Mark 9:14-25 - Faithless Faith
- Chad Werkhoven
- Apr 8
- 7 min read
You [sorta] believe... Ask Jesus to overcome your faithless faith.
Mark 9:14-25 (NIV)
CONTEXT: Jesus, Peter, James & John have just come down from the incredible experience of the transfiguration, only to meet a chaotic scene...
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
Canons of Dordt
Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election
Articles 1-14
Article 16 - Encouragement for the Doubting
Those who do not yet actively experience within themselves
a living faith in Christ or an assured confidence of heart...
but who nevertheless use the means by which God has promised to work these things in us—
such people
ought not
to be alarmed at the mention of reprobation,
nor to count themselves among the reprobate;
rather they ought to continue diligently in the use of the means,
to desire fervently a time of more abundant grace,
and to wait for it in reverence and humility.
On the other hand, those who seriously desire to turn to God,
to be pleasing to God alone, and to be delivered from the body of death,
but are not yet able to make such progress along the way of godliness and faith as they would like—
such people ought much less to stand in fear of the teaching concerning reprobation, since our merciful God has promised not to snuff out a smoldering wick or break a bruised reed.
However, those who have forgotten God and their Savior Jesus Christ and have abandoned themselves wholly to the cares of the world and the pleasures of the flesh—
such people have every reason to stand in fear of this teaching,
as long as they do not seriously turn to God.
Summary
Jesus and three of His key disciples have just come down from the most intense mountaintop experience ever, in which the disciples not only saw Moses and Elijah, but also saw Jesus' unveiled glory. Peter had famously suggested making some tents so that they'd never have to leave that place. But Jesus knew that His mission still needed completion, and that they needed to go back down the mountain.
But they don't have much of a chance to hold on to their spiritual high, as they step into a hornets nest when they get back to the valley. The remaining disciples were pitted in a shouting match with a group of law teachers, and a crowd had gathered to watch the show (this was their version of reality television). In the midst of it all was a young boy being ravaged by an evil spirit. Ironically, the boy was mute in the midst of the shouting.
But the central figure of this story, other than Jesus, is the boy's father. He'd brought his son to the disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not. The law teachers were there to pounce upon their failure. What a picture of humanity: Rival religious factions at each other's throats, a young child who needs help being ignored, and a desperate father who can't give his son what he needs.
It's no wonder Jesus mutters in exasperation, wondering how long He needs to put up with this clown show. Jesus calls for the boy, and immediately (one of Mark's favorite words) the spirit violently reacts at the sight of the Savior.
Dig Deeper
The boy's father tells Jesus his story, and asks for help. If you can do anything, the father pleaded, take pity on us and help us. Jesus picks up on the man's faithless faith. The father had enough faith to seek help from Jesus' disciples, but that ended in crushing disappointment just as so many other requests for help which the father had likely pursued had failed before. He once again musters the faith to ask Jesus Himself, but it's evident he's already preparing himself for another failure by framing the question the way he does: if you can.
Jesus repeats this problematic phrase, turning it into an accusation: if you can??? I think Jesus probably paused here, letting those words awkwardly hang out there for a few moments before continuing. Put yourself in the father's shoes here; what does it feel like to have your faithless faith bounced back to you? Jesus graciously terminated the awkwardness, proclaiming that everything is possible for the one who believes.
Immediately, Mark once again notes, the boy's father cried out and said 'I believe; help my unbelief!' (ESV, NET). What an honest, raw reaction to the faithless faith so present in all of us! But it's also the last thing we hear from the father. R.T. France describes well what happened next:
His belief, however uncertain, was all that was needed, and from this point he plays no further part in the narrative, so that all the attention falls where it should, on the power of Jesus.
The way Matthew, Luke, but especially Mark tell this man's story is meant to provide us with a double lesson. On one hand, Jesus rewards even our most faithless faith! Don't let your lingering doubts keep you from experiencing the grace, mercy and peace of Christ. But on the other hand, don't linger in faithless faith. Rely on God's Word to build your certainty every day that everything is possible for the one who believes.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, for whom all things are possible;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Come to Jesus in faith, but beg Him to help eliminate your faithlessness;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 2
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