Mark 9
Reading through the Gospel according to Mark this time, my attention has been very much focused on the disciples.
Why? Well… I always wanted to be one of the 12 following Jesus around when He was ministering in the world and I thought that by putting myself in their shoes as we journey through the New Testament, I might better understand what kind of disciple I am and where I have to improve.
I mean… it is easy to criticise and laugh at the ineptness of the disciples at times… but more and more I am seeing a lot of myself in them… and see that I am in now way much better. In fact, if I were really around Jesus during those times, I might be the ring leader in leading the disciples to one wrong after another.
Let’s see what the disciples are up to today that I can learn from….
Bible Passage: Mark 9
Why Couldn’t We….?
When Peter, James and John were up in the mountains witnessing the wonderful transfiguration, the rest of the disciples were below continuing the work that Jesus had first sent them out to do.
Jesus had given them authority over evil spirits (Mark 6:7, 13) but now in Mark 9:14-32, we see that they could not drive out the demon that possessed a boy. Later, when they reviewed their failure privately with Jesus (Mark 9:28), His response was …
“This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” ~ Mark 9:29
This implies that they had not prayed sufficiently – or at all (maybe they were busy arguing).
There are many things we are called to do for Jesus. And there are many things that we want to do for Him. In fact, as this year began, we had resolutions, convictions and determination to do something more for God…. like reading the Bible regularly for example.
But with less than 2 weeks in the new year gone, we find our resolve and determination wavering. The well thought out plans in our minds begin to disintegrate. We slip back to our old habits…
The commands and commissions of Jesus are clear to us. And Jesus has given us His Holy Spirit to be our Helper and Counsellor. He promised never to forsake us and will lead us through even the valley of shadow of death.
But we couldn’t …
We couldn’t see to do what we know we ought to do and can do.
Is prayers and fasting lacking in our lives? I know it is in mine.
Sometimes… ok… many a times we are so eager to do the things in church we neglect the source of power to do it all…. pray!
And this reminds me of the hymn “Did You Think to Pray?”. Just look at the lyrics and sing a long as you ask yourself… “Did I Think To Pray?”
Did You Think to Pray?
Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor,
As a shield today?
Refrain
O how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day;
So when life seems dark and dreary,
Don’t forget to pray.
When you met with great temptation,
Did you think to pray?
By His dying love and merit,
Did you claim the Holy Spirit
As your guide and stay?
Refrain
When your heart was filled with anger,
Did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another
Who had crossed your way?
Refrain
When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was bowed in sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day?
Refrain
I shared this Youtube video before but if you like to watch it, just go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgQoZG_J_qc
Help My Unbelief…
The failure of the disciples here mirrors my failure too. The things I want to do for God are not being done well.
If failures only affect those who fail, it may be acceptable. But many a times, failures affect others… many others. In the case of the demon possessed boy, the poor boy and his family continued to be tormented and suffered.
But the reaction of the father was instructive.
How do you react to failure? As we attempt to use our lives and gifts to serve God and others, we generally see failure as a bad thing – to be avoided at all costs.
But failure can be a positive, learning opportunity. It can lead to a teachable moment, heightening our awareness of our need for total dependency on God an for taking the time to pray…. really pray.
“I do believe; help my unbelief” is as necessary a plea for us as helpers as it is for those we seek to help.
Many More Lessons But a Prayer Request…
Truly… the way the disciples behaved in this chapter makes me wonder am I like that?
Do I strive to be ‘first’? Do I ignore the insignificant and ‘little’ people? Do I stop others from doing the work just because they are not in my gang?
So many questions to think about. And so many things to reflect upon.
However, I am digressing now a bit and am asking for a prayer request.
I am not sure how many of you have been following the news but the floods in Brisbane is taking a turn for the worse. It is expected that the waters may peak at 5m today! And Brisbane is bracing itself for the worst (just google “brisbane floods update” for latest news).
We have a little flood of 30 cm in Orchard Road and we complain like crazy.
But this is a crisis of grave proportions.
We have quite a number of members in Brisbane and some of their houses are affected. Preacher Simon Chin is in fact there now conducting the Australia Short Term Theolo and I understand that while the area that they are in are relatively unaffected by the floods, food supplies may be a problem.
So let us pray that the hand of God and His protection, grace and mercy continues to be with our members in Brisbane.
And perhaps… this is a request that requires much prayer and fasting….
5 Comments
InHisTime
“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
(Verse 24)
This verse really touched me alot. Im sure there are a couple of things in our lives that we are praying so hard for, yet nothing ‘good’ has happened yet. It is just so hard to have faith at times.
But as I read this verse it is as if right now Jesus is telling me,” If you believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” I am so guilty of my faithlessness.. In my prayer tonight, I will be asking God to help my unbelief…
appleofHiseye
When Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 8:23), I felt comforted by this verse. However I know that to believe that God will do something is not as simple as it sounds. So that’s how prayer plays a big part in our lives. Being able to pray is entrusting God with all our thoughts, troubles and worries.
As biblereadingcompanion mentions that some things require “much fasting and prayer”…I agree that it is lacking in my life too. But I hope to see the power and good in fasting and prayers more in my life. It can start with believing God WILL take care of our brethren in Brisbane and not that He just…can, but He will because all things are possible with Him if we believe.
(:
Thanks appleofHiseye for the reminder that prayer includes ENTRUSTING to God all our thoughts, troubles and worries and not just asking for help.
PS
Mark 9:14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitudearound them, and scribes disputing with them.
Mark 9:16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
Mark 9:17 Then on of the crowd answered and said,…
What was the dispute? Were the disciples and scribes arguing furiously?
Why did Lord Jesus ask the scribes instead of His disciples?
Not recorded in the bible. May be, just may be, the scribes were laughing at the disciples for their inabilities to help the boy. And the disciples may be defending themselves.
Mark 9:28-29 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
Wow!!!
But Lord Jesus did not pray and fast before He commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the boy in Mark 9:25 right?
Yes, He did.
He prayed and fasted during “peaceful time (slots)”. (Mark 2:23, 6:31, 6:46)
He is already clothed with the full armour of God when He enters the battle field. (Mark 1:13)
And He also finds time to maintain His full battle order. (Mark 1:35)
“For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.” (Mark 9:49)
Have i found time for Lord Jesus to season me?
m i a sacrifice? or a master?
PS
KHF did Gen 1-2 and a kiddish thought crossed my mind just now, please guide my childish mind again.
Mark 9:2-3 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.
Lord Jesus’ face changed.
Only face? No, His whole body changed. His body changed and illuminated from within, so much so that His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer can whiten on earth. Bec His whole body was illuminating.
Moses’ face shone after he talked to God for forty days and nights.
Holiness illuminates from within.
What has Lord Jesus’ transfiguration got to do with Genesis 1-2?
Before Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they had a spiritual body which illuminated from within too. In other words, they were clothed with holiness ie the glorious light of God.
When they ate the fruit, they died (Gen 2:17). Their spiritual bodies died. They were no longer illuminated from within. The light inside was lost and their eyes were “opened” (relatively speaking). They could see each other’s nakedness (Gen 3:7).
After baptism, we put on Christ.
On the day when He comes again, we are to stand in front of the judgement seat. Sheep who are saved are transfigured into spiritual body go into eternal life. Goats are casted into everlasting fire.
For now, Lord Jesus keeps the lamps in the temple of God continually lit Himself. The temple is us. The lamp is our heart. The light is the Holy Spirit.