The transfiguration helped to solidify three disciples' faith.
An interesting situation begins unfolding in Mark 9 that all of us can relate to. First, let me set the context. Peter, James, and John have been alone with Jesus on a mountain. There, Jesus was transfigured before their eyes. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking to Jesus (Mark 9:2-4). A cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud. Mark 9:7-8 (NIV) says, " 'This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!' Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus."
Mark 9 reminds me of Acts 9:1-6, where we read about the conversion of Saul. Saul had been breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. But on his way to Damascus, where he planned to persecute Christians, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him in Acts 9:4-6 (NIV), " 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting', he replied. 'Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what to do.' " These were experiences that forever solidified the faith of Peter, James, John, and Paul.
But what about the other disciples?
But now for the part we can relate to. A little while later, Peter, James, and John (along with Jesus) meet up with the "other" disciples (Mark 9:14). These other disciples, the nine who were left behind, only knew the ordinary-looking Jesus. They hadn't seen the whiter-than-bleach Jesus. They hadn't seen Elijah and Moses, nor heard the voice of God. They weren't privileged to the six day, faith-building, mountaintop excursion of Peter, James, and John.
Instead, while Jesus was off hiking with Peter, James, and John, the other disciples find themselves embroiled in a heated argument with the teachers of the law. And it's easy to imagine what the argument was about. The nine, along with the crowd, had been with Jesus and witnessed his power and authority. But the teachers of the law didn't believe in miracles, nor did they pretend to have authority to drive out demons, nor did they believe Jesus could be the Son of God, the Christ. They were skeptics.
So when these other nine disciples tried unsuccessfully to cast a demon out of a young boy, the teachers of the law saw an opportunity to discredit them. "Aha! We told you so! Here is proof this whole Jesus messiah thing is a sham!"
Have you ever felt powerless in your faith?
We've all found ourselves among mockers and scoffers, people who think Jesus Christ and all of Christianity is one big sham. To prove their case, they point to our failures and weaknesses. "If Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, why doesn't he answer your prayers? Where is his power and authority? Where are all the signs and wonders, miracles and healings?"
Have you ever felt powerless and alone in your faith? Ever feel that your prayers are falling on deaf ears? This is the experience of the other nine disciples! They had attempted to do something extraordinary in the name of Jesus, but ended up looking like fools. The crowds had seen Jesus' miraculous workings. The nine disciples had seen Jesus' miraculous workings. But none of them could explain why their attempt to drive out a demon in the name of Jesus failed.
Let me pause here and say that few things cause us to grow more in our faith than facing the ridicule of skeptics. Skeptics have an uncanny knack of calling us out. They love to point out our failures and weaknesses, and with great arrogance, use these things to discredit our faith.
You can understand the relief of the crowds and the other disciples when in Mark 9:15-16 (NIV) we read, "As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 'What are you arguing with them about?' he (Jesus) asked." The battle is over now! How do you spell relief?
Here's some encouragement for those of you being ridiculed for your faith. Stand your ground! Learn how to answer the skeptic in love and in truth. Have faith in God. Jesus is not going to abandon you in the face of scoffers! Our God is a great God. He'll do the persuading! He'll open hearts and minds. We'll never argue a skeptic into the kingdom of God. Wait on God.
See, the nine were having their faith strengthened in a different way than Peter, James, and John. But their faith was being strengthened just as much.
The father brings his son to Jesus.
In Mark 9:17-19 (NIV) we're told, "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.' '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.' "
Mark 9:20-22 (NIV) continues, "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. Jesus 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.' "
So here again, we see the predicament the nine disciples find themselves in. They are being ridiculed by skeptics who don't believe in Jesus. They find themselves in an impossible circumstance, utterly powerless to heal this young boy. His father comes looking for Jesus, but he is disappointed to find the nine powerless stooges, that is, disciples.
I wonder, how often do you feel like a stooge representing Christ? How often do you feel powerless in the face of some formidable, impossible, scary circumstance? A father is pleading for his son's life, and the efforts of nine disciples haven't made a difference. His son cannot speak, he's having seizures, he's being thrown to the ground, he's foaming at the mouth, gnashing his teeth, and becoming rigid. "Sorry, we cannot help you Dad."
Have you ever been in the position of representing the King of kings and Lord of lords in such an impossible circumstance? Have you ever had a father look you in the eyes and plead, "Heal my son", but feel powerless to do anything?
Skeptics are breathing down your neck. A father is pleading for his son's life. This is the big leagues. Do you hear the doubt in the father's voice after he explains his son's condition? "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
Jesus immediately detects the father's doubt. Mark 9:23 (NIV) says, " 'If you can?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who believes.' " This isn't just a moment for the father, this is a moment for the nine disciples. All things are possible with God!
Help my unbelief!
Tell me you don't identity with the father in Mark 9:24 (NIV). "Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!' " One commentator identifies that, "The father's unbelief is repentant. He is unable to believe, but is desperate enough to ask for a miracle and for a faith that expects the impossible."
This is where we find ourselves, somewhat doubting, yet somewhat believing, and wavering between the extremes. Do we have the courage to ask for a faith that believes in God's power? God uses the occasion of incompetence, our utter powerlessness, to give us true faith. It's God saying, "Look what you cannot do. But look what I can do!"
Jesus heals the father's son.
Mark 9:25-29 (NIV) continues, "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. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, 'Why couldn't we drive it out?' He replied, 'This kind can come out only by prayer.' "
When all else fails, prayer is often our last bastion of hope. It should always be our first resort, not our last resort.
Now for the nitty gritty. Mark 9:30-32 says, "They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.' But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it."
God grows our faith in the face of mockers and scoffers. He grows our faith in the face of impossible circumstances. He also grows our faith through suffering and death. The Son of Man was going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They would kill him, and lay him in a tomb, and after three days he would rise from the grave.
Which phrase describes where you are in your faith?
I want you to take a moment and name your demon, your impossible circumstance, that thing in your life that renders your powerless, that seems even bigger than God himself. In your mind, call that thing out. Go ahead! Call it out. Now let me ask which phrase best describes where you are at in your faith?
• God isn't? "He doesn't exist. He isn't real. I'm praying to a God I don't believe in."
• God cannot? "I believe he exists, but he isn't powerful."
• God won't? "God's stubborn. He's vengeful. He's out to get me. To teach me a lesson, he's punishing me."
• God would if? "God would do it if I were a better Christian, prayed harder, tithed, or believed harder."
• God can? "He's able, but probably won't. He doesn't work that way anymore. He only did that in Bible times."
• God might? "God still does miracles, he might."
• God will! "Exclamation point! I believe! God is doing it! I am already praising him and thanking him for answering my prayer."
Where are you at on the Faith-O-Meter? There is actually one other possible response. "In life or death. Suffering? Disease? Hardship? Persecution? Death? No matter, God's grace is sufficient for me. My faith is in a God who raises the dead!"
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)