For: Jim McLeavy
By: Dustin Shanks
Religion Part 1
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Evil Spirit (Mark 9. 14-29)
In Mark’s Gospel there are many stories of the teaching and preaching of Jesus to people of all denominations. Mark portrays Jesus as a man of the people, for the people. Many of the parables Jesus used to teach his followers and disbelievers alike are mentioned here in Marks gospels (i.e. The Parable of the Growing Seed). I found it interesting to see how many stories were told of Jesus driving out ‘evil spirits’. At one point Jesus almost seems fed up with all of this ‘exorcising’ of demons he has to do. This is seen most evidently in ‘Jesus Heels a Boy With an Evil Spirit’ (Mark 9. 14 – 29). Despite all of the references to miracles and extraordinary holy deeds, Mark seems to succeed most in humanizing Jesus as a man who struggled through many trials and tribulations. …show more content…
After a man in the crowd brought his son to Jesus the man pronounces and pleads to Jesus for help saying, “Teacher I brought you my son, because he has an evil spirit in him and cannot talk.
Whenever the spirit attacks him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grits his teeth and becomes stiff all over. I asked you disciples to drive them out but they could not.”
Now whether the child was really possessed by demons or suffered from a disorder such as epilepsy is up for debate, but what cannot be contested is Jesus’ abrupt, seemingly hostile, and very ‘human’, reaction. He exclaims, “How unbelievable you people are! How long so I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me!” With this I feel a sense of frustration from Jesus. Was he frustrated with the lack of faith being shown by his disciples and followers? Was he trying to instill the ideals associated with ‘the power of
prayer’? I myself have come to interpret it as just that, especially after he is asked by the father to have pity on them and heal him of his ‘evil spirits’. Jesus says, “Yes…If you yourself can! Everything is possible for the person who has faith.” Jesus then proceeds to command the spirit out of the boy, bringing him to the brink of death then back again. After performing this miracle on the boy Jesus is asked by his disciples, “Why couldn’t we drive the spirit out?” “Only prayer can drive this kind out,” answered Jesus; “nothing else can.” Here, Mark highlights the fact that Jesus was indeed constantly instilling the ideal that through prayer, and trust in the Holy Spirit, much good could be achieved. As a human being himself, Jesus was sent to Earth to spread this message of faith amongst the commoners in whatever town, city or village he found himself. Mark does a great job of bringing this to the forefront of many of his gospels. This miracle story is no exception.