude saw their inability to heal the son, they used this opportunity of exulting over the failure of the disciples, and in a caviling manner, disputed with them.

15 And straightway all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed,–Why, we do not know unless it was the sudden and unexpected appearance of Jesus just at this time while the scribes were engaged in caviling and disputing with his disciples.

and running to him saluted him.–Received him with the customary marks of affection and respect.

16 And he asked them, What question ye with them? –What is the subject of your inquiry or debate with my disciples? Before any one had time to tell Jesus what had been going on, he surprised the scribes with his question. They saw at once that he knew all, and their failure to answer shows that they felt a deserved rebuke for their exultation.

17 And one of the multitude answered him, Teacher, I brought unto thee my son,–Doubtless this father did not know Jesus was absent until he arrived with his son. In the absence of Jesus, the disciples undertook to do this work. From this we ought to learn a lesson; namely, not to undertake to do a work for which we are not prepared.

who hath a dumb spirit;–Called a dumb spirit because it deprived its victim of speech. It was also a “deaf spirit.” (Verse 25.) The son was not only deaf and dumb, but a lunatic, and subject to fits. (Mat 17:15.) It was a severe and complicated case. Probably the complication rendered the disciples unable to heal the afflicted. (Luk 9:39-40.)

18 and wheresover it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away:–Becomes thin, haggard, and emaciated. This was the effect of the violence of his struggles and probably for the want of food. Matthew (Mat 17:15) says: “For ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and ofttimes into the water; and Luke (Luk 9:39) “Hardly departeth from him, bruising him.”

and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast it out;–He asked the disciples to cast it out.

and they were not able.–Lack of power was due to their weak faith. (Verse 29; Mat 17:20.) They had been given power to cast out unclean spirits. (Mar 6:7.) The three favored apostles were with Jesus. Had they been present probably they could have cast the demon out. The faith of the nine was not equal to the task. It was an extremely difficult case.

19 And he answereth them and saith, O faithless generation, –Unbelieving race. Matthew (Mat 17:17) and Luke (Luk 9:41) say “Faithless and perverse generation.” The generation and race among whom Jesus was laboring were indeed faithless.

how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him unto me.–Jesus had confidence in himself. The emphasis is upon me.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.–Other effects of demon workings are here expressed. The boy fell and wallowed on the ground, foaming at the mouth like one with epilepsy. Here the truth expressed by the father (verse 18) is demonstrated.

21 And he asked his father, How long time is it since this hath come unto him?–This careful inquiry of Jesus as to when the demon afflicted the boy was doubtless made, not for his own information, but for the trial and strengthening of the father’s faith.

And he said, From a child.–He does not fix the exact age, but it was from childhood.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him:–He looked upon the demon as an enemy who would kill his only son. The demon was hardhearted, but no more so than the devil is today. He would destroy not only the soul of the only son of one father in hell, but all the sons of every father.

but if thou canst do anything,–Here, the father without knowing it, shows a weak faith. Probably the failure of the disciples to cure the boy served to weaken the faith he originally had. This is true with us today. When one doctor fails to cure, it lessens our faith in the efforts of another.

have compassion on us, and help us.–Have pity on us. A cure of the son would also relieve the distressed father. Both would be benefited.

23 And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst!–The authorized version puts it, “If thou canst believe.” The difficulty was not whether Jesus can, but whether the father can. That is, can he have the necessary faith in Jesus? Faith in the father was the great need.

All things are possible to him that believeth.–All things can be effected or accomplished by God in favor of him that believes; and if thou canst believe, this will be done. Some draw an argument for infant baptism from this father’s faith for his child to be healed. But faith by proxy either in baptism or salvation is unscriptural. (Pro 19:12; Mark 16 16.) Salvation from sin is one thing and being healed physically is a different thing. The boy was healed physically, not spiritually.

24 Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.–The spark of faith has been kindled sufficiently strong to pray for an increase of faith. Supply then the defects of my faith. Give me strength and grace to put entire confidence in thee. He first asked the Savior’s help for his son, but having his own unbelief pointed out, and seeing the necessity of faith in himself in order to have his request granted, he asked help for himself, and that thus his son may be cured. He desired the barrier in the way of his son’s healing removed. He labored to that end.

25 And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.–The demon would desire repossession without interference from Jesus; so the attempt is divinely forbidden. If he ever attempted to reenter and take possession of the boy we have no record of it.

26 And having cried out, and torn him much, he came out –The demon obeys the command of Jesus most reluctantly and tries to destroy one whom he can no longer use.

and the boy became as one dead;–The paroxysm of departure was fearful, and left the boy exhausted and as dead. His bodily powers were exhausted–apparently having no breath and life in him.

insomuch that the more part said, He is dead.–This was the decision of the greater part of those present.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose.–The touch of Jesus completed the cure. Such torture as was inflicted by the demon gives an awful conception of the state of society which must prevail among these Godforsaken spirits. While those standing by were saying that the son was dead, the touch of Jesus, who alone can deliver us from the power of the devil, brought instant restoration to him, and joy to the father’s heart. Luke (Luk 9:43) adds: “They were all astonished at the majesty of God.”

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, How is it that we could not cast it out? –They were interested in the cause of their failure to accomplish their purpose.

29 And he said unto them, This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer.–Here Jesus intimates that there are grades among demons and that this one was one of the worst. Matthew (Mat 17:20) adds: “Because of your little faith.” The whole difficulty centered in their want of faith. No demon could defy them if only they had faith enough. And then Jesus illustrated the power of faith by showing that even a small amount of active, living faith, like a grain of mustard seed (Mat 17:20), could remove “this mountain,” perhaps pointing to Mount Hermon, at whose base they were, and which towered in its grandeur above them. Faith comparable to a mustard seed is very weak faith, and if this would enable them to remove “this mountain,” how weak must be the faith they had exercised! This remark added a rebuke to the explanation. That “this kind” goes not out but by prayer shows that it was more difficult to cast out this kind than some other kinds. The faith which will be effective must be a faith exercised in prayer.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

CHAPTER 39

A Welcome Intrusion

And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

(Mar 9:14-29)

When our Lord Jesus came down off the mount of transfiguration, he found his disciples being harassed by the scribes, apparently because they were not able to perform the miracle of casting out the demon which possessed a young man who was brought to them. When the Lord Jesus saw what was going on, he immediately stepped in to defend the nine disciples who were baffled by their inability to perform this miracle and baffled by the learned scribes who were disputing with them. He asked the scribes why they were disputing with (questioning) his disciples. But, before the scribes said anything, before any of the disciples said anything, a man butted into the conversation.

Normally, in polite society, such an intrusion is looked upon as rudeness and is disdained. However, this mans intrusion was most welcome because it was the intrusion of a desperate, loving father for his demon possessed son. This poor man cared nothing for the dispute between the scribes and our Masters disciples. His son was possessed of the devil! His son was pining away under satanic influence. His son was perishing and he was helpless. Therefore, he came directly, as soon as he had opportunity, to the only One who could help. He brought his son to the Son of God, seeking mercy, grace, and life for his son by the power of our great and glorious Savior.

Mountain-top Experiences

The first thing I see in this passage is the fact that mountain-top experiences seldom last very long. The contrast between this paragraph and the one preceding it is striking and must not be overlooked. We move from the mount of transfiguration to the valley of sorrow, from the vision of Christs glory to a sad, sad history of Satans power and influence in the life of one young man.

Peter, James, and John had been in the blessed company of Moses and Elijah. They had just heard God the Father speaking from heaven. They had just seen the Son of God transfigured before their eyes. Now they come into the scene of conflict, pain, weakness, and misery. Here is a boy in agony, tormented by the devil. Here is a father with a broken heart, in deep distress. Here is a band of weak disciples baffled by Satans power and unable to help.

That is a fairly vivid picture of every Christians life in this world. Mountain-top experiences are delightful, blessed times; but we must not expect them too often or expect too many of them. Most of the believers life is spent in conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our blessed visions of glory, those sweet foretastes of heaven, those seasons spent on the holy mount with the Lord are to be seized and enjoyed when God gives them. But that is the exception, not the norm. When we are in the valley, let us try always to remember that the Lord Jesus comes to his disciples in the valley, just as he does in the mountain. He always comes, manifesting himself to us at precisely the right time. And the sorrows and conflicts of our valleys are as much by divine arrangement as the joys of our mountain-tops.

Utterly Dependent

We are also reminded by this story that we are utterly and entirely dependent upon our Lord Jesus Christ. This is brought out very clearly in these verses. Like Moses when he came down from Mt. Sinai, our Lord found his disciples in a state of complete confusion. They were under the assault of a malicious group of scribes. The occasion of this was the fact that they had attempted to cast the demon out of this mans son without success. These are the same men who had, just a short time earlier, done many miracles and cast out many devils. Yet, before this man and his son, they were utterly helpless.

These disciples learned by humble experience a very needful lesson. It is a lesson we must learn, a lesson that must be burned into our hearts. You will find it in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to his chosen disciples in Joh 15:5. He said, Without me ye can do nothing. This is a lesson contrary to our flesh and bitter. But it is a lesson demonstrated over and over again in Scripture. We must not forget it. If the Lord leaves us to ourselves, we have no strength to do anything or in any way resist the devil. The experience of Noah, Abraham, Lot, David, and Peter are written in bold letters to remind us of this fact. May God the Holy Spirit teach us daily that we are weak, weakness itself, and utterly helpless without the wisdom, presence, and grace of Christ, which he alone can give us.

Satans Power

This story is also recorded upon the pages of Holy Scripture to teach us and warn us of the horror of satanic power. Let no one imagine that Satan is a fictional force of evil. Let none laugh and think that Satan is just a religious boogie man conjured up by crotchety old men to scare little children. In this inspired narrative we hear a father describe the power and influence of Satan over his son as a foul spirit and a destructive spirit. The demon that controlled this young man was a deaf and dumb spirit. And the demon possessing this child possessed his heart as well as his body as a lunatic spirit (Mat 17:15). Matthew describes his condition as a form of epilepsy, which causes fainting and dumbness, which John Gill identifies as, a delirium of the heart.

This demon took possession of this young man as a mere child. This is a matter of deepest importance. We must labor to do good to our children and to serve the interests of their souls, even from their earliest years. If Satan begins early to destroy them, we must begin early to save them. We must, to the best of our ability, control who has influence over them, choosing their friends and companions, instruct them in the Scriptures and the blessed gospel of Christ, and pray for them.

Weak Faith, but True Faith

We also see in this passage another of the numerous examples given in Scripture of the dual nature of the believer. Who can read this paragraph and fail to see that faith and unbelief, righteousness and sin are found in the same person? The father of this child said, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. He believed. Yet, he had some doubts. He brought his child with hope. Yet, he was fearful. He seems to express this honestly in Mar 9:22. He said to Christ, If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us.

You may think, Thats not much faith. You would be right in your thinking if you did. But it was enough. He took his son home completely freed of the demons power. He had faith as a grain of mustard seed; but it was true, God-given faith. None of Gods people in this world are perfect, not even in a single area. It is not our faith, neither its strength, nor its quality, nor its quantity that matters, but Christ, the Object of our faith.

Though this mans faith was weak, it was true. It was the gift of God in him. He shows us by example that though our faith may be weak, we have cause, as Robert Hawker observed, to bless God, for the smallest degree of faith than for all the riches of the world. Faith brought him to Christ. His faith caused him to confess his conscious weakness of faith before the omnipotent One who had given him faith. And his faith obtained the mercy he needed. Do you have such faith, even as a grain of mustard seed? If so, bless God for it. Faith in Christ is the evidence of our union with Christ and of our salvation by him (Act 10:43; Act 13:48; Heb 11:1-2). Let us desire and pray for greater faith, while we cherish the smallest measure of faith, by which our calling and election are proved and made sure to our souls.

Christs Dominion

We are taught here, by vivid example the totality of Christs dominion. There are many who foolishly imagine that Satan and the demons of hell are rivals to God, that they are somehow out of control. Nothing could be further from the truth. The devil is Gods devil. He is under Gods control. God uses him to accomplish his own purposes. And when he gets done with him, he will destroy him.

Do you see this? Our Lord Jesus Christ exercises total dominion over Satan and his agents at all times. He speaks with almighty, sovereign authority, and Satan and his demons immediately, implicitly, and totally obey his voice. Satan is strong, malicious, and busy. We are no match for him. But the Lord Jesus Christ is yet able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him. He saves his elect from Satans power. Satan can never snatch us from our Saviors almighty, omnipotent hands. And, soon the God of peace will bruise Satan under our heels (Rom 16:20).

Believing Parents

No doubt, this story is recorded upon the pages of Inspiration to remind us again of the privileges and responsibilities of believing parents. We cannot save our children. We cannot change their nature. We cannot give them life and faith in Christ. Many believing men and women have raised a house full of rebels. Let none of us arrogantly and ignorantly imagine that because children are wicked something must be amiss with the parents. Such talk betrays the pride and stupidity of a man who has never raised a family!

Yet, there are some things we can and must do for our children. We can do for our sons and daughters what this man did for his son. He brought his son to the Savior, to the place where Christ was to be found. We can and must bring our children with us to the house of God. He brought the Savior to his Son by fervent prayer. He acknowledged his sons condition to the Lord Jesus. He told the Lord Jesus plainly that his son, the child he dearly loved, was deaf and dumb, a lunatic, wicked to the core of his being, and dying. He added that he had always been like that from his youth.

His sons desperate need was his need. His prayer was not, Have compassion on him, and help him. His prayer was, Have compassion on us, and help us!

His son did not believe God; but he believed God for his son. He could not believe instead of his son as a proxy. There is no such thing as proxy faith. But he did believe for his son. This man understood that foolishness is bound in the heart of every child. The rod of correction must be used to drive it from him; but only the grace of God can effectually deliver a sinner from the foolishness that is in him and from the power of Satan that rules him.

Gods Operations

This passage of Scripture is also an instructive, beautiful picture of Gods mighty operations of grace. Whenever God saves a sinner, there are certain things you can expect to see, and certain things you can expect to happen. I do not suggest by any means that all who are saved have the same experiences; but every believers experience is similar. Death is death. Life is life. Grace is grace. And salvation is salvation. This is how God performs it. This is how the Lord God performs his mighty operations of grace in us.

First, when God saves a sinner, there is a divine call. The Master said, Bring him unto me (Mar 9:19). So it is with all to whom God is gracious. He commands them to come to Christ and commands all creation to bring them to him, saying, Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth (Isa 43:6).

Whenever the Lord Jesus calls sinners to himself, as they are coming to him, there is usually a satanic throw (Mar 9:20). When the Savior calls the sinner to himself, Satan is now in a rage because he knows his time is short (Rev 12:12).

Third, when the Lord comes to give eternal life, there is a hopeful slaughter. He kills before he makes alive. He brings us down before he lifts us up. That is vividly set before us in Mar 9:25-26.

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

Then, blessed be his name, when the Lord Jesus comes in saving power, there is a resurrection from the dead. Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose (Mar 9:27). The new birth is a resurrection from spiritual death to life eternal by the power and operation of Gods omnipotent mercy (Joh 5:25; Eph 2:1-5; Rev 20:6).

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

when: Mat 17:14-21, Luk 9:37

the scribes: Mar 2:6, Mar 11:28, Mar 12:14, Luk 11:53, Luk 11:54, Heb 12:3

Reciprocal: Mat 9:11 – they said Act 17:18 – encountered

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Chapter 19.

The Disciples’ Failure

“And when He came to His disciples, He saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him. And He asked the scribes, What question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto Thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to Thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto Me. And they brought him unto Him: and when He saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And He asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? and he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when He was come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and He would not that any man should know it.”-Mar 9:14-30.

The Need and the Call.

“Lord, it is good for us to be here,” Peter had said, when enjoying the glory of the holy mount. But as soon as he reached the foot of the hill, he must have felt that it would not have been “good” if the Lord had remained longer on the mountain. For here at the mountain’s foot were people in sore and urgent need of Him. Here was a poor lad dehumanised almost by an evil spirit; here was a father agonised with concern and grief on his account; here were His disciples disappointed and defeated, and at their wits’ end; and here was a multitude bewildered by the disciples’ failure, and in danger, as a result, of losing what little faith they had in Christ Himself. There was imperative need for the presence of Jesus.

The Appeal that failed.

At the foot of the hill there was a crowd about the nine disciples, and scribes questioning with them. Our Lord asked what all the excitement was about. An answer was quickly forthcoming, not from the disciples, nor yet from the scribes, but from an individual in the crowd. “Master,” he cried, “I brought unto Thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to Thy disciples that they should cast it out; and they were not able” (Mar 9:17-19).

The Causes of Failure.

Now how was it the disciples had failed? Was it from first to last a case of presumption? In undertaking to cast the evil spirit out of this boy, had they undertaken a task for which no authority or power had been conferred upon them? No; that was not so. Jesus had conferred on them certain authorities and powers, and amongst others this, “He gave them authority over the unclean spirits” (vi. 7). And this power was not conferred upon them in vain, for one of the things over which the Twelve, and even the Seventy, rejoiced most was this, “Even the devils,” they said, “are subject to us in Thy name.” This, then, was no case of undertaking a task for which they had no authority.

-Lowered Spiritual Vitality.

Why, then, had they failed here? Probably several reasons co-operated. Possibly they were out of heart. Their Master was away. Their three strongest companions were away. And above everything else, the announcement of Christ’s approaching rejection and suffering and death had stunned them, and well-nigh shattered their faith. Only a week or so had elapsed since that first announcement of the cross. Of that week we have absolutely no record. Apparently nothing was said, nothing was done. They spent it, as Godet says, in a kind of stupor of bewilderment and grief. That was very much their spiritual condition when this distracted father brought to them his demented son, and besought them to heal him. And their spiritual condition to a large extent explains their failure. What a person can give out depends upon what he has within. The power he exerts depends upon the power he possesses. Before a man can breathe hope into another, he must have stores of hope in himself. Before he can create faith in another, he must have strong faith of his own. That is the principle underlying our Lord’s word, “According to your faith it shall be unto you.” Now, this father brought his lad to the disciples when their spiritual vitality was at its lowest ebb. They could work no miracle, because they themselves possessed no spiritual energy. They could do no mighty work, because they themselves had no faith. “O faithless generation,” cried Jesus, “how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you?” (Mar 9:19).

-Lack of Prayer.

If you ask why the disciples had no faith, you find the reason in the reply Jesus gave to their query, “Why could not we cast it out?” “This kind,” answered Jesus, “can come out by nothing, save by prayer” (Mar 9:29). That was the ultimate cause of failure. Lack of prayer. Faith and prayer stand almost in the relation of cause and effect. You cannot neglect one, and retain the other. You cannot omit prayer, and keep faith. For what is prayer? It is the meeting of spirit with spirit. It is man communing with God. It is the mortal laying hold upon the eternal. It is man talking with God; yes, and God talking with man. Now if anyone neglects prayer, if he does not speak to God, and hear God speak to him, God becomes vague, distant, unreal to him. He loses his sense of God, his assurance of the presence of God, the resistless force and power the assurance of God’s presence always brings. And losing his hold of God, he becomes impotent and paralysed.

Failure and Reproach.

The failure of the disciples exposed them and their faith and their Lord to the scorn and mockery of an unbelieving crowd. When Jesus reached His disciples He found the multitude surging around them, and scribes questioning with them, “disputing with them,” the word might be translated. The failure of the disciples caused exultation to the scribes. They taunted the disciples with their failure. Starting from this obvious and complete failure, they threw doubt upon their possession of any authority to cast out evil spirits. They suggested that all their so-called successes were impostures and make-believes. They managed even to make the disciples’ failure bring the Master Himself into discredit. Our impotence and failure always tend to bring the whole of religion into discredit, and to bring reproach on our Master Himself. And is not that why in these very days of ours men calmly suggest that Christianity is played out, and the Lord Jesus has had His day? They would not say it if Christ’s people were manifestly exerting redeeming, regenerating power. It is our feebleness and weakness which cause the enemy to blaspheme.

The Vindicating Lord.

But, while the dispute was at its height, Jesus arrived. “And straightway,” Mark says, “all the multitude, when they saw Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him” (Mar 9:15). Commentators have puzzled themselves over the reasons for the amazement which Mark here records. Some of them say that Jesus, when He came down from the hill, retained in His face, like Moses, traces of the shining glory. I prefer to think with Dr. Salmond that the cause was the suddenness and opportuneness of the Lord’s coming. The scribes were just saying that Jesus Himself was an impostor, and He appears to vindicate His claim. The disciples were at their very wits’ end. Their Lord comes to their succour, to rescue them from their trouble, and to stablish and confirm their faith. And the Lord is always appearing like this, “in the nick of time,” for the confusion of His foes and the reinforcement of His friends. In the eighteenth century Bishop Butler says that people were so convinced that Christianity was false and played out that they did not even trouble to discuss it. Then the Lord vindicated His cause, and strengthened the hearts of His people by working the stupendous miracle of the Evangelical Revival. It is always so. When we are at our wits’ end, our blessed Lord comes and turns our defeat into victory. So let us be of good cheer, Christ will always vindicate His own cause. His arm is not shortened that it cannot save. And in our days of despondency and despair He will always confound His foes, and surprise His friends by showing that He can save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.

The Father of the Sufferer.

So much for the disciples. But what of the anxious father? There are in effect in this paragraph the stories of two miracles. The first and the most obvious is our Lord’s triumph over the evil spirit. The second is not so obvious, but is in many ways more wonderful still. Jesus not only drove the evil spirit out of the boy, but He won a triumph for faith in the soul of his father. When He came down from the hill it was to find His disciples in the midst of a seething, excited crowd, and the scribes engaged in a vehement dispute with them. “What question ye with them?” He asked (Mar 9:16). A certain man of the multitude answered Him. “Master,” he said, “I brought unto Thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down, and he foameth and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away; and I spake to Thy disciples that they should cast it out; and they were not able” (Mar 9:17-18).

Love impels.

The Fruits of Failure.

Ah, the impetuous eagerness of love! It may have been to His disciples, or to the questioning scribes or to the excited multitude, that our Lord addressed His question; but it was the father who replied. He could not wait while the scribes or the disciples explained matters to the Master. He himself without a moment’s delay rushes in, so to speak, and pours his sad story into the ears of the Lord. It was, indeed, to Jesus the man really meant to have brought his son. “I brought unto Thee my son,” he says. But Jesus was away on the hill, so in his distress the father turned to the nine disciples, and besought them that they would cast the evil spirit out. And they tried, and failed. That was the pitiful story this father had to tell. The recital was significant. For, as the failure sprang from lack of faith, so its effect was to weaken and destroy faith. The faith of this father had suffered. Look at the title by which the man addresses Christ. There is no sense of devotion in it. There is no suggestion of personal trust. It is not “Lord.” It is not “Master.” It is not “Son of David.” It is the cold title, “Teacher,” which he employs. He had started from home with some measure of faith in his heart. But the failure of the disciples had practically shattered it. He sees in Christ at this point nothing but a “teacher.” What wonder that Christ broke out into the cry, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you?” (Mar 9:19).

The Restorer of Faith.

But a bruised reed our Lord never broke, and smoking flax He never quenched. And so, instead of treating with scorn and contempt this broken and shattered faith, He set about rebuilding it, revivifying it, restoring it. “Bring him unto Me,” He said. “And they brought him unto Him.” But “when he saw Him, straightway the spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming” (Mar 9:20). Now our Lord was tender of heart, and “swift to bless.” Now what one might have expected in such a case as this was an instantaneous cure. But while this poor lad lay wallowing and screaming at His feet, the Lord turned to the father, and said, “How long time is it since this hath come unto him?” (Mar 9:21). Very likely the poor impatient father thought Jesus might have cured his lad first, and asked his questions afterwards. But that was never our Lord’s way. He never hurried.

The question was designed to reveal to the man himself the moral state of his own heart. It brought all the belief and unbelief of the man to the surface. “And he said, From a child,”-it was a stubborn and long-standing mischief. “And ofttimes it hath cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him: but if Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us” (Mar 9:21-22).

A Type.

“If Thou canst!” To a large extent this man, with more doubt than faith in him, to a large extent represents the age in which we live. There are some ages in the world’s history which deserve the title, “The Ages of Faith,” because for some reason or other the verities of the unseen and external world were so near and real and vivid, that men found it easy to believe. But our age is not an age of faith. It is, as Dr. Van Dyck entitles it, “An Age of Doubt.” It has not utterly discarded Christ. But it wonders whether He can really do anything to meet its sore and bitter need. It is conscious of its misery and woe and sin, as it never has been in all its history. And it looks wistfully at Jesus. But it is not at all sure that He can help. It is not confident that He can heal. All it is capable of in the way of faith is a timid, trembling, hesitating, “If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” John Bunyan, in his immortal dream, pictures some men of sturdy and almost aggressive faith-men like Great-Heart and Standfast, and Valiant-for-Truth, and Hopeful and Faithful, and the rest. But he also gives us the picture of men whose faith is timid and trembling, who scarcely believe, in the persons of Mr. Little-Faith, Mr. Fearing, and Mr. Feeble-Mind, and Mr. Ready-to-Halt. And in this age of ours there are a great many more Little-Faiths and Fearings and Feeble-Minds than there are Great-Hearts and Standfasts and Valiants-for-Truth. We find the very temper of our time in this Mr. Fearing’s word to Jesus, “If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”

-How Treated by Our Lord.

But see how our Lord deals with this doubtful and distracted soul. To get the exact account, you must follow the Revised rather than the Authorised Version. Jesus did not answer, as the A.V. represents, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” He takes up the man’s own phrase, “If thou canst!” He says-and He utters it, as Dr. Salmond notes, with a touch of compassionate rebuke-“If Thou canst,” thou sayest; but it is not a question of My power, it is a question of thy faith-for “all things are possible to him that believeth.” Christ rolls the responsibility back upon the man himself. He thought it all depended on Jesus; Jesus tells him it depended upon himself. An overwhelming consciousness of power breathes through this answer. Christ will have no “if” applied to Him. But He shows that the secret of success and failure is in ourselves. We do not forget that the excellency of the power is always of God, and not of ourselves. But according to our faith it is done unto us. And so, whenever we fail, instead of casting the blame upon God, we had better search our own hearts-for we may depend upon it that it is in ourselves the fault lies. We are never straitened in God, we are only straitened in ourselves. If we are ever tempted to think that “Christ does nothing for us,” if we are honest with ourselves, we shall always find it is not really that Christ has failed; it is because our grip of Him has loosened, it is because our vision of Him has become dim.

The Father’s Prayer.

The answer our Lord gave this poor agonised father revealed to him that the first help he needed was help for himself, help for the faith which was almost overborne and quenched by unfaith; and so the appeal for bodily relief for his son changes now into a “contrite prayer for grace for himself.” “Lord, I believe,” he cried; “help Thou mine unbelief.” Here, faced as we are by a stricken world in sad and sore need of healing, is the best prayer we can offer. Before we can be used of God to save the world, God must be allowed to have His own way with us. This contrite prayer for “grace for ourselves”; that is the first thing we need. To win our own battles over our besetting sins, to be effective in Christian service, we ourselves want a strong grip of God, a firm and confident trust in the Lord Jesus. So let us take our doubting, distrustful hearts to Him, and say, like this distressed and troubled father, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” And what mighty power there is in feeble faith! “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed,” said our Lord, “ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence unto yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Mat 17:20).

Faith and Response.

As a grain of mustard-seed, weak, tiny, infinitesimal. That is all this father had. But look at the result. A mighty exercise of power and a restored son. Even a small faith exercises wondrous power. The Lord is wonderfully compassionate. He hears and answers and blesses a feeble cry like this. He gives even to Little Faith, and Mr. Fearing, and Mr. Ready-to-Halt, the victory and the abundant entrance. O tender and compassionate Jesus, O pitiful, loving Jesus! Our faith is feeble, overborne almost by misgivings and fears. We can do little more than cry sometimes, “Help mine unbelief.” Yet He will not disregard even that faltering prayer. When Sir James Simpson, the greatest Scottish physician of his time, lay adying, a friend said to him that, like John the beloved disciple, he would soon be resting on the bosom of Jesus. “I don’t know that I can quite do that,” he said, “but I think I have got hold of the hem of His garment.” And that is all that some of us have been able to do. We have stretched out timid hands, and have just touched the hem of His garment, and even that has brought its unspeakable blessing. “As many as touched Him were made whole.”

Fuente: The Gospel According to St. Mark: A Devotional Commentary

4

Came to his disciples means the ones Jesus left waiting while he was in the mount. The scribes were generally at hand with their critical questions, and when they could not approach Jesus they contacted his disciples.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

THE contrast between these verses and those which precede them in the chapter is very striking. We pass from the mount of transfiguration to a melancholy history of the work of the devil. We come down from the vision of glory, to a conflict with Satanic possession. We change the blessed company of Moses and Elijah, for the rude intercourse of unbelieving Scribes. We leave the foretaste of millennial glory, and the solemn voice of God the Father testifying to God the Son, and return once more to a scene of pain, weakness, and misery-a boy in agony of body, a father in deep distress, and a little band of feeble disciples baffled by Satan’s power, and unable to give relief.-The contrast, we must all feel, is very great. Yet it is but a faint emblem of the change of scene that Jesus voluntarily undertook to witness, when He first laid aside His glory and came into the world. And it is after all a vivid picture of the life of all true Christians. With them, as with their Master, work, conflict, and scenes of weakness and sorrow will always be the rule. With them too, visions of glory, foretastes of heaven, seasons on the mount, will always be the exception.

Let us learn from these verses, how dependent Christ’s disciples are on the company and help of their Master.

We see this truth brought out in a striking manner in the scene which meets our Lord’s eyes, when He came down from the mount. Like Moses, when he came down from Mount Sinai, He finds his little flock in confusion. He sees His nine apostles beset by a party of malicious Scribes, and baffled in an attempt to heal one who had been brought to them possessed with a devil. The very same disciples who a short time before had done many miracles and “cast out many devils,” had now met with a case too hard for them. They were learning by humbling experience the great lesson, “without me ye can do nothing.” (Joh 15:5.)-It was a useful lesson, no doubt, and over-ruled to their spiritual good. It would probably be remembered all the days of their lives. The things that we learn by smarting experience, abide in our memories, while truths heard with the ear are often forgotten. But we may be sure it was a bitter lesson at the time.-We do not love to learn that we can do nothing without Christ.

We need not look far to see many illustrations of this truth in the history of Christ’s people in every age. The very men who at one time have done great exploits in the cause of the Gospel, at another time have failed entirely, and proved weak and unstable as water. The temporary recantations of Cranmer and Jewell are striking examples. The holiest and best of Christians has nothing to glory of. His strength is not his own. He has nothing but what he has received. He has only to provoke the Lord to leave him for a season, and he will soon discover that his power is gone. Like Samson, when his hair was shorn, he is weak as any other man.

Let us learn a lesson of humility from the failure of the disciples. Let us strive to realize every day our need of the grace and presence of Christ. With Him we may do all things. Without Him we can do nothing at all. With Him we may overcome the greatest temptations. Without Him the least may overcome us. Let our cry be every morning, “leave us not to ourselves-we know not what a day may bring forth-if thy presence go not with us we cannot go up.”

Let us learn, in the second place, from these verses, how early in life we are liable to be injured by Satan. We read a fearful description of the miseries inflicted by Satan on the young man, whose case is here recorded. And we are told that he had been under this awful visitation from his very infancy. It came to him, “of a child.”

There is a lesson of deep importance here which we must not overlook. We must labor to do good to our children even from their earliest years. If Satan begins so early to do them harm, we must not be behind him in diligence to lead them to God. How soon in life a child becomes responsible and accountable, is a difficult question to solve. Perhaps far sooner than many of us suppose. One thing, at all events, is very clear: it is never too soon to strive and pray for the salvation of the souls of children-never too soon to speak to them as moral beings, and tell them of God, and Christ, and right, and wrong. The devil, we may be quite sure, loses no time in endeavoring to influence the minds of young people. He begins with them even “of a child.” Let us work hard to counteract him. If young hearts can be filled by Satan, they can also be filled with the Spirit of God.

Let us learn, in the third place, from these verses, how faith and unbelief can be mixed together in the same heart. The words of the child’s father set this truth before us in a touching way. “Lord,” he cried, “I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

We see in those words a vivid picture of the heart of many a true Christian. Few indeed are to be found among believers, in whom trust and doubt, hope and fear, do not exist side by side. Nothing is perfect in a child of God, so long as he is in the body. His knowledge, and love, and humility, are all more or less defective, and mingled with corruption. And as it is with his other graces, so it is with his faith. He believes, and yet has about him a remainder of unbelief.

What shall we do with our faith? We must use it. Weak, trembling, doubting, feeble as it may be, we must use it. We must not wait till it is great, perfect, and mighty, but like the man before us, turn it to account, and hope that one day it will be more strong. “Lord,” he said, “I believe.”

What shall we do with our unbelief? We must resist it, and pray against it. We must not allow it to keep us back from Christ. We must take it to Christ, as we take all other sins and infirmities, and cry to Him for deliverance. Like the man before us, we must cry, “Lord, help mine unbelief.”

These are experimental truths. Happy are they who know something of them. The world is ignorant of them. Faith and unbelief, doubts and fears, are all foolishness to the natural man. But let the true Christian study these things well, and thoroughly understand them. It is of the utmost importance to our comfort to know, that a true believer may be known by his inward warfare, as well as by his inward peace.

Let us mark, in the last place, the complete dominion which our Lord exercises over Satan and all his agents. The spirit who was too strong for the disciples, is at once cast out by the Master. He speaks with mighty authority, and Satan at once is obliged to obey, “I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.”

We may leave the passage with comfortable feelings. Greater is He that is for us than all they that are against us. Satan is strong, busy, active, malicious. But Jesus is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him-from the devil, as well as from sin-from the devil, as well as from the world. Let us possess our souls in patience. Jesus still lives, and will not let Satan pluck us out of His hand. Jesus still lives, and will soon come again to deliver us entirely from the fiery darts of the wicked one. The great chain is prepared. (Rev 20:1.) Satan shall one day be bound. The God of peace shall bruise Satan under our feet shortly.” (Rom 16:20.) [Footnote: The expression “greatly amazed,” in the fifteenth verse of the passage now expounded, deserves some notice. The Greek word is exceedingly strong, and implies a feeling much beyond that which, the English word “amazed” conveys to our minds. It certainly seems as if some traces of visible glory, or, at any rate, some expression of extraordinary majesty appeared in our Lord’s countenance, after the transfiguration. It reminds us of the face of Moses shining when he came down from the mount.]

Fuente: Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels

Mar 9:14. And when they came. The next day (Luke).

The scribes questioning with them. The disciples were not yet prepared to defend themselves, and their failure to cure the lunatic boy was probably used, not only against them, but against their master.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Observe here, 1. The person brought to Christ for help and healing; one bodily possessed by Satan, who had made him deaf and dumb from his childhood, and oft-times cast him into the fire and water, but rather to torment than to dispatch him. O how does Satan, the malicious tyrant, rejoice in doing hurt to the bodies, as well as the souls, of mankind! Lord, abate his power, since his malice of evil spirits! and how watchful is thy providence over us to preserve us, when Satan is seeking, by all imaginable means and methods, to destroy us!

Observe, 2. The person that represents his sad condition to our Saviour; his compassionate father, who kneeled down, and cried out: need will make a person both humble and eloquent. Everyone has a tongue to speak for himself, happy is he that keeps a tongue for others.

Observe, 3. The circumstance of time; Satan had got possession! of his person very young, in his youth; nay, in his childhood: and O how hard was it to cast him out after such long possession! The disciples could not do it, with all their power and prayers; and when our Saviour himself, by the power of his Godhead, did dispossess him, it was with foaming and rending that he left him.

Thus, when Satan gets possession of persons hearts in their youth, O how hard will it be to cast him out! It will put the soul to great grief, great pain, great sorrow of heart. Satan will endeavour to hold his own, and keep the sinner his slave and vassal, if all the power of hell can keep him.

Lord! convince young persons, that it is easier to keep Satan out, than it is to cast him out of the possession of their hearts.

Observe, 4. The physicians which this distressed person is brought unto first to the disciples, and then to Jesus. We never apply ourselves importunately to the God of power, till we despair of the creatures help. But why could not the disciples cast him out? Christ tells them, because of their unbelief; that is, because of the weakness of their faith, not thte total want of faith.

Whence learn, That secret unbelief may be hid and undiscerned in the heart, which neither others not ourselves may take notice of until some trial doth discover it.

Observe, 5. The poor man’s humble request, and Christ’s gracious reply. If thou canst do anything, help me, says the father; If thou canst believe, all things are possible, says our Saviour.

Note thence, That the fault is not in Christ, but in ourselves, if we receive not that mercy from him, which we desire and need. There is no deficiency in Christ’s power, the defect lies in our faith. Hereupon the man cries out with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. If these were tears of joy for the truth of his faith, then we may gather, that the lowest degree and least measure of faith is matter of joy unspeakable to the owner and possessor of it: if these were tears of sorrow for the weakness of his faith, then we may collect, that the remains of unbelief in the children of God do cost them many tears; they are the burden and sorrow of gracious souls. The father of the child cried out with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Observe, 6. With what facility and ease our Saviour cast out this stubborn devil, that had so long possessed this poor child, even with a word speaking. How long soever Satan has kept possession of a soul, Christ can eject and cast him out both easily and speedily; one word of Christ’s mouth is sufficient to help us out of all distress, both bodily and spiritual. Yet did our Lord suffer the wicked spirit to rage and rend the child before he went out of him; not from any delight in the poor child’s misery, but that the multitude, seeing the desperateness of the case, might the more admire the power fo Christ in his deliverance.

Observe, 7. The sovereign power and absolute authority, which Christ had even here upon earth, when in his state of humiliation, over the devil and his angels; he commands him to go out, and enter no more into the child, and is obeyed. This was a proof and demonstration of the Godhead of our Saviour, that he had power and authority over devils, to command and over-rule them, to curb and restrain them at his pleasure.

And whereas Christ commands the devil not only to come ut, but to enter no more into the person; it implies, that Satan being cast out of his hold, earnestly desires to enter in again to recover his hold, and to regain his possession; but if Christ says, Enter no more, Satan shall obey his voice.

Observe, 8. The disciples enquire into the reasons why they could not cast this stubborn devil out, according to the power which he had given them to work miracles.

Christ tells them it was, 1. Because of their unbelief; by which understand the weakness of their faith, not their total want of faith.

2. Because they did not in this extraordinary case apply themselves to the use of extraordinary means; namely, Prayer and fasting.

Learn hence, First, That in extraordinary cases, where the necessities either of soul or body do require it, recourse must be had to the use of extraordinary means; one of which is an importunate application unto God by solemn prayer.

Secondly, That fasting and prayer are two special means of Christ’s own appointment for the enabling of his people victoriously to overcome Satan, and cast him out of ourselves or others. We must set an edge upon our faith by prayer, and upon our prayer by fasting.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Mar 9:14-19. When he came to his disciples he saw a great multitude Probably this multitude had remained there all night, waiting till Jesus should return from the mountain, and the scribes questioning Greek, , disputing with them, namely, with the nine who remained on the plain. Doubtless they took the opportunity of their Masters absence to expose and distress them. And all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed At his coming so suddenly, so seasonably, so unexpectedly: perhaps, also, at some unusual rays of majesty and glory, which yet remained on his countenance; as, it seems, Mosess face shone several hours after he had been with God on the mount. And running to him, saluted him With the greatest marks of respect and affection. The scribes and Pharisees, however, without regarding his return, continued their ill-natured attacks on his disciples. And he asked the scribes Namely, when the salutations of the multitude were over. What question ye with them? What is the subject of your dispute with them? What is the point you are debating so warmly? The scribes gave no answer to our Lords question. They did not care to repeat what they had said to his disciples: but one of the multitude said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, &c. From the narrative which this man gives, in answer to what Jesus said to the scribes, it appears that they had been disputing about the cure of this youth, which the disciples had unsuccessfully attempted. And probably their want of success had given the scribes occasion to boast that a devil was found that neither the disciples nor their Master was able to cast out. See notes on Mat 17:14-21. Which hath a dumb spirit A spirit that takes his speech from him; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him Or rather convulseth him, and he foameth At the mouth; and gnasheth with his teeth In extremity of anguish; and pineth away Though in the bloom of his age. And I spake to thy disciples Entreated them to cast him out; and they could not. The Lord Jesus permitted this for wise reasons, chiefly, perhaps, to keep them humble, and sensible of their entire dependance on him for all their power to perform cures, or do any manner of thing that was good.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

LXX.

THIRD WITHDRAWAL FROM HEROD’S TERRITORY.

Subdivision E.

HEALING THE DEMONIAC BOY.

(Region of Csarea Philippi.)

aMATT. XVII. 14-20; bMARK IX. 14-29; cLUKE IX. 37-43.

c37 And it came to pass, on the next day, when they were come down from the mountain, b14 And when they came to the disciples [the nine apostles which had been left behind], they saw a great multitude about them [We last heard of the multitude at Mar 8:34. See Exo 34:29), but this can hardly have been so, for it would have been at variance with the secrecy which Jesus enjoined as to his transfiguration. Moreover, so important [422] a feature could hardly have escaped from the narratives of all three evangelists. Undoubtedly the amazement was caused by the sudden and opportune return of Jesus. Those who urge that this was not enough to produce amazement show themselves to be poor students of human nature. The multitude had been listening to and no doubt enjoying the questions of the scribes. The unexpected appearance of Jesus therefore impressed them with the sudden sense of having been detected in wrong-doing which invariably leads to amazement. Moreover, those who remained loyal to Jesus would be equally amazed by his approach, since they could not but feel that an exciting crisis was at hand.] a14 And when they were come to the multitude [i. e., when Jesus and the multitude met], bhe asked them, What question ye with them? [He surprised the scribes by this demand and they saw at once that he knew all and they felt rebuked for their unwarranted exultation, and so kept silent.] c38 And, behold, athere came to him a man, bone of {cfrom} the multitude, akneeling to him, banswered him, ccried, saying, bTeacher, a15 Lord, bI brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit; ahave mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; cI beseech thee look upon my son: for he is mine only child. 39 and behold a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; b18 and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: cand it teareth him that he foameth, band grindeth his teeth, and pineth away: cand it hardly departeth from him, bruising him sorely. [When the scribes did not answer, the father of the demoniac boy broke the embarrassing silence by telling Jesus about the matter in question. His child was deaf, dumb, and epileptic, but all these physical ailments were no doubt produced by the demon or evil spirit which possessed him. The phrase “hardly departeth from him” rather suggests the continual unrest in which the demon kept his victim rather than that the demon ever really relinquished his possession of him. Pauses in the delirium of agony were regarded as departures of the [423] demon.] a16 And I brought him to thy disciples, band I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; c40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. bthey were not able. aand they could not cure him. 17 And Jesus answered and said, {banswereth them and saith,} aO faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? cbring hither thy son to me. bunto me. [As there was no reason to accuse the apostles of perversity, it is evident that the rebuke of Jesus is addressed generally to all and not particularly to the disciples. The perverse faithlessness and infidelity of the scribes had operated upon the multitude, and the doubts of the multitude had in turn influenced the apostles, and thus, with the blind leading the blind, all had fallen into the ditch of impotent disbelief. The disbelief of the people was a constant grief to Jesus, but it must have been especially so in this case, for it fostered and perpetrated this scene of weakness, mean-spiritedness, misery, and suffering which stood out in such sharp contrast with the peace, blessedness, and glory from which he had just come.] 20 And they brought him unto him: c42 And as he was yet a coming, bwhen he saw him [saw Jesus], straightway cthe demon dashed him down, and bthe spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21 And he asked his father, How long is it since this hath come unto him? And he said, From a child. 22 And oft-times it hath cast him both into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: {ahe falleth into the fire, and oft-times into the water.} [By causing the long-standing nature of the case and the malignity of it to be fully revealed, Jesus emphasized the power of the cure] bbut if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth. [Jesus echoed back the “if thou canst” which the man had uttered. If Jesus marveled at the faith of a Gentile which trusted the fullness [424] of his divine power, he also marveled at the disbelief of this Jew which thus coolly and presumptuously questions the sufficiency of that power. In the remainder of his answer Jesus shows that the lack of power is not in him, but in those who would be recipients of the blessings of his power, for those blessings are obtained by faith.] 24 Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said I believe; help thou my unbelief. [He confessed his faith, but desired so ardently to have the child healed that he feared lest he should not have faith enough to accomplish that desire, and therefore asked for more faith.] 25 And when Jesus saw that the multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. [Jesus had found the multitude when he came down from the mountain, but the excitement in this multitude was evidently drawing men from every quarter, so that the crowd was momentarily growing greater. A longer conversation with the man might have been beneficial, but to prevent the gathering of any larger company Jesus acted at once and spoke the words of command. Since the demon was manifestly of a most daring, impudent, and audacious nature, Jesus took the precaution to forbid it attempting to re-enter its victim, a precaution which the conduct of the demon abundantly justified.] 26 And having cried out, and torn him much, he came out: and the boy became as one dead; insomuch that the more part said, He is dead. [The malicious effrontery and obstinacy displayed by this demon stands in marked contrast to the cowed, supplicating spirit shown by the Gergesene legion. See Mat 13:32). Faith has such power with God that even little faith becomes well-nigh omnipotent in an age of miracles.] b29 And he said unto them, This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer. [Prayer was the means of increasing faith. Demons, like spirits in the flesh, have different degrees of will force, some being easier to subdue than others, and this once, being particularly willful and obstinate, required more faith to expel it.]

[FFG 422-426]

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

DEMONIACAL EJECTMENT

Mat 17:14-21; Mar 9:14-29; Luk 9:37-43. Mark: And having come to His disciples, He saw a great crowd round them, and the scribes arguing with them. He and the three disciples had been absent from the nine and the multitude during that memorable night of the transfiguration. In the morning, when they come down from the mount, they find an oral debate going on between the nine apostles and the scribes; i.e., the pastors of the Churches, who had gathered with the multitude. The subject of the debate was the failure of the nine to cast out an awfully stubborn and formidable deaf and dumb demon, which had occupied an only son from his infancy. And immediately all the multitude, seeing Him, became aroused, and running to Him, seized Him; i.e., gathered about Him, and took Him into a special diagnosis. He asked the scribes, Why are you disputing with them? The salient point in the debate was, that as the nine had failed in all their efforts to cast out the demon, at the same time alleging that if their Master were there, He could cast him out; the scribes stoutly disputed their word, and argued with them that if He were there, He would fail just as they had done. And one of the multitude, responding, said, Teacher, I brought my son to Thee, having a dumb spirit, and when he may seize him, he convulses him; he froths, gnashes his teeth, and pines away. Matthew says: He is a lunatic, and suffers exceedingly, and frequently he falls in the fire, and often in the water. Luke: And, behold, the spirit takes him, and immediately he cries out, and he convulses him with foam, and scarcely departs from him, contorting him.

We see from these descriptions that the child was an epileptic, of the very worst form, his convulsions being so frequent and violent as not only to take away the faculty of hearing and speech, but to render him at times insane, raving like a maniac. When these awful convulsions came on him, he screamed and roared at the very top of his voice, falling, rolling, in indescribable agony, gnashing his teeth, foaming at the mouth, and finally pining away, gasping for breath, and apparently ceasing to breathe, looking pale as a corpse, perspiration evanescing, becoming dry, ashy, cold, and to all appearances lifeless. And I said to Thy disciples that they may cast him out, and they were not able. Responding, He says to them, O faithless generation, how long shall I bear with you? We see here how grievous their unbelief and consequent failure were to Jesus. Lord, save us from grieving Thee in a similar manner! Bring him hither to Me; and seeing Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him; and falling on the ground, he continued to wallow, foaming. Here you see, the demon knew Jesus, having long ago been a pure spirit in the celestial universe, gazing upon the glory of the Son, before he had the misfortune to deflect with the great apostasy, following in the track of fallen Lucifer. See how awfully stubborn and malignant he is! Seeing Jesus, and knowing that his time is short, he seizes the moment left him to execute his wrath on his poor victim, seizing him instantly, convulsing him with horrific spasms, so that, falling on the ground, he wallows, foaming as if he were dying. And He asked his father, How much time there is since this happened to him? And he said, From his infancy; and frequently he throws him into the fire, and into the water, that he may destroy him; but if You are able to do anything, help us, being moved with compassion in our behalf. And Jesus said to him, If you are able to believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And immediately the father of the little child, crying out with tears, continued to say, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. Here we see a glorious illustration of the omnipotence of faith.

O what an inspiration this wonderful Scripture flashes out on a desponding Church and a sinking world!

Millions on all sides are sweeping into hopeless ruin; whereas alt that is needed that we may be saved to the uttermost, and our friends and loved ones rescued from Satan to go to heaven with us, is faith in Jesus. It costs nothing but your sins and your doubts, which were Satans millstones around your neck, dragging you to perdition. Your family are unsaved, your loved ones hanging over hell by the brittle thread of life. Soon it will be eternally too late. Will you not fly to the mercy-seat in their behalf? I trow, no demon more obstinate, potent, and incorrigible than this one possesses any of them. Though awful devils have them by the throat, Jesus is more than a match for them all. Will you not give Him a chance before demons people hell with the inmates of your home and community? You see here that true faith is accompanied by tenderhearted humility, illustrated by the fact that this man is so intensely exercised for the salvation of his son, that his tears gush out copiously, and flow in rivulets over his face. So get down before God till you, in spite of doubts and devils, with heart-gushing tears, can say, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.

And Jesus, seeing that the multitude are running together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, Dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, Come out from it and enter no more into him. Crying out, and convulsing him much, he came out. He became like a corpse, so that many said, He is dead. When Jesus was talking to the man, the multitude, observing that something was going to be done, and all eager to see, immediately began to crowd in from all directions to witness the sight. As this would produce a great confusion, Jesus instantly commands the obstinate demon, who had resisted all the efforts of the nine, to come out. The demon avails himself of the last moment to execute vile retribution against the poor epileptic. So, in the very act of evacuating him, he convulses him so awfully that he pines away, pallid and ghastly as a corpse, and the people all around say, He is dead. I have witnessed many scenes of this kind in my revival- meetings, people falling amid frightful convulsions, foaming at the mouth, pining away, gasping for breath, and the unspiritual people around saying, He is dead, She is dead. I could give you the positive history of many such cases, which I have seen with mine own eyes. Frequently have they been hauled away from my meetings like dead people, but they always came to life.

The physical phase of this case is abundantly illustrated in all of our lunatic asylums, without which our communities would be terrorized this day by raving maniacs. I now have in mind a good, true, and efficient, sanctified Methodist preacher, who, like this boy, had epilepsy, in its worst form, till one and twenty, when a sanctified sister, finding her way to his fathers house, told him about Jesus, and prevailed on him to commit to Him soul and body. Though three times, amid these awful convulsions, he had been laid out and pronounced dead, when he got his eye of faith on Jesus, though all physicians had abandoned him to die, the Blessed Healer, in a moment, cast out the stubborn demon, completely healing soul and body, so that he has never since had a trace of epilepsy; but, responsive to the call he received when Jesus healed and sanctified him, from that day he has been preaching holiness to the Lord.

Mat 17:19 : Then the disciples, coming to Jesus, privately said, Why were we not able to cast him out? Jesus said to them, For truly, I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Be thou moved hence, and it will be moved, and nothing shall be impossible to you. But this kind goeth not out except through prayer. E. V. says, Through prayer and fasting, some good man evidently adding fasting, feeling that it would strengthen the statement, as it does not here appear in the original. We must remember that the disciples did not fast till after the Lord had left the world, as this would have been out of harmony with the glorious sunshine of His perpetual and omnipotent presence. He said that they would fast after He had gone away. Hence it is all right and pertinent for us to fast, as the Spirit leads, till He returns in glory. We must remember that our Savior is talking about spiritual things, referring to the little mustard seed and the great mountain to illustrate the omnipotence of faith. God appreciates quality rather than quantity. Hence, though your faith may be small, if it is free from doubt, the tiny mustard seed will make the great mountain of sin leap away, and sink out of sight into the sea of forgetfulness.

In these two notable transaction i.e., the transfiguration glory on the mountain summit, and the casting out of this awfully cruel, stubborn, obstinate demon down at the base, we have a vivid illustration of heaven and hell in close proximity. So terrible is the conflict between the powers of darkness in this world, that we often find the bright summit, the transfiguration glory, and the dark valley, pervaded by infuriated demons, in close proximity. Where God works, Satan works too, et vice versa. Hence the Christian soldier should never be discouraged at the rage of hell and the howl of devils; but on the contrary, in that case, should always take courage, as Satan is not fool enough to waste his ammunition. When the powers of darkness rendezvous and the formidable difficulties intervene, always look out for bright victories.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Mar 9:14-29. The Healing of the Demoniac Boy.This story is told in greater detail by Mk. than by Mt. or Lk., who omit the conversation between Jesus and the boys father (Mar 9:20-24). Perhaps they wished to avoid representing Jesus as asking a question for information (Mar 9:21). In any case, they lose genuine and valuable material (especially Mar 9:23 f.). Possibly AV is right in giving us the singular, he came, in Mar 9:14, instead of RV, they came. If so, the story may not originally have followed the Transfiguration, and Mk. may have designed the contrast which is reproduced in Raphaels picture. The references to the scribes and their discussion with the disciples in Mar 9:14-16 seem to have little to do with the demoniac boy. The apparent irrelevance of these details is probably a sign of their historical accuracy (cf. Mar 4:36*). The amazement of the crowd at the sight of Jesus (Mar 9:15) has been traced to the influence of Exo 34:29 f. or to the sudden and opportune character of His intervention. J. Weiss seems to be justified in citing Mar 10:32 as the best parallel. Throughout this section, the very presence of Jesus evokes awe and wonder. Men are conscious of His dedication unto death. The expectation of the end also prompts or colours the exclamation in Mar 9:19. Loisy sees in this an artificial rebuke to Jews and Judaizers, inserted by the evangelist. Weiss, with more insight, regards it as one of the most impressive sayings of Jesus which we possess. It suggests how lonely Jesus felt Himself to be in His faith in God, and how He longed to be set free from the apparent failure of His preaching in Galilee (cf. Luk 12:50). As Mk. records it the miracle is accomplished in two stages (cf. Mar 8:22 f.). The closing stage (Mar 9:26 f.) recalls the story of Jairas daughter. It is not necessarily suggested by it. The query of the disciples in Mar 9:28 (follow AV or RVm, not RV text) forms a natural sequel. The answer of Jesus (Mar 9:29) is perhaps better reported in Mat 17:20. Prayer plays no part in the previous story. Possibly the saying reflects the experience of the early Church, which found prayer and fasting necessary for some kinds of exorcism.

Mar 9:23. RV is here more correct and more vivid than AV.

Mar 9:25. The reference to the coming together of the crowd is not expected. Mk. has not told us that Jesus had taken the man aside. Mk.s references to the crowd seem sometimes confused (cf. Mar 8:34).

Mar 9:29. There is good authority for retaining the word fasting in this verse. If it is not the true reading, it is the true experience.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

Verse 14

A great multitude; attracted by the case of the child mentioned below.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

9:14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 9:15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. 9:16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? 9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 9:18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

We see in Christ confronting the Scribes a concern for His apostles as well as a watchfulnessover them. He confronted those that questioned them to head off any problems that the questioners might have wanted to raise. Christ was showing a protective stance over His own.

Pastors and teachers, this would be a good standard to set for yourselves in relation to your people. They need some watching over and concern. Your protectiveness is a part of your ministry. Be sure that you have a concern and protective attitude. If you do not there might be something missing in your ministry.

Recently I read a post on an Internet forum from a pastor that had been at his new church for three months. He was already looking for a way out and wanting people to give reason to move on.

He had wanted to change some things in the church and presented his changes to the board. They said okay and he instituted the changes. People did not like the changes and were complaining. He was afraid that he was in the wrong church.

He was more interested in changing what was working for the church rather than being interested in watching over the flock that God had placed him over. His concerns were for his own style of church rather than the peoples wellfair.

In verse fifteen it mentions that the people were amazed. Some suggest that they were surprised that He came to the aid of the disciples since the Scribes were getting the better of them. In the first place there is no indication that there was a dispute going on, nor that the scribes were getting the better of the apostles.

The amazement might, but we have no real indication of it, be that Christ had an afterglow of sorts from the transfiguration much as Moses did when he came down from Sinai when God passed him by. This was my first thought though it would be pure speculation.

Since Christ had been trying to remain out of the limelight it may have been that the people were just surprised to see Him in public.

16 “And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?”

If there was a dispute it was probably over why the apostles could not heal the person. The Scribes undoubtedly knew of the miracles of the Lord as well as probable miracles of the disciples when Christ sent them out. Indeed, they might even, forgive me for questioning their motives, have brought the problem man to them when the Lord was not around to test them, or try to cause problems for them or the Lord. Now, I just never question other peoples motives – well not all the time – well, yes most of the time, but the Scribes just ache for our doubt don’t you think?

17 “And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;”Whether this man was a Scribe or whether he was just one seeking assistance with his child we are not told. It would seem easiest to see him as just one that came to seek help with his child though it is not out of the realm of possibility that the Scribes brought him with them. (The preposition “of” is related to origin thus one from the multitude.)

Luk 9:38-39 mentions the fact that this was the man’s only child, one most precious to his father to be sure.

This man was answering Christ’s question as to why the Scribes were asking questions of the disciples. This is why we might suspect that he was a plant of some sort, though I would doubt he was a knowing participant if he was a part of the Scribe’s plan.

The father now expands upon the condition of his son. Matthew mentions that he was, as Robertson has it an “epileptic” but Mark’s record just concentrates on the spirit that was present.

(The King James uses the term lunatic) “dumb spirit” is the comment of the father.

Matthew records that the father knelt indicating that the man had some understanding of the importance of Christ – He was one to be honored when making a request.

The church has lost something in the area of prayer. In all of the churches that I have attended over the near fifty years that I have been regular I have only been in one church where people prayed on their knees. If you study the term worship in the Bible you will find that often it is used in the context of someone kneeling or prostrate.

This is God that we are approaching and it is due respect that we owe Him. Yes, He will allow you to approach Him in any manner you wish but in my mind you show Him what level of respect that you give by your appearance, actions, words and position.

Just read through the throne scene accounts in the Bible, this is the scene right now before God and how do we approach His throne. Revelation speaks of the elders throwing their crowns before Him. Is that the approach you have in your church? (4.24 “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, [Thou] dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And [the spirit] cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.”)

I must wonder at some of the “worship” that I see today. People on stage swinging and swaying and waving their hands in the air as if to try to get a disinterested God’s attention. This is not the action shown in the Word, but rather God’s people on their knees before their God. Even Christ is shown to be in a prostrate position when going to the Father in prayer. Mat 26:39 mentions Him on His face.Now let us move on to the unfortunate person who is being tormented. The word translated “teareth” is a much stronger than our idea of tear. It is a word that relates to smashing into small pieces or shatter. More the idea of a Corel dinner dish that shatters into minute shards and some larger pieces. “Gnashing” or grinding of teeth is the idea. In fact Robertson mentions of the word “Old word for making a shrill cry or squeak.” It actually relates to the sound that this makes rather than the action itself.

“Pineth” relates to a wasting away or drying up. Barnes mentions “haggard, and emaciated” in relation to this word. This devil was causing great physical trouble for the man’s son. In later verses we see even more description of the son’s condition.

The disciples were asked to bring the devil our or cast him out. This word differs from the one in verse twenty-nine which is one related to our word exorcism though the meaning is similar.

18 “And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.”

“And they could not.” Is of great interest to me. Some speak of the ease with which demons come out and they seem to do it as if on a whim in services, yet the apostles could not throw out a real devil. Would make you wonder of the validity of today’s easy healing services.

Casting out demons, if there is such a thing today, is serious business and should not be taken lightly. Accounts coming from China and some of the island countries would seem to indicate that such things are still going on. Said reports seem to indicate the fact that you had better be in great spiritual shape to enter into such dealings with the spirit world.

A dozen praise songs with swinging and swaying would not seem to be proper preparation. It would be suggested that only mature and spiritual believers become involved in such things. Someone that knows the Lord very well and someone that knows the enemy.

19 “He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.”

A little disappointment with the apostles it would seem. And since he mentions the demon would only come out with fasting and praying later, we know what the disciples had not been doing.

If such preparation is needed for the disciples and the Lord it would seem good preparation for such activity today as well.

20 “And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.” 21 “And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.” 22 “And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us,and help us.

It crossed my mind that there seems to be more detail given about this man’s son than other healings and encounters. It is not clear as to why more detail, but it might be assumed that it was because there were some present that might have needed that information to really understand what was going on. Possibly there were doubters present that did not really know if this boy was really problem riden.

It may have related to setting the father at ease though the man seems to be more emotional in the next verses than others in our studies.

23 ” Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth.” 24

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Christ declares that correction of the problem is as simple as believing. Indeed, all that relates to our association with God is based on belief. Nothing more and nothing less – simply believe.

Of course, simple belief requires, in and of itself, a turning or changes, so all you repentance buffs rest your knife sharpening arms and relax for there will be no carving up of Derickson this day.

25 “When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, [Thou] dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.” 26 “And [the spirit] cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.” 27 “But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.”

First, the demon had attempted to kill this boy thus he had power over life as did the demons that killed the swine. Not that they could kill outright, but that they could cause circumstances that would cause death.

Second the text is quite clear as to the physical toll that was taken on the boy. He was as if dead – total fatigue and exhaustion.

Some might suggest that since the cross the demons might not have such powers over people. While this might be true, the reports that have come forth from areas where the Devil is quite active might make one wonder. We are not told definitely one way or another and the book of Acts, a post cross record, has accounts of demon activity (Act 16:16).

Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson

9:14 {4} And when he came to [his] disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

(4) Christ shows by a miracle, even to the unworthy, that he has come to restrain the wrath of Satan.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

5. The exorcism of an epileptic boy 9:14-29 (cf. Matthew 17:14-20; Luke 9:37-43a)

This is the last exorcism that Mark recorded. His narration of this story includes more detail than either Matthew or Luke’s. The disciples’ lack of glory in this story contrasts with Jesus’ glory in the Transfiguration.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Mark did not explain the reason for the crowd’s great amazement (Gr. exethambethesan) at seeing Jesus. Since Jesus had forbidden Peter, James, and John from speaking about the Transfiguration it is unlikely that some glorious afterglow caused the crowd’s reaction. Probably the nine disciples’ failure to cast out the demon followed by Jesus’ personal appearance produced their extreme response (cf. Mar 10:32).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

CHAPTER 9:14-29 (Mar 9:14-29)

THE DEMONIAC BOY

“And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great multitude about them, and scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the multitude, when they saw Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him. And He asked them, What question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered Him, Master, I brought unto Thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to Thy disciples that they should cast it out; and they were not able. And He answered them and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him unto Me. And they brought him unto Him: and when He saw him, straightway the spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And He asked his father, How long time is it since this hath come unto him? And he said, From a child. And oft-times it hath cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him: but if Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth. Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And having cried out, and torn him much, he came out: and the child became as one dead; insomuch that the more part said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose. And when He was come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, saying, We could not cast it out. And He said unto them, This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer.” Mar 9:14-29 (R.V.)

PETER soon had striking evidence that it would not have been “good” for them to linger too long upon the mountain. And our Lord was recalled with painful abruptness from the glories of transfiguration to the skepticism of scribes, the failure and shame of disciples, and the triumph of the powers of evil.

To the Twelve He had explicitly given authority over devils, and even the Seventy, venturing by faith to cast them out, had told Him of their success with joy. But now, in the sorrow and fear of these latter days, deprived of their Master and of their own foremost three, oppressed with gloomy forebodings, and infected with the worldliness which fails to pray, the nine had striven in vain. It is the only distinct repulse recorded, and the scribes attacked them keenly. Where was their Master at this crisis? Did not they profess equally to have the necessary power? Here was a test, and some failed, and the others did not present themselves. We can imagine the miserable scene, contrasting piteously with what passed on the summit of the hill. And in the center was an agonized father and a tortured lad.

At this moment the crowds, profoundly moved, rushed to meet the Lord, and on seeing Him, became aware that failure was at an end. Perhaps the exceeding brightness lingered still upon His face; perhaps it was but the unearthly and victorious calm of His consecration, visible in His mien; what is certain is that they were greatly amazed, and ran to Him and did homage.

Jesus at once challenged a renewal of the attack which had been too much for His apostles. “What question ye with them?” But awe has fallen upon the scribes also, and misery is left to tell its own tale. Their attack by preference upon the disciples is very natural, and it by no means stands alone. They did not ask Him, but His followers, why He ate and drank with sinners, nor whether He paid the half-shekel (Mar 2:16; Mat 17:24). When they did complain to the Master Himself, it was commonly of some fault in His disciples: Why do Thy disciples fast not? Why do they do on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful? Why do they eat with defiled hands? (Mar 2:18; Mar 2:24; Mar 7:5). Their censures of Himself were usually muttered or silent murmurings, which He discerned, as when He forgave the sins of the palsied man; when the Pharisee marveled that He had not washed His hands; when He accepted the homage of the sinful woman, and again when He spoke her pardon (Mar 2:8; Luk 11:38; Luk 7:39-49). When He healed the woman whom a spirit of infirmity had bent down for eighteen years, the ruler of the synagogue spoke to the people, without venturing to address Jesus. (Luk 13:14).

It is important to observe such indications, unobtrusive, and related by various evangelists, of the majesty and impressiveness which surrounded our Lord, and awed even His bitter foes.

The silence is broken by an unhappy father, who had been the center of the group, but whom the abrupt movement to meet Jesus has merged in the crowd again. The case of his son is among those which prove that demoniacal possession did not imply the exceptional guilt of its victims, for though still young, he has suffered long. The demon which afflicts him is dumb; it works in the guise of epilepsy, and as a disease it is affected by the changes of the moon; a malicious design is visible in frequent falls into fire and water, to destroy him. The father had sought Jesus with him, and since He was absent had appealed to His followers, but in vain. Some consequent injury to his own faith, clearly implied in what follows, may possibly be detected already, in the absence of any further petition, and in the cold epithet, “Teacher,” which he employs.

Even as an evidence the answer of Jesus is remarkable, being such as human ingenuity would not have invented, nor the legendary spirit have conceived. It would have seemed natural that He should hasten to vindicate His claims and expose the folly of the scribes, or else have reproached His followers for the failure which had compromised Him.

But the scribes were entirely set aside from the moment when the Good Physician was invoked by a bleeding heart. Yet the physical trouble is dealt with deliberately, not in haste, as by one whose mastery is assured. The passing shadow which has fallen on His cause only concerns Him as a part of the heavy spiritual burden which oppresses Him, which this terrible scene so vividly exhibits.

For the true importance of His words is this, that they reveal sufferings which are too often forgotten, and which few are pure enough even to comprehend. The prevalent evil weighed upon Him. And here the visible power of Satan, the hostility of the scribes, the failure of His own, the suspense and agitation of the crowd, all breathed the spirit of that evil age, alien and harsh to Him as an infected atmosphere. He blames none more than others; it is the “generation,” so faithless and perverse, which forces Him to exclaim: “How long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you?” It is the cry of the pain of Jesus. It bids us to consider Him Who endured such contradiction of sinners, who were even sinners against Himself. So that the distress of Jesus was not that of a mere eye-witness of evil or sufferer by it. His priesthood established a closer and more agonizing connection between our Lord and the sins which tortured Him.

Do the words startle us, with the suggestion of a limit to the forbearance of Jesus, well-nigh reached? There was such a limit. The work of His messenger had been required, lest His coming should be to smite the world. His mind was the mind of God, and it is written, Kiss the Son, lest He be angry.

Now if Jesus looked forward to shame and anguish with natural shrinking, we here perceive another aspect in which His coming Baptism of Blood was viewed, and we discover why He was straitened until it was accomplished. There is an intimate connection between this verse and His saying in St. John, “If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice, because I go unto My Father.”

But swiftly the mind of Jesus recurs to the misery which awaits help; and He bids them bring the child to Him. Now the sweet influence of His presence would have soothed and mitigated any mere disease. It is to such influence that skeptical writers are wont to turn for an explanation, such as it is, of the works He wrought. But it was the reverse in cases of possession. There a wild sense of antagonism and revolt was wont to show itself. And we might learn that this was something more than epilepsy, even were it left doubtful otherwise, by the outburst of Satanic rage. When he saw Him, straightway the spirit convulsed him grievously, and he fell wallowing and foaming. Yet Jesus is neither hurried nor agitated. In not one of His miracles does precipitation, or mere impulse, mingle with His grave and self-contained compassion. He will question the scribes while the man with a withered hand awaits His help. He will rebuke the disciples before quelling the storm. At Nain He will touch the bier and arrest the bearers. When He feeds the multitude, He will first command a search for loaves. He will stand still and call Bartimaeus to Him. He will evoke, even by seeming harshness, the faith of the woman of Canaan. He will have the stone rolled away from the sepulcher of Lazarus. When He Himself rises, the grave-clothes are found folded up, and the napkin which bound His head laid in a place by itself, the last tribute of mortals to His mortality not being flung contemptuously aside. All His miracles are authenticated by the stamp of the same character–serene, not in haste nor tardy, since He saw the end from the beginning. In this case delay is necessary, to arouse the father, if only by interrogation, from his dull disappointment and hopelessness. He asks therefore “How long time is it since this came upon him?” and the answer shows that he was now at least a stripling, for he had suffered ever since he was a child. Then the unhappy man is swept away by his emotions: as he tells their sorrows, and thinks what a wretched life or miserable death lies before his son he bursts into a passionate appeal. If Thou canst do anything, do this. Let pity for such misery, for the misery of father as well as child, evoke all Thy power to save. The form is more disrespectful than the substance of his cry; its very vehemence is evidence that some hope is working in his breast; and there is more real trust in its wild urgency than in many a reverential and carefully weighed prayer.

Yet how much rashness, self-assertion, and willfulness (which is really unbelief) were mingled with his germinant faith and needed rebuke. Therefore Christ responded with his own word: “If thou canst: thou sayest it to Me, but I retort the condition upon thyself: with thee are indeed the issues of thine own application, for all things are possible to him that believeth.”

This answer is in two respects important. There was a time when popular religion dealt too much with internal experience and attainment. But perhaps there are schools among us now which verge upon the opposite extreme. Faith and love are generally strongest when they forget themselves, and do not say “I am faithful and loving,” but “Christ is trustworthy, Christ is adorable.” This is true, and these virtues are becoming artificial, and so false, as soon as they grow self-complacent. Yet we should give at least enough attention to our own attainments to warn us of our deficiencies. And wherever we find a want of blessedness, we may seek for the reason within ourselves. Many a one is led to doubt whether Christ “can do anything” practical for him, since private prayer and public ordinances help him little, and his temptations continue to prevail, whose true need is to be roused up sharply to the consciousness that it is not Christ who has failed; it is he himself: his faith is dim, his grasp on his Lord is half hearted, he is straitened in his own affections. Our personal experiences should never teach us confidence, but they may often serve to humble and warn us.

This answer also impresses upon us the dignity of Him who speaks. Failure had already come through the spiritual defects of His disciples, but for Him, though “meek and lowly of heart,” no such danger is even contemplated. No appeal to Him can be frustrated except through fault of the suppliant, since all things are possible to him that believeth.

Now faith is in itself nothing, and may even be pernicious; all its effect depends upon the object. Trust reposed in a friend avails or misleads according to his love and his resources; trust in a traitor is ruinous, and ruinous in proportion to its energy. And since trust in Jesus is omnipotent, Who and what is He?

The word pierces like a two-edged sword, and reveals to the agitated father the conflict, the impurity of his heart. Unbelief is there, and of himself he cannot conquer it. Yet is he not entirely unbelieving, else what drew him thither? What impulse led to that passionate recital of his griefs, that over-daring cry of anguish? And what is now this burning sense within him of a great and inspiring Presence, which urges him to a bolder appeal for a miracle yet more spiritual and Divine, a cry well directed to the Author and Finisher of our faith? Never was medicine better justified by its operation upon disease, than the treatment which converted a too-importunate clamor for bodily relief into a contrite prayer for grace. “I believe, help Thou mine unbelief.” The same sense of mixed imperfect and yet real trust should exist in every one of us, or else our belief being perfect should be irresistible in the moral sphere, and in the physical world so resigned, so confident in the Love which governs, as never to be conscious of any gnawing importunate desire. And from the same sense of need, the same cry for help should spring.

Miraculous legends have gathered around the lives of many good and gracious men within Christendom and outside it. But they cannot claim to weigh against the history of Jesus, until at least one example can be produced of such direct spiritual action, so profound, penetrating and effectual, inextricably interwoven in the tissue of any fable.

All this time the agitation of the people had increased. A multitude was rushing forward, whose excitement would do more to distract the father’s mind than further delay to help him. And Jesus, even in the midst of His treatment of souls, was not blind to such practical considerations, or to the influence of circumstances. Unlike modern dealers in sensation, He can never be shown to have aimed at religious excitement, while it was His custom to discourage it. Therefore He now rebuked the unclean spirit in the lad, addressing it directly speaking as a superior. “Thou deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, come out of him,” and adding, with explicitness which was due perhaps to the obstinate ferocity of “this kind,” or perhaps was intended to help the father’s lingering unbelief, “enter no more into him.” The evil being obeys, yet proves his reluctance by screaming and convulsing his victim for the last time, so that he, though healed, lies utterly prostrate, and “the more part said, He is dead.” It was a fearful exhibition of the disappointed malice of the pit. But it only calls forth another display of the power and love of Jesus, Who will not leave the sufferer to a gradual recovery, nor speak, as to the fiend, in words of mere authority, but reaches forth His benign hand, and raises him, restored. Here we discover the same heart which provided that the daughter of Jairus should have food, and delivered her son to the widow of Nain, and was first to remind others that Lazarus was encumbered by his grave-clothes. The good works of Jesus were not melodramatic marvels for stage effect: they were the natural acts of supernatural power and love.

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary