God can do anything, or He can’t. There is no middle ground. Jesus is God, or He is not; again there is no middle ground. Ultimately one thing will make the distinction about your life, and that is the belief you have one way or the other. Your own belief will not change facts, but it can change them for you. What you believe may start with a great degree of uncertainty, but it will not remain in that state. Over time belief begins to solidify. You will recognize events that occur (or don’t) that will strengthen and harden the position you have chosen to take; i.e. to believe or not to believe, as for you, that is the only question that matters. The choice is a grave one, and the path it leads to is graver still, for the consequences impact the entirety of your life, not just the end of it, or its disposition post death. Salvation is not just about determining your place in the afterlife, it is about determining how great a life you can have in the here and now.
Peter recalled an event that tested the importance of belief, the question he and the others faced, was no different than the one you and I face today. As a part of the gospel of Jesus, he thought it important that you and I could benefit from the events that transpired, so we have a record of it, as John Mark transcribes in his gospel, in chapter nine, and picking up in verse 14 saying … “And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.” It is important to understand the context for this event as in the context we find the problem. Jesus is approaching His disciples, in the midst of a great multitude of people. In times past when the phrase “great multitude” was used in this gospel we had 5,000 men, then 4,000 men (plus women and children) as an indicator of how big a crowd this might have been. The scribes were part of the ruling-class conspiracy to kill Christ, they could better be described as lawyers, who used scripture (which they spent hours transcribing) to prove any theory the Sanhedrin wanted proven. When directly confronting Jesus, they had been humiliated with zero success, but once again they had decided to confront His disciples. The disciples had little scriptural education and would be far easier prey, and they were.
What later texts will also reveal in this study, is that as a part of their challenge to the disciples, was the request to cast out a demon from a young man brought to them for this purpose. The disciples had failed at it. So the scribes were challenging the identity of Christ mis-using scriptures to prove their point, and the disciples were failing to cast out a demon, in effect proving their own belief in the identity of Jesus was being shaken by what the scribes were saying. Keep in mind, ALL of this theatre, was being done in the sight and hearing of yet another “great multitude” of onlookers. To this point, the plan of the scribes and of the Sanhedrin, and the wider conspiracy against Jesus was indeed working.
John Mark continues recording in verse 15 saying … “And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.” Jesus was returning to His disciples, He had likely been alone again praying and fasting in the mountains that He did nearly every night. Jesus was in close contact with His Father, who sent Him to correct this problem. His face still glowed. When the people saw it, they were amazed. The scribes would recall that Moses glowed too, when He came down from Sinai, as Jesus does now. The people knew that story. When they see it, they salute Jesus, or show a sign of deference to His presence, perhaps bowing, or nodding their heads in respect. Already the situation is turning away from what the scribes were intending to accomplish.
John Mark continues in verse 16 saying … “And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? [verse 17] And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;” The subtlety here is important. Jesus asks the scribes to know what questions they have been asking His disciples. He is clearly prepared to answer them. The scribes know it. They know that if they pose these questions to Jesus, He will humiliate them once again with the truth, the same way He has done in the past. So they are silent against His query. Since they are not speaking up, the father of the possessed young man speaks up. This father is not there to show that Jesus is not real, He is there only to see his own son be healed. He had hoped for healing already, but the failure of the disciples was fresh in his mind and heart. If the disciples could not heal in the name of this man, why should any believe? Is it any different in our day? If the lives of Christians look just like the lives of those who do not believe, is there any reason for others to seek a better life, knowing His own disciples have not found one yet?
The Father continues describing his problem in verse 18 saying … “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.” This demon is actively destroying the life of this man’s son. The demon cuts him, makes him foam at the mouth and gnash his teeth. The demon throws him down involuntarily. The demon, it would seem, has proven his own identity as a supernatural force in league with Satan. The demon is real. But your disciples, after listening to the questions of the lawyers and scribes, have fallen short. The disciples were unable to answer the scriptures word for word, and text for text. That, after all, was not the training they were receiving from Jesus. Jesus did not spend countless hours with them teaching them to be scribes, or for that matter Pharisees. Jesus spent all that time teaching them what it means to love others. In that quest, He hoped to make them experts. Jesus hoped to make the faith of His own disciples unshakeable because of how He loved. Scriptures would always prove the truth Jesus already knew. But a physical demonstration of love was supposed to have meant more, and offered more to them, and despite everything, it did not. Belief had been shaken by a twisting of the word.
Jesus is dismayed by what He sees. He has proven the truth from scripture many times, and yet it seems to be forgotten on this day. He has proven His identity many time in the miracles of the love of the Father God for those here on earth, yet it has been forgotten on this day. He responds in verse 19 saying … “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.” There is enough evidence based on the teachings, and actions of Jesus for this Father to know who he was dealing with. Yet his own faith and belief is nearly gone. If even in the presence of Christ, and with Him there in person, people refuse to believe, how will they believe later when He is gone, when He has returned to heaven. Like in our day. But despite the frustration of Christ, there is still one in need. So Jesus asks that the demon possessed young man be brought to Him.
John Mark records the events in verse 20 saying … “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.” This demon did not ask for mercy, or loosen the tongue of this boy to say anything. The demon was intent on showing his own power and staying put right where he was. The demon intended to maintain the people’s belief in his own identity and cause doubt in the identity of Christ. Jesus asks the father more about the boy in verse 21 saying … “And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. [verse 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.” The father explains this condition occurred when the young man was just a child. He explains that the demon has tried a few times to kill the son by throwing him into fire or water. Then the father poses a question to Jesus saying … “if” thou canst do anything … have compassion on us and help us. The father is not at all certain Jesus is capable. The father is not at all certain of who Jesus is. The father knows the demon is real, but not Christ.
Keep in mind this is all continuing to play out in front of a great multitude of people. So Jesus addresses the core problem that has taken hold at this event, not only for the father’s sake, but for all who are listening, and all who are reading this story as it continues in verse 23 saying … “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” First and once again, you will note Jesus does not ask for belief from the demon possessed boy; at this point, the boy is incapable of true belief. How many drug addicted children fall into this category? How many mentally ill people fall into it? How many drunks, and how many addicted to sin, and need healing fall in there as well? Jesus asks for faith from the father, not the son. If the father believes, the son can be saved. If the disciples had not had their faith in the identity of Christ shaken by the scribes twisting the scriptures they too might have been successful. If we, the modern disciples of Christ, were not so uncertain in our own belief, what might we accomplish?
Next notice the promise of Jesus, He does not say that those who believe can do “some” things, “sometimes”, in some limited fashion. He promises the believer that ALL things are possible to him that believeth. No restrictions, no limitations, no small quantities or limited revelations, but literally ALL things possible. God is either God or He is not. Jesus either speaks the truth or He does not. Have we gotten so comfortable in our lack of testing our own belief and His power, that we dare not even ask any more in our prayers, lest the lack of faith we have be publicly displayed? If we believe, why do we not do more with it? How can we sit still knowing we can make a difference, yet do nothing? Under the model of this story, a believing parent could pray for a child, and see that child’s life find Jesus and turn around, no matter the hold of drugs, or alcohol, or sin of any kind. Not even full on demon possession is a match for belief in Christ, and a simple prayer in His name.
The father sees in himself what too many of us fail to see in ourselves. The father responds in verse 24 saying … “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Even our unbelief can be restored by Jesus Christ if we simply submit our will to His. It is in this that Christ is both author and finisher of our faith itself. This father has made the choice to believe, but he also knows that to save his son, he will need so much more belief that what he has. So he cried out to Jesus in tears with a recognition of how great the task is to save anyone, to help his own unbelief. That is us folks. To save us will be a monumental task, we are addicted to sin, full of doubt, and slave to loving only ourselves. To save us will be a huge undertaking at which we have failed repeatedly. Only Jesus can do for us, what we will never be able to do for us, to bring our motives in line with His and His Fathers. Our salvation is not just about having the self-will to restrict our actions, it is about having our motives overcome the need for restrictive self-will.
Having begun the salvation of the father, Jesus now turns His attention to the son as the story continues in verse 25 saying … “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. [verse 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.” The people came to see what would happen now, as the disciples had only failed recently, and they wondered if Jesus could do what they could not. Jesus calls out the evil spirit and tells him he can never re-enter this young man. Our salvation is not just a temporary thing, when we submit to Jesus He can change our desires and our lives forever. The demon has no choice but to comply. He cuts the young man once more, and leaves him. The trauma of demon has left the young man nearly lifeless, it appears so bad that the observers begin to think he is dead. But Jesus knows better.
Events continue in verse 27 saying … “But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.” What the world thinks is dead, is alive in the hands of Christ. Our old lives may pass away, and it is what we will want when once we have been transformed by Jesus, but our new lives in Christ are possible when He takes our hand in His. Imagine the gratitude of the father when now his son is healed. Imagine the shame of the scribes when now their plans have failed again in front of the great multitude. Imagine the chagrin of the disciples as they realize they failed at something Jesus could do. They needed an answer about this as verse 28 continues saying … “And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? [verse 29] And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” Jesus had likely just come from His nightly routine of praying and fasting with His Father. He knew the disciples would face tougher foes in the supernatural world, and He wishes for them to see the value and know the strength that comes from seeking the presence of God the Father even above the physical needs our bodies have.
Belief underpins the entire process of our salvation. We choose to believe in something greater than ourselves when we accept the idea that a God could exist. We choose to believe that if a God exists He must surely be one of love that longs to restore His proximity and relationship with us. We choose to believe that if we are ever to be made pure and in alignment with a love like His, it must be by His power through the transforming love of Jesus Christ. We choose to believe that even though we have failed at changing ourselves, He will succeed where we have failed. We choose to have Him help, even our doubts and lingering unbelief. And ultimately He does what He has promised and saves us beyond all doubt. When our belief is established there is nothing we cannot do through His power. Are we willing to test this promise? …
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