Demon-Possessed Son is Delivered, Part II
Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: Demon-Possessed Son is Delivered, Part II ------------------- Date: 5/19/2003
Keywords:
"faithless" "perverse" "perverted"
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Passage: Mark 9:14-29*
14. And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.
15. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.
16. And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"
17. Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
18. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."
19. He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."
20. Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21. So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.
22. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
23. Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
24. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
25. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"
26. Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so 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 had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"
29. So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."
Questions
1. On a scale from "ice cold" to "on fire", how would you describe your relationship with God? Explain your answer.
2. Why do you think the people were amazed when they saw Jesus coming to them in verse 15?
3. As you read today's story, does it seem to you that Jesus is annoyed?
4. How does the idea that Jesus is annoyed square with the idea that Jesus lived a sinless life?
Practical help
Today, let's focus on some of the questions Jesus asks in this story.
From verse 16: And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"
It is important to understand what is going on here. This isn't just a father who brings his son to the disciples to be healed. Like so many other times, Jesus' enemies are attempting to discredit him and his followers. Some translations of this verse simply have Jesus asking "them" what the discussion is about. This might then be viewed as if Jesus is asking his disciples as well. But if he is asking the scribes (those representing the religious establishment), the point, I believe, of his question, is why are these leaders not coming directly to Jesus with their questions? The motive of some people (including those we interact with daily) is to simply throw doubts into peoples minds. Obviously, the weaker or less mature the mind they are seeking to trouble, the easier it is to confuse.
From verse 19: He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?...
The father has just explained the situation with his son and Jesus answers him — the father — with the statement, "O faithless generation…" In Matthew's account (Mt 17:17) Jesus says, O faithless and perverse generation…" Jesus new the father was faithless before the father admits it in verse 24. He also new that the father was surrounded by faithless "friends". This means that although his friends might have recommended he take his son to see if Jesus or his disciples could heal him, they didn't believe for a second that this would occur. They were using the boy, not loving him. I think Jesus saw through the hypocrisy. What else in the life span of this boy had these religious scribes ever done to help him? My guess is nothing. A life of perversions even when dressed up in religious garb supports faithlessness toward God and His power to help us.
If you are trying to make life fit your mold, then your thinking is perverted. If you are trying to make pornography seem normal and decent, then your thinking is off the mark, or perverted. Don't wait to trust in Jesus until you see a sign from those around you, even if you consider them "religious" or "spiritual". If your heart is drawn to Christ, go to him and don't look back for confirmation from "friends". He's the real thing and they are not.
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*Scripture taken from the New King James Version (NKJV), © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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