As we go through challenges we ponder the question, is this an opportunity for me to learn? To change?  We go through struggles sometimes and they just dissipate and we don’t recognize any reasoning behind the ordeal.  We pray many times that as we go through trials that we learn quickly, or if our situation is for someone else, that they will benefit from our suffering.

We don’t see too many stories in the bible that show us the scene of one suffering so someone else can learn something. But there is a very challenging bit of scripture that makes us wonder, what was God up to?

The story begins right have the Transfiguration scene, when Peter, James and John come down the hill with Jesus and catch up with the other disciples. They come upon a man and his son, picking up the story in Mark chapter 9:

¹⁴ When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵ As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

Jesus had been wandering around the region healing people for quite some time. His actions were getting a lot of attention and many times people were bringing their sick and ill friends and family to be healed. So when Jesus comes on the scene, the attention shifts to Jesus.

“The Way” as it was known was getting a lot of attention, because not only did Jesus heal people, but the followers of His way were able to heal and drive out some demons. But this father was distraught. He had brought his son to the disciples and their efforts were not successful.

When you are asked to pray for someone, are you sometimes reluctant? What makes you hesitate?

Have you ever prayed for something with boldness and confidence and it did not transpire?

This was the situation that was causing all the commotion. The man brought his son to the disciples, and their prayers did not heal his son. We are never told the actual arguments but there was frustration on the father’s side for sure.  When he sees Jesus come near, he heads right over to the him for resolution.

¹⁶ “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ 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.”

Jesus response is a bit surprising.  One might think that he would be a little more passionate about the situation. One to support his disciples and then to offer compassion to the father. But Jesus is truthfully brash.

¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

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.

What is the most surprising or odd thing about these two verses?

I know for myself, the declaration the Jesus makes about tolerating the generation seems out of character. He says that he is putting up with us.

How does it make you feel when someone says that they are “putting up with you”? What is your response?

We know from the scriptures that when we become adopted into the family of Jesus, he will never leave us or forsake us, and we have to believe that Jesus is emotionally and spiritually frustrated. He does not have any intentions to leave them for give up on them, but he is hurt. Much like when a child causes their parents anguish.

In verse 20, another gem is shared with us.  “When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.” So when Jesus nears the boy, the boy is tortured.

Who do you think is going through the trails in this parable? Is it really the frustrated father or the tormented son?

Jesus sees that this situation is not going well and presses in a bit further to understand what is going on and get to the root of the issue

²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. ²² “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.”

The father continues with his case. He had been explaining and pleading for a while and now the boy begins to have a seizure and the father is now relishing in the moment where there is no doubt an issue. Now the situation can be handled.

How does the man approach Jesus?

Many times when we are with a group of people and begin praying, sometimes it is startling to hear the prayers that one shares, then thoughts in my own mind begin to wonder the situation they are praying about.  There are times when we are in the middle of spontaneous prayer and thoughts of truthfulness and transparency are questioned. Some prayers I hear are not authentic in nature, with a purpose of justifying actions, selfish desires for others the change rather than internal changes and offerings of repentance.

In those moments, I support the person praying by honoring their actions by taking their requests and demands to the one with the power to change everything, that knows all.  This interaction in the scriptures is very similar in nature.

What is your feelings about the fathers dialog with Jesus, up to this point? Do you think he is authentic, how would you approach Jesus if you were frustrated and desiring your child to be healed?

Now the full picture begins to come into view as Jesus sheds some light onto the situation…

²³ “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

What has been revealed? How has the supplications changed?

The father realizes that his own heart and mindset was not right in how he was approaching the situation. The father was most likely weary and disappointed by the disciples not healing his son.  We don’t know if the man brought his son like this each time to the disciples, but it is clear in these verses that the belief in healing was waning.

We read on in the story about how Jesus then turns and evicts the demon from the boy, but it was not until the real healing had to be done.  In many cases in our life we are looking for outside changes. We go with pleads of for financial burdens to be lifted; for health issues to be resolved; for relationships to be restored. Yet, internally we have some pruning that needs to be done in our life.

¹ “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ³ You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. – John 15:1-8 NLT

Jesus makes one thing clear, cutting is going to happen. A person will either get cut-off or they will get pruned, but either way there will be cutting. For the believer is does state that “You have already been pruned”, but that is just the initial time, when you submit and surrender and allow yourself to not be the center of the story.  So quickly our flesh responds, and just like a plant it needs tending.

Notice that a gardener is not a sower. What is the difference in a sower and a gardener?

What is the results of the garden if there is a gardener?

The interactions of the gardener and his garden is the same as God, the trinity (Father, Jesus & Holy Spirit) and us.  The relationship we have is laid out in the scene of a garden.

What does the parable of the lesson of Jesus, the True Vine have to do with the father and his son from Mark 9?

We must believe, by faith that Jesus can and will do everything.  What we need to check is our heart, our desires and our motivations. Many times we go around wanting good things to happen, to have God glorified. Just like the father wanting his son healed, he cared about his son, but was his motivation pure in his prayers? God sees the bigger picture. He can heal and change everything, but some things are more subtle. It is a heart and faith challenge for all of us…do we truly believe in what we are praying?