Jonah Albrecht

September 15th, 2024

Pentecost 17

Mark 9:14-27

Jesus Cures Our Unbelief

14When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to [Jesus] and greeted him. 16And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

There are many activities that require a lot of trust. Bungee jumping is one. You put a lot of trust into the person running it that the equipment has been thoroughly inspected and is safe to use. How about a cab driver? Commander? Even drivers of other cars on the road require you to trust them at least a little bit. Trust has woven itself into the very fabric of our lives. We can hardly go anywhere without it.

Trust is necessary because of the unknown. Without being able to see what is directly in front of you, what someone else is thinking, or what unforeseen obstacle might appear, you need to trust completely. To a greater extent, this is true when it comes to your spiritual well-being. Fatih requires a lot of trust too. Trust that God is going to keep His promises, that Jesus is who He says He is, and so on and so forth. Without trust, faith is susceptible to fail, to stumble in doubt and unbelief.

Such was the case in our text for this morning. The man with the demon-possessed child let his trust dwindle to almost nothing when Jesus’ disciples couldn’t cast out the demon. The disciples likewise showed how their faith faltered when they weren’t able to do what this man had asked. Both the man and the disciples received a cure that day. A cure for that lingering doubt that settled into their hearts. Our theme we will be considering today is: Jesus Cures Our Unbelief.

During Jesus’ Day demon possession was fairly common. With a large pagan presence, Satan and his demons thrived. They could control an entire village through fear of one demon-possessed person. That, or he appealed to man’s greed as was the case with the demon-possessed girl, who would tell the future, that Paul healed while in Philippi. Demon-possession was something very real in that time and had very real consequences and dangers. Wherever the Word of God is cast away, even in our day today, the workers of Satan thrive.

Jesus, Peter, James, and John were returning to the other disciples following the awe-full event of Jesus’ transfiguration. When they came to where the other 9 were, there was an argument going on between the 9 disciples and the Scribes. The argument centered around the disciples’ inability to cast out a demon that had possessed a young boy.

Earlier in His ministry, Jesus had granted His disciples the ability to cast out demons and to heal diseases. This was when He sent them out two by two into the neighboring towns to preach the Gospel. These gifts of healing were granted to them in order to confirm the Word that they preached and the power by which they came. These were not “charismatic gifts” like you see some people claim to have today. This was something granted by God for a time and purpose backed by God’s power and not the disciples.

When the disciples returned from their ventures, they rejoiced greatly because they were able to do as Jesus had commanded them to do. They cast out demons and healed the sick by His name. Fast forward to this account, and everything is totally different. They were not able to cast out the demon in this child. To make matters worse, it cast a wave of doubt over the people and opened the door for the scribes to try and discredit Jesus’ followers.

Jesus asks the question “What are you arguing about with them?” This was addressed to the scribes, but it was the father of the possessed child who answered Jesus. The man explained how this demon had affected his child, making him mute and epileptic. Ever since this child’s youth, he has been possessed and it has tried killing the boy many times. In a desperate act of love, the father takes a chance on the followers of the great teacher Jesus. His reputation preceded Him and most likely the same was true of His disciples. When the disciples were unable to cast it out, all hope was lost. It affected the father so much, that even when Jesus arrived, there remained doubt in his heart when he says, “if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Jesus’ words are very striking. 19And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” These words were addressed to His disciples. They had forgotten what gave them the power to cast out demons and to heal in the first place. They were acting no better than their kin who assumed favor with God because they were children of Abraham. Here, the disciples thought that they had the power to do these miracles on their own, rather than trusting in the one who gave them that power.

Do we often fall into the same temptation? God has given each one of you tremendous gifts. Do we always remember who gave them to us? Do we remember who it is that gives us breath in our lungs, or strength in our bones to make use of such talents? Even as Christians, we have a difficult time keeping our focus on God. Especially when we are overwhelmed, it can be difficult to see past our troubles and affirm our trust in Jesus to be our Savior.

Do you remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 17:20? “if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” It doesn’t take a lot of faith; it just takes faith. Whether it is casting out a demon, or facing down another week of work, dealing with sickness and death, or any other obstacle in our lives, faith in Jesus, your God, is the power to overcome it.

If the disciples had continued to trust in Jesus’ power to cast out the demon, they would have been successful. Instead, they trusted their own ability and it failed them miserably. Their failure to trust in God didn’t just affect them, but it cast doubt in the heart of the father. Remember, he says, if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

This father had faith, but he admits, he shouts it out, that his faith is not where it should be. Yes, he believes that Jesus can heal his son, but his faith is weak. That is what he is asking Jesus to help him overcome. Strengthen his faith so that he does not waver, but can firmly trust that whatever he asks of God, it will be done according to God’s will.

This man’s confession was not an easy one, but a necessary and important one. It is a confession that we go through every Sunday, though we may not always realize it. It is good and proper to confess our shortcomings before God. While we might trust for a time, we often waver in matters that are in God’s control. Rather than turning to our own power to overcome, or being uncertain if God is able to help me; let us boldly turn to our Savior who loves us and implore of Him His grace and mercy to overcome our weaknesses.

Trust doesn’t come easily. More often than not, it has to be earned and built over time. Jesus has given you the best reason to trust Him. He healed this demon possessed boy, showing His compassion. He raised Lazarus from the dead, showing His power over our ultimate enemy. He went to the cross in your place and died to win forgiveness for your sins showing that He loves you more than anything else in this world. In all of creation, you are the most precious to Him. No greater reason is needed to place our trust in the one who gave us an option outside of eternal death, who forged the pathway to heaven and carries us with Himself to the pearly gates of glory.

At the very end of this section, not included in our text this morning, the disciples ask Jesus why they were not able to cast out the demon. Jesus told them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” His point was this: Even when the disciples were unable to cast out the demon, they still could have prayed in confidence to the LORD to grant them success for the glory of His name. When you are in times of doubt, or struggle to find a pathway forward, pray. Pray to the one who walked through the gates of Hell to proclaim victory over Satan and his demons, over death and the grave, over sin and our doubting. Pray that the LORD of Hosts would grant you His strength to overcome for the sake of Jesus Christ/

There is no doubt He will hear you and answer you because that is the very reason He died for you; to give you access to God, salvation from sin, and eternal life with Him. There will be days where trust does not readily appear. In those days, remember the words of the father, “I believe Lord, help my unbelief.” Jesus does cure our unbelief. Amen.