Sunday School Lesson
Lesson Scripture: Mark 9:14-29
Key Verse: And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Mark9:24
Introduction: The apostles said, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). What could be more important than an increasing faith in a powerful God? As upside down as it sounds, one thing that causes our faith to increase is doubt. Healthy doubt that seeks understanding is a good thing. But when doubt goes to seed, it turns to unbelief. Faith isn’t static—it advances and retreats; it goes forward and then backs up. Frederick Buechner said, “Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.”
The Need For Faith
Mark 9:14-19KJV
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.
The narratives of the middle portion of Mark’s Gospel can be divided into three parts. There are boat stories (Mark 4:35–6:13), bread stories 6:14–8:21), and blind stories (8:22–10:52). Our lesson text comes from discipleship passages that are bracketed by the healing of blind men (8:22-26; 10:46-52). Faith helps us see well. When Moses came down from the mountain with the law, he found apostasy (Exodus 32:1-35). When Jesus came down from the mountain with glory (the transfiguration had just taken place), he faced disappointed disciples, a desperate father, and the demons of Hell in a helpless boy. Jesus, Peter, James, and John rejoined the other nine disciples. The crowd was overwhelmed with wonder (one of Mark’s favorite expressions) to see Jesus, but the teachers of the law were arguing (“to have zeal with”) with the nine disciples. Perhaps the religious elite were poking fun at the nine disciples’ inability to help the father and boy. Even the father admitted, “I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” The nine disciples seemed dumbfounded that they failed to drive out the demon. After all, they had done this before (Mark 6:13). Jesus connected the dots between the disciples’ lack of faith and their lack of prayer. Maybe they had begun to do ministry in the power of the flesh. Maybe their dependence on God had gone on autopilot. Their faith (or lack thereof) had failed.
A Plea For Greater Faith
Mark 9: 20-24
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.
The boy was in a desperate situation. He had an impure (“unclean”) spirit (Mark’s way of talking about demon possession), mentioned four times in our text. This demonic force caused havoc in self-destructive behavior. The boy gave evidence of severe seizures (foaming at the mouth, rigid posture, and convulsions). The boy also was robbed of speech (Jesus addressed the spirit as a deaf and mute spirit) and found himself helpless in near-death experiences (burning and drowning). This text shows our enemy’s attitude toward little children. The father might have been in an even more desperate situation. He struggled with faith. But he did the right thing by taking his son to Jesus. He pleaded for pity (compassion). Jesus asked, “How long has he been like this? The father responded, “From childhood.” Then the father spilled out his true feelings: “If you can.” Jesus picked up on that faltering faith and rebuked the father with a question (“If you can?”) and a statement (“Everything is possible for one who believes”). In one of the most honest statements in the Bible, the father said, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” This is honest doubt. John Ortberg said, “Disciples are not people who never doubt. They doubt and worship. They doubt and serve. They doubt and help each other with their doubts. They doubt and practice faithfulness.” In faith there is room for doubt.
The Power Of Faith
Mark 9:25-29KJV
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.
28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
When Jesus has to place his power over the demonic forces against our little faith, he gets frustrated. Jesus seemed exasperated when he said, “You unbelieving generation . . . how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” Jesus was underwhelmed by people’s lack of faith (Mark 6:5). However, be careful of overinterpreting a supposed harshness of spirit in Jesus. Notice that he said, “Bring the boy to me.” Demon possessed people were to be pitied, not judged. The young boy was not to be blamed for the disciples’ failed faith or the father’s doubt. The boy was helpless against the onslaught of Hell. Jesus wanted no hoopla, so when he saw the crowd running to the scene, he commanded the spirit to come out of the boy and never enter him again. For a brief moment Jesus let us look into a world without the influence of the devil. In the end, Jesus is the one who shows powerful faith.
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