Mark Vol. 2 - Week 9 (9:14-29)
Mark 9:14-29
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Mark 9:14-29
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Mark 9:14-29 〰️ Mark 9:14-29 〰️
In Mark 9:14-29, we come across a story of an exorcism of an unclean spirit. In this passage, a boy with an unclean spirit is brought to Jesus after His disciples could not cast it out (v28). If you'll remember from last week, this story immediately follows the Transfiguration of Jesus. The emphasis of the Transfiguration was to show the power and authority of Jesus. Jesus' power and authority weren't something he received or achieved then, but something He always had and displayed before the disciples.
We now see this further come into focus as Jesus again displays dominion over an unclean spirit. This spirit seems to be powerful, as even Jesus' disciples, to whom He gave authority to cast out demons, couldn't do so (3:15). We read that this unclean spirit has vexed this boy for quite some time, preventing him from being able to speak and attempting to kill him. The words "If You can do anything" "indicate that the disciples' inability to expel the demon (v18) had shaken the father's faith in Jesus' ability."¹ Then, in talking with Jesus, we read one of the most humble phrases spoken to our Lord in the Gospels in v24. Here, this father, who has seen his little boy suffer likely for many years, acknowledges Jesus' power while recognizing gaps in his faith. This is the tension we all live in on this earth. We might intellectually believe, knowing who Jesus is and what He can do, but we lack the belief that He would or allow circumstances around us to shake our faith. "So the boy father gives us the words we may often pray to our Lord: "I do believe; help my unbelief."
After this, in His mercy and compassion, Jesus commands the unclean spirit to leave the boy and never return. Interestingly, this is the only account of an exorcism where Jesus commands an unclean spirit never to return. After a dramatic response, the unclean spirit left the boy limp, likely out of sheer exhaustion— those around watching thought that the boy was dead (v26). Mark's wording in this next verse is most interesting, as it parallels Jairus' daughter in Mark 5. In both passages, Jesus took the children by the hand and lifted them up. "Mark's parallel wording in the account of the raising of Jairus' daughter (cf. 5:39–42) suggests that breaking from Satan's power is like passing from death to life."² After raising the boy, Jesus was alone with the disciples, and they asked Him why they couldn't cast the demon out. Jesus said, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer" (v29), suggesting that performing miracles like this requires complete dependence on God. It's possible they were counting on their past success (6:7, 13) rather than the authority of Jesus.
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
With the Transfiguration taking place just before this passage, what do you think Mark is trying to show or teach us?
What disconnect did the boy's father and the disciples both struggle with in this passage?
Why do you think the disciples couldn't cast out the unclean spirit?
What can v29 teach us about prayer in spiritual battles and our daily lives?
1. John D. Grassmick, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 144.
2. Ibid., 145.