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The Healing of a Boy with a Demon (Mk. 9:14-29)

When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. 15 Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to him and greeted him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” 19 He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” 20 They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. 21 Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. 22 It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” 24 Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” 25 Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. 28 When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29 He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

Through this healing, Jesus teaches about the need for faith and prayer.  Peter, James and John had just come down from the mountain (Mt. Tabor according to tradition) with Jesus where they experienced the Transfiguration (Mk. 9:2-8), the revelation of the eternal glory of Jesus.  The Scribes were arguing with the disciples who had been unable to drive a mute demon out of a boy.  The symptoms could suggest epilepsy which would have been explained as possession by an evil spirit in ancient times. 

Jesus condemned not only the crowd but the whole generation for their lack of faith and their lack of understanding and response to his teaching and healings.  When the boy was brought to Jesus the evil spirit immediately convulsed him which indicated demonic possession.  The boy’s father said to Jesus, “But if you can do anything (v. 22),” and Jesus responded, “If you can! Everything is possible to one who has faith (v.23).”  The father’s response showed that he had faith in Jesus, but he needed Jesus to increase his faith. 

Jesus cast out the unclean mute and deaf spirit from the boy and the boy appeared to be dead, “But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up (v. 27);” foreshadowing of the resurrection?  Even though Jesus had given the disciples the power to cast out evil spirits (Mk. 6:8), their faith was not strong enough to cast out the evil spirit that possessed the boy.  That kind of unclean spirit can only be driven out by the power of God.

Almighty God, your son taught us that with faith in you all things are possible.  Send your Spirit upon us so that our faith can increase.  Do not look at our weakness but look at the desire in our hearts and lead us along the path of righteousness.  This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!

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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.

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