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EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR HIM WHO BELIEVES

Mark 9:14s-29

Key Verse: 9:23 “If you can”? said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’”

  Last year during the Beijing Olympic Games, an American swimmer who is known as the best swimmer of all time gained 8 gold medals. This 23 years old young man became a hero and American idol due to his unprecedented athletic achievements. However, a couple weeks ago he was caught smoking marijuana and is now being investigated by the authorities. We wonder how this world famous athlete made such a mistake and tarnished the fame and honor which he had achieved. We have no idea. So we call young people of these days “X-generation”, which means “the generation which we have no idea”. We live in the so-called X-generation.  But there is an answer for this X-generation.  Jesus is the answer. Today Jesus says, “Bring the boy to me.”

  In today’s passage, Jesus calls the generation of his day the “Unbelieving generation.” Jesus teaches his disciples how to overcome their unbelieving generation and to live a victorious life. Jesus also teaches us how to overcome our unbelief and to be good and responsible shepherds for this generation. Amen.

First, O unbelieving generation (14-22) Last week we studied how Jesus was transfigured before his three top disciples on a holy mountain. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. (9:3, Mt 17:2) By being transfigured Jesus showed them his original image as a holy God and gave them the hope to be changed like him someday. In such a fantastic atmosphere, Peter asked Jesus to build three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Elijah and one for Moses, even though he did not know what he was talking about. Jesus’ transfiguration remained in Peter’s heart like a brightly shining star throughout his lifetime so that he could overcome all hardships and trials which he would confront. (2 Pe 1:19)

  Now Jesus and his three disciples were coming back to the foot of the mountain to join the remaining disciples.  What was happening to them as Jesus returned? Look at verse 14. “When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.” As you know, Jesus’ disciples were not good at arguing or debating because they were unschooled and simple. When Jesus saw them, they were being humiliated and intimidated by the teachers of the law, who were experts in arguing. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. (15)

  Jesus asked the disciples, “What are you arguing with them about?” (16)

Look at verses 17,18. “A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”  Now we know why the disciples argued with the teachers of the law and what they argued about. The disciples could not drive out the evil sprits of the desperate father’s boy. The disciples must have tried one by one to drive out the evil sprits from the boy. Andrew might have tried first, but the demons did not come out. Next, Philip tried with a Kung Fu gesture, but the boy smiled and the demons didn’t move. The rest of the disciples attempted one by one to heal the boy, yet all failed and made the boy’s situation worse. The disciples were greatly humiliated and embarrassed and they became a laughingstock to all the people, especially to the teachers of the law, and this made the boy’s father more frustrated and anguished. The teachers of the law began to tease them saying, “Tell me the reason why you guys didn’t drive out the evil spirits. You acted like somebody, you are actually nobody. You guys are funny, Ha Ha Ha! ”

  When Jesus saw them, his heart was broken. He groaned over the unbelieving generation. Look at verse 19. “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”  Jesus called them an ‘unbelieving generation’. In fact, generation means people of the time. Jesus lamented by calling the people of his day an unbelieving generation, including the teachers of the law, the boy’s father, the boy and even his disciples. The teachers of the law were the religious leaders of those days. They should have been Bible teachers for their people and shepherds for God’s sheep who needed desperate care. But they did not care about others but only about themselves. They were political, legalistic, and argumentative. But they did not have the faith to heal the boy with the evil spirits.

  People say that children are largely influenced by their parents. We don’t know exactly why the boy was possessed by evil sprits. According to his father, the boy had been sick since childhood. Statistically speaking many children become victimized by their parents’ faithless and immoral life. Numerous children suffer from depression from their parents divorce.  In this generation, many parents leave their children behind seeking their own life without knowing how their children hurt and suffer. The gold medalist swimmer whom I mentioned above also suffered from a mental disorder due to his broken family. People of this unbelieving generation are, as the Apostle Paul mentioned, senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Because of their unbelieving hearts, men become irresponsible. Because of their unbelieving hearts, women become immoral. They do not want to have God in their hearts. They live as if they will live forever in this world with the money that they put in the banks. Children who grow in this unbelieving atmosphere and with unbelieving parents became victims of evil spirits. So Jesus groaned over the people of the time saying, “O Unbelieving generation. How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

  What happened when they brought him to Jesus?  Look at verse 20. “So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.”  When the evil spirits saw Jesus, they tried to kill the boy. The boy fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus lamented over the unbelieving generation. But he had great compassion for the boy who suffered from demon possession. So he asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” (21,22) The father really loved his son and wanted to save him, but became helpless. Parents’ hearts are broken when they become helpless in rescuing their troubled and sick children. In his great despair, the father begged Jesus saying, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

Second, If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes. (23-27)  In John 5, Jesus heals a royal official’s son. The royal official who had heard about Jesus ran to him and begged him saying, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. On the way home the father heard that his son became well at the exact time at which Jesus said to him. “Your son will live” (Jn 4:46-54) The royal official had absolute faith in Jesus’ word and his faith healed his son. But, the father in today’s passage was somewhat different from the royal official. He brought his son to Jesus, not with absolute faith but with half faith. He did not say, “Although nobody believes in you, I do believe. I believe that you will heal my boy. Amen.”  But, he said to Jesus, “If you can do anything…” In healing someone, we need absolute faith that I cannot do anything, but Jesus can do everything. Then God will hear our prayer and heal our children, our students and our neighbors.

  How did Jesus reply to the father? Look at verse 23. “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”  Jesus meant, “Do you doubt about my love, power and compassion? Don’t you know that everything is possible when you have absolute faith in me?” Jesus taught the father about absolute faith in God. Indeed, faith is the solution to all men’s problems. Faith is the answer for all questions. We cannot see faith, but we know that faith makes the impossible possible. Hebrews 11 shows many examples of the power of faith. “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land….By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven years… Through faith conquered kingdoms, administrated justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword…and so on and so on. (Heb 11:29-38) Jesus promised his disciples that if they had absolute faith in God, they could move even a mountain. (Mk 11:22, 23) By faith someone overcame language barriers even though it looked like a mountain. Among our members someone passed a certain exam which looked impossible. We live in an unbelieving generation. This world is filled with unbelieving people who always say unbelieving words. The only solution to this unbelieving generation is to have absolute faith in God. We don’t need rhetoric theory or argumentative debate. We need only simple obedience and absolute faith. We must remember what Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” We must repent of our unbelief and half-belief which is not faith at all.

  How did the father reply to Jesus who rebuked him? Look at verse 24. “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” Still we are not sure of the father’s faith. He said first “I do believe.” It sounded like he had faith, but soon he said, “Help me overcome my unbelief.” He was a man of half faith. People of half faith look okay. They do everything decently and pretend to be children of God. But, they are like the X-generation whose identity and attitude are vague and uncertain. We must be men and women of absolute faith.

  Look at verses 25-27. “When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.”  Jesus showed them that everything is possible for him who believes by healing the boy. When Jesus rebuked the evil spirits, they all came out of the boy. People thought that the boy was dead since all demons had gone. But, Jesus raised him up and healed the boy completely. By healing the boy from demon possession, Jesus showed that he is the Wonderful Savior and the Almighty God. No one can save this sick world but Jesus alone. No one can heal the sick boy but Jesus alone. Jesus said, “Bring the boy to me.”  We must bring our own problems to Jesus.

Third, this kind can come out only by prayer. (28,29) After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive out?” (28) When Jesus healed the boy by the power of God, his disciples were very excited. But soon, they remembered that they were greatly humiliated and insulted by the teachers of the law when they could not drive the evil spirits out of the boy. They were too ashamed of themselves to ask Jesus in public about why they had failed to heal the boy. So they came to Jesus and asked privately.

  What did Jesus answer them? Look at verse 29. “He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” The other version states, “this kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.” What is prayer? Prayer is total dependence on God. Prayer is to believe that I cannot do anything, but God can do everything. Prayer is not only a humble request to God but also an expression of our absolute faith. Indeed those who have faith pray and those who pray have faith.

  Jesus frequently taught his disciples how to depend on God through prayer. Jesus got up early in the morning and went off to a solitary place and prayed. (Mk 1:35) Jesus is the Son of God, yet he still depended on God the Father and prayed. Whenever he started, he prayed. When he prayed, everything was possible. Jesus wanted his disciples to pray. But, they did not pray, but played. They did not depended on God to heal the boy. They did not pray. During the last evangelistic journey, they had driven out evil spirits and healed many. At that time, they received power and authority over the evil spirits. But this time, they lost authority and power. So they came to Jesus and said, “Why did you not continue to give us authority and power? Why did you take them away?” Jesus did not take them away. The disciples did not pray. Here we learn that we should not depend on our experience or past career or any human willpower in healing the sick but depend on God through prayer. We must kneel down each moment before Christ seeking his mercy and power. God will hear our shepherds’ earnest prayer for their sheep. Jesus will answer our parents’ fasting prayer for their children who are sick. President Obama cannot change us. A better school system and advanced medical programs cannot heal troubled children. Only Jesus can heal them all when we humbly kneel down and cry out before him.  Everything is possible for him who believes. Everything is possible for him who prays.

  We don’t have to despair even though we live in an unbelieving generation. We don’t have to cry because of many helpless children. All things are possible for those who believe. Absolute faith in Christ Jesus is the solution to all problems. When we pray, we will see missionary Luke Yang speak English fluently and teach the Bible to young college students. When we pray, we can move even a mountain. When we pray, we will see America become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Amen.

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