Bible Study series: Mark 9:14-29. Demonization is real. Be free of it.
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If you would like to see the original Greek, please click here:
At that link, I also offer more commentary and a Summary and Conclusion, geared towards discipleship. Scroll down to the bottom and check it out!
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Mark 9:14-29
14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a huge crowd around them and teachers of the law debating with them. 15 Immediately the entire crowd saw him, were excited, ran up, and greeted him. 16 He asked the disciples: “What were you debating about with them?” 17 One from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you; he has a mute spirit. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it will throw him down, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I said to your disciples that they should expel it, but they were unable. 19 In reply, he said, “Unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring him to me.” 20 They brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw Jesus, he instantly convulsed the boy, who, falling on the ground, rolled around and foamed at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “About how long has this happened to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he throws him in the fire and water in order to destroy him. But if you are able, help us, having pity on us!” 23 But Jesus replied, “‘If you are able!’ All things are possible to the one who believes!” 24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw the crowd was gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Spirit that causes the boy to be deaf and mute, I order you: Come out of him and no longer enter into him!” 26 Crying out and convulsing him violently, it went out. He appeared dead, so that many said that he died. 27 But Jesus took hold of his hand and lifted him up, and he stood up.
28 And when he went into a house with his disciples by themselves, they asked him, “Why were we unable to expel it?” 29 He said to them, “This kind cannot come out except by prayer.” (Mark 9:14-29)
Comments:
I supplied some nouns in place of pronouns, to be clear how the action proceeded in sequence.
14-15:
Jesus, Peter, James and John were coming down from the mountain. Always remember that after you have your mountaintop experience of a taste of glory, you will have to confront a demon or the trials of life. That is Satan’s or the world’s counterattack, designed to discourage and wear you down.
“teachers of the law”: see v. 11 for more comments. They are also called scribes.
Quick Reference to Jewish Groups in Gospels and Acts
Evidently, they were debating or arguing or discussing the disciples’ inability to expel the demon. Mark 6:13 says that the disciples expelled many demons. Here, none of the nine were able to expel this one. Jesus will explain why not in v. 29.
As for the crowd, Jesus was very popular. I wonder how you or I could handle so much popularity? Let’s pray for the grace and wisdom to handle so much fame and influence. It seems to me that the important thing to maintain sanity is to remain focused on the mission—Jerusalem and death for Jesus and preaching and healing and exorcizing on the road to Jerusalem. We may not die young and in Jerusalem, but we shall all one day die or he shall come back at any day, and we shall stand before God at judgment. Let’s remember that!
Everyone Shall Be Judged by Their Works and Words
16-17:
Jesus asked what the nine and the teachers of the law were discussing. Someone from the crowd answered before the nine could speak. Who was it? It was the boy’s father! He was desperate to interrupt the question! I really like his boldness.
“has a mute spirit”: There are two main ways in the Greek NT to express demonic attacks to varying degrees, from full possession to just attacks: “have a demon” and “demonized.” The latter term is used often in Matthew: 4:24; 8:16, 28, 35; 9:32; 12:22; 15:22, but only once in Luke (8:36), and Mark four times (132; 5:15, 16, 18). John uses the term once (10:21). In Luke 8:26-39, Luke uses both “have a demon” and “demonized,” so he sees the terms synonymously. “Demonized” comes from the verb daimonizomai (pronounced dy-mo-nee-zo-my), which just adds the suffix –iz- to the noun daimōn (pronounced dy-moan). It is a very convenient quality about Greek (English has this ability too: modern to modernize). Just add this suffix to a noun, and it turns into a verb. So it looks like “have a demon” and “be demonized” are synonyms. The context determines how severe the possession was. As it turns out, however, Matthew does mention those two verbs “demonized” or “have a demon.” I bring them up, just to remind the readers of what the other pericopes say in the four Gospels about demonization.
Here in this verse, Mark writes, “has a mute spirit.” “Demonized” is not the only verb to express a demonic attack (see Mark 3:22, 30; 7:25; 9:17; Luke 4:33; 7:33; 8:27; Acts 8:7; 16:16; 19:13). But I see no substantive difference between the two verbs and are used interchangeably in Luke 8:27, 36. What is more relevant is the soul of the person being attacked and how deep the attack goes because the person gives the demon access.
How Does New Testament Define Demonic Control?
18:
The father describes the condition and power that the demon exercises over his son. Here the demon is fighting against the boy and against health. Demons are awful beasts that hate humanity. Luke 9:39 also says the boy foamed and ground his teeth. Matthew says the boy is an epileptic (Matt. 17:15), but this was caused by a demon, not a strictly natural cause. In other words, all diseases hit the body naturally and has natural causes, but a few of the diseases also have a demonic cause—both natural and demonic. A demon causes it, but it manifests in the body. It takes discernment to figure out how to pray. Let the Holy Spirit guide you.
7. Gifts of the Spirit: Discernings of Spirits
19:
“unbelieving”: this could be translated as “faithless.” This language goes along with prophetic denunciations of ancient Israel (See Deut. 32:5; Jer. 5:21).
One has to have faith and trust in God. A good acronym:
F-A-I-T-H
=
Forsaking All, I Trust Him
See my word study and faith and faithfulness:
Jesus is speaking of the entire generation, not to the man himself or the disciples. “This generation” comes in for criticism in Mark 8:12 (twice) and 38. This generation has gone past the point of no return.
Commentator Strauss points out that this verse reveals high Christology. Jesus speaks from God’s perspective, differentiating himself from this generation—the one he was living in, but is not part of it. He can rise above it and denounce it.
20:
As soon as the demon saw Jesus, it convulsed the boy, who fell on the ground and rolled around and foamed at the mouth. This is called a demonic manifestation. Don’t be afraid when it happens. Know that Jesus is with you and will back up his name and his love for oppressed people. He may not back up your reputation, but he will set the captives free to receive the glory.
21-23:
Jesus had to ask the question of the father about how long he had the demon (v. 21). (I simplified what the Greek says: “How long is this that this has happened to him?”) And the father answered “from childhood.” I don’t know how this demon took root. It may have been a combination of a brain malfunction (epilepsy) and a demon that took advantage of him. Sometimes you have to interview the patient before you pray.
In v. 22 one must have compassion and the ability to help. If one has compassion but not anything to help, then the compassion goes nowhere. If one has the resources to help but does nothing, then nothing is accomplished.
Wow. Once again, Mark writes another description of the symptoms or manifestation of the power which the demons held over the boy. The message is clear. The demon was entrenched and deeply rooted in him.
The father cried out: “If you can, help us!” Jesus replied, “If you can! All things are possible to the one who believes.”
24:
Then the father cried out with very comforting words, that must have stuck in Peter’s mind when he was preaching his stories about Jesus, and Mark was recording them. “I believe! Help my unbelief!” the father said. This cry is a perfect description of the dilemma that people—you and I—face when we see a great need and want to have faith in God, but our desperation and unbelief get in the way. Yes, God responds to desperation, as Jesus is doing here, but sooner or later the mind has to settle down and trust and believe. That’s the point Jesus was making. “All things are possible to them who believe!”
Desperation ≠ Faith
One good way to leave behind your desperation is to read up on Scriptures that talk about who God is, how much he loves you. Study Scriptures that promise healing.
25:
Then Jesus saw the crowd running and gathering together. It may seem odd to repeat this point (v. 14), but it is probable that Jesus took the father and boy apart as he did before (8:23). In any case, he did not want a pyrotechnic display in front of gaping sightseers (Wessel and Strauss), so he rebuked the demon immediately.
“rebuked”: it is the verb epitimaō (pronounced eh-pea-tee-mah-oh), and it means “rebuke, censure, warn,” and even “punish” (see Jude 9). In exorcisms it may have developed a specialized meaning, so one should use it, as Jesus did. Be authoritative. In any case, he has given us authority to tread on the devil (Luke 9:1 and 10:19).
“unclean spirit” means a defiling spirit because it defiles the demonized person. It does not belong in any human because he or she is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27).
Jesus named the spirit. But it’s not as if the spirit was deaf and mute, because it will cry out (v. 26). Instead, it causes the malady in the boy. In v. 29 he will say “this kind.” It is good to get the prayer on target. Get specific information. Ask a few questions of the relatives who brought the victim, even while the demonized person is convulsing.
Jesus ordered or commanded the spirit. Command the demons, like a stray dog. “Come out!” Jesus also added that the demon should never reenter the boy again. This command shut the door on another possession.
As for the command not to reenter the boy, France correctly writes:
Mt. 12:43-45 envisages the possibility of the return of an expelled demon, and the request of Legion’s demons for an alternative home (5:12) indicates the problem of homelessness for an evicted demon, a problem which an exorcist had to take into account, hence this specific command not to return. For the father it is a much-needed reassurance that a condition which has persisted [from childhood] is now at an end.
26-27:
Yet another description of the manifestation. Mark really, really wants to drive home the point that the demon had a grip on the boy and was getting the last attention before it left. It wanted a demonic pyrotechnic display.
The boy was on the ground, limp, so limp and seemingly lifeless that he appeared to be dead. This is the opposite of “become rigid” (v.18). He no longer foamed at the mouth or ground his teeth. And evidently, he was able to regain his hearing and speech. That’s good news. The crowd drew the wrong conclusion that the boy was dead. Don’t listen to the crowd. They are often wrong.
For Jesus the solution was simple and practical. He took the boy by the hand and lifted him up. This process was done in 5:41-42: “grasping,” “raising,” “getting up” (Strauss). Then the boy stood up. It is a wonderful image of deliverance. Now the boy can live a normal life.
28-29:
The nine disciples asked him privately why they were unable to expel it. As noted, Mark describes in several verses how deeply the demon gripped the boy. So “this kind” means extra-vicious and deeply rooted demons. Jesus answered that this kind comes out by nothing but prayer. Some manuscripts add: “fasting.” Whether by prayer or by prayer and fasting, you have to be prepared. I know of one balanced pastor-healer who used to say that all he did before going to his meeting is to drink a bottle of soda and turn off the TV and go downstairs to begin ministry. In other words, his gifting came from Jesus, not his worked-up prayer time. But this is rare. It is better to pray before ministry time. I follow Jesus.
Matthew adds that the nine were unable to expel it because of their little faith (17:20). Then Jesus taught about the tiny mustard seed and faith being so small. If they had had mustard-seed faith, they could move mountains. We can add both ideas together. Our faith is built up by our praying.
Please see my posts about Satan in the area of systematic theology and a little practical theology (deliverance):
Bible Basics about Satan and Demons and Victory Over Them
Bible Basics about Deliverance
Magic, Witchcraft, Sorcery, and Fortunetelling
GrowApp for Mark 9:14-29
1. How has Jesus set you free from anything demonic, like drugs or other addictions? Tell your story.
RELATED
10. Eyewitness Testimony in Mark’s Gospel
2. Church Fathers and Mark’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES
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