The Life of Christ

LESSON 12

SECTION 124

Mk. 9:14-18 And when they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed, and began running up to greet Him. 16 And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17 And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18 and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and stiffens out. And I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.”

This case of physical impairment resulted from a demonic spirit; other times, the same malady can occur from purely physical causes.

• In addition to being mute, at times the demon would also cause the child to do other abnormal things like foam at the mouth, fall to the ground, grind his teeth or stiffen out.

Mk. 9:19 And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”

Jesus realizes this type of demon will not come out without fasting and prayer (Mt. 17:21), which His disciples have not as yet been commissioned to do.

• Unfortunately, the N.A.S.B. along with many of the newer translations omit this verse.

• The N.I.V. doesn’t even include verse 21; the chapter runs from verse 20 to verse 22 and literally deletes verse 21: Matt. 17:20-22 (NIV): 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (vs. 21 missing) 22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.”

The tragedy of this omission is that it eliminates the answer as to whether or not Jesus was rebuking the disciples.

• The disciples were not rebuked because they had not yet been told to fast (Lk. 5:34-35).

“And Jesus said to them, you cannot make attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? “But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day” (Lk. 5:34-35).

• Jesus was able to cast the devil out because of the 40 days of fasting He had already done.

Jesus ’ frustration seems more aimed at the general unbelief that pervades this particular generation. • In verse 24, even the father of the child had his share of unbelief. Mk. 9:20-21 And they brought the boy to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling about and foaming at the mouth. 21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.”

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