Mark 9:14-29

“I Believe, Help My Unbelief”

Mark 9:14–29 (ESV): 

The contrast from last week’s story to this one could not be more striking. 

• Last week, the mount of transfiguration. This week, the valley of trials.

• Last week, disciples are in glory. This week disciples are grasping for a touch of the divine but failing.  

• Last week, the voice of the Heavenly Father booms down from heaven, “this is my Beloved Son. Listen to Him”.  This week, the voice of a scared earthly father crying out, “please help my son”. 

• Last week, Moses and Elijah are in attendance. This week, it’s a crowd of ordinary people. 

On both the mountain and in the valley, disciples of Jesus must learn to rely on Jesus.  

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.

15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 

We are not told exactly why they were amazed.  Some have speculated that it’s because Jesus’ face was glowing. But why would he have told his disciples to keep the transfiguration a secret (vs. 9) if his face was going to be glowing? 

It’s more likely that they are simply amazed that Jesus Himself is there among them, after only dealing with His disciples. 

16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 

17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. 

• In Matthew’s account of this incident it says the boy was having seizures.

• In modern times, we’d call this epilepsy.  

But this is not JUST epilepsy.  The verbiage is strong: he is not just ill; he is being assaulted by this demon.    

Quick note on illness as it relates to the spiritual realm: 

This does not necessarily mean that all maladies are demonic in nature. 

But apparently some are.

• And so on one hand we don’t want to over spiritualize our problems and blame everything on a demon. 

• We live in a fallen world. Our bodies can fail us without the help of Satan.

• But on the other hand, we don’t want to under spiritualize our problems either.

• Paul said in Ephesians 6 that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  

No matter what the cause is, we must still go to Jesus.

• Think about it: if this boy’s ailment was not caused by a demon, shouldn’t he still go to Jesus? Of course.  So should we.  

• We don’t just go to Jesus for ‘spiritual’ things. We go to Him for all things.   

So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 

This is a great reminder for us not to put too much expectation on fellow humans.   

• God clearly uses people. 

• But we must never expect people to be perfect, or to be able to meet all of our needs. People fail.  Just like the disciples failed this man, people in our lives will fail us, and we will fail them. 

The danger: Sometimes there can be a temptation to give up on Jesus just because Christians fail us.

• The fact that the disciples failed this father didn’t stop him from going to Jesus.

• When people fail us it shouldn’t stop us from going to Jesus either. 

19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? 

This particular lament echoes many OT texts where Israel is shown to be faithless and disobedient: 

• Deuteronomy 32:5 (ESV): 5 They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation.

• Numbers 14:11 (ESV): 11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?

• Isaiah 65:2 (ESV): 2 I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;

Bring him to me.” 

20 And 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. 

In our day and age, evil spirits tend to camouflage themselves in society.  

But when Jesus was walking the earth, demons were in utter revolt.  They knew who Jesus was, and they were not happy.  

21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” 

Was there any practical utility to this question at all?

No.  Jesus asks because He CARES.

• We have a sympathetic High Priest who understands our weaknesses.  He walked in our shoes.  He cares about our pain.    

And he said, “From childhood. 22 And 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.” 

We’ve seen this sort of parental concern elsewhere in Mark: 

• Jairus for his daughter; 

• the syrophoenician woman for her daughter.  

• As parents, there’s nothing worse than seeing our kids suffer.   

Notice: The main request is “help”.  But he knows that help will only come via the compassion of Jesus. Jesus must want to help, and the father knows this.    

23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 

In other words, the issue is not divine ability or divine willingness.  The issue is human faith.  

This verse has been taken out of context and abused many times over.  People sometimes use this verse to enforce the idea that if we just muster up enough thought power, we can “believe” anything into existence.  The new age movement calls this “manifesting”.  That is NOT what Jesus is saying.  

• Jesus is not saying that you can do literally anything if you put your mind to it.   

So what IS he saying?  He’s saying belief is what links us to the power of God.  

Faith is the hallmark of the Christian life. 

• Hebrews tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.  

• Ephesians 2 says our salvation is by grace through faith, as a gift.  

Jesus is not asking us to drum up big faith so He can work in our lives.  

If that were the case, we wouldn’t see this happen: 

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 

The good news today is that small and imperfect faith is still faith.  

• James R. Edwards “True faith is always aware how small and inadequate it is. The father becomes a believer not when he amasses a sufficient quantum of faith but when he risks everything on what little faith he has, when he yields his insufficiency to the true sufficiency of Jesus, “‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” The risk of faith is more costly to the father than bringing his son to Jesus, for he can talk about his son but he must “cry out” for faith. True faith takes no confidence in itself, nor does it judge Jesus by the weakness of his followers. It looks to the More Powerful One who stands in the place of God, whose authoritative word restores life from chaos. True faith is unconditional openness to God, a decision in the face of all to the contrary that Jesus is able.” 

Watch what Jesus does with the small, imperfect faith of this father: 

25 And 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.” 

Jesus does not ask the demonic spirit to leave. He does not barter with it.  He simply commands.  Whenever it’s Jesus vs. evil, it is a no-contest event.  

26 And 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.” 

Jesus does with a word what his disciples had undoubtedly been trying desperately to do with many words. 

Now the boy is laying there looking like he’s dead.  

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 

Note again the compassion of Jesus.  

So Jesus does the miracle.  Even with imperfect faith? Yes.  Even with small, uncertain trust? Yes.  

Why? 

Why doesn’t Jesus rebuke this man the way that he rebuked His disciples a minute ago? 

• “Help my unbelief? Good grief, what does the Savior of the World have to do to get a bit of faith around here?!”

• He doesn’t do that.  Why? 

Because there is a difference between this man’s small faith and the disciple’s small faith in this incident. 

• The disciples’ small faith led them to rely on themselves.  

• This man’s small faith led him to cry out to Jesus.  

It’s not so much how large our faith is… it’s whether we are willing to recognize our desperate need for Jesus.  

Jesus was using this situation to teach them a lesson.  And, to teach us a lesson.   

28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, 

Every Christian needs a small group like this to be able to ask questions.  

Jesus’ disciples didn’t ask Him hard questions in front of the crowds; that wouldn’t have been appropriate.  But later, in a smaller setting, the questions come.  

“Why could we not cast it out?” 

That’s a fair question, right?  

• Remember, back in chapter 6, when Jesus “sent them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits?”(vs. 7)

• What happened? It worked! It says in verse 13 that they were able to cast out many demons.  So why doesn’t it work now?  

Up until this point, their faith has been based on sight.  They’ve been walking around with Jesus watching Him do extraordinary things.  

But soon, He would depart back to the Father.  Then their faith would really be forced to kick in.  

• And so just like how the mount of Transfiguration from last week was a little foretaste of glory, this incident is a little foretaste of ordinary life without Jesus in the flesh.  

• If the disciples were going to tap into the power of God even after Jesus was away, they would need a different approach.

He gives them that key in the next verse.  

29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Some versions read by prayer and fasting. 

In essence, Jesus is saying, ‘you want to know how to tap into the power you need when I’m not among you in bodily form?  Prayer. You must depend on me through prayer’ 

Faith and prayer are inextricably linked, not just in this text but also in Mark 11:20-24:

• Mark 11:20–24 (ESV): 20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

• This is not a passage about altering topography; it’s about the power of praying with faith.  

• This is a critical lesson the disciples must learn, and by extension, you and I.  

Faith and prayer go hand in hand. 

• Prayer is, in many ways, the vehicle of faith.  

• To pray takes faith.  If you don’t believe in God’s ability to work, you won’t pray.  

• Prayer also builds faith. As we pray, God strengthens our faith.  

Last week I made the statement that prayer is the closest thing you and I have to the mount of transfiguration.  In prayer we get to spend time with Jesus.  

We may not be able to control how much faith we have… but we can control how devoted we are in prayer. 

Closing applications: 

First, let’s just appreciate what Jesus has done in this story. 

• “He found disputing scribes, a distracted father, a demon-possessed boy, and defeated disciples… He silenced the scribes, He comforted the father, He healed the boy, He instructed the disciples.” (Morgan)

Next, let’s appreciate the contrast between this event and what we saw last week. 

• Last week we saw Jesus in all of His radiant glory, high and exalted, among Moses and Elijah. 

• Today we see Him at ground zero, meeting practical needs among ordinary people.  

• May we never forget that Jesus is both transcendent and approachable.  That He is glorious and relatable.  He is high above us, but He is also right there with us.  

Finally, let’s appreciate what Jesus does to rescue those who need Him. 

Jesus overcomes many obstacles on this boy’s behalf:

• Demonic powers

• Disputes with the haters

• Fallible disciples

• Doubt 

Incidentally, these happen to be some common obstacles you and I are bound to face as well. 

It’s important for us to remember that Jesus has victory over these obstacles. 

In many ways, Jesus did for us spiritually what He did for this boy physically. 

• Jesus delivered this boy from the disease of epilepsy; Jesus delivers us from the disease of sin. 

• Jesus freed this boy from Satan’s grip; Jesus frees us from Satan’s grip.

• Jesus helped us when we were helpless. 

• Jesus took us by the hand and lifted us up into new life in Him.  

How did He do this? He took the affliction upon Himself.  He became our substitute.  He traded places with us on the cross. 

When we come to Jesus in faith… as small and broken as it may be… and we cry out in utter dependence on Him… that’s when we see the power of God come to our rescue. 

So, cry out to Jesus when the world fails you.
Cry out to Jesus when your health fails you. 

Cry out to Jesus when your friends fail you. 

Cry out to Jesus even when your faith fails you.

It’s all about dependence on Him.