Why doesn’t God grant our requests even when we ask for what is good? One of the reasons is that in our heart of hearts we sometimes doubt that God is able to do what we ask of Him.
Similarly, why do our attempts to serve God sometimes seem so ineffective? Could it be that we are not doing the things required for success? In the Gospel which bears his name, Mark tells of an incident which illustrates these points. Jesus took three of His disciples up on a mountain where He was transfigured before them and they saw His divine glory. In chapter 9, verses 14 through 29 Mark tells us what happened when they came down from the mountain. “Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them.
Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, greeted him. He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?” One of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit; and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren’t able.” He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.” They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth. He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?” He said, “From childhood. Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” After crying out and convulsing him greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead, so much that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose. When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.””
Mark does not tell us what the argument was about or why the crowd was amazed when they saw Jesus. Perhaps they were amazed because Jesus’ very presence was enough to stop the argument. Whatever the reason, it was obvious that Jesus was in total control of the situation. When Jesus asked what they were arguing about a man in the crowd replied that he had brought his demon-possessed son for healing. Presumably the argument was about demon-possession or about healing. In any case, since Jesus was unavailable, the man asked His disciples to cast out the demon. No doubt the disciples thought they were capable of doing so because, as Mark wrote earlier, casting out demons one of the purposes for which Christ chose them (Mark 3:14-15). Jesus not only gave the disciples the authority to drive out demons, they had actually done so during their preaching tour of Galilee (Mark 6:12-13). Thus they had every expectation that they would be able to drive this demon out as well.
However, having the authority and the resources to accomplish the task was not enough. The disciples were unable to cure the man’s son. Jesus was bitterly disappointed when He learned of the disciples’ failure. He was tired of their lack of spiritual maturity and said that the cause of their failure was a lack of faith.
The disciples’ failure holds a lesson for us, as well. Many years later the Apostle Peter wrote, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3 NIV) In light of this, when we experience spiritual failure it is not because Jesus has neglected to provide everything we need but, like the disciples, we have failed to use the resources He has given us.
The boy’s father begged Jesus to do something if He could. At least the man was honest. He may have had doubts about Jesus’ ability to heal his son, but when Jesus told him that everything is possible to those who believe, the man confessed his partial lack of faith. Even more importantly, he asked Jesus to help him overcome his lack of faith.
One of the beautiful things about Jesus is that he doesn’t demand perfection before He is willing to help. He knows our weaknesses and is willing to help us in spite of them as long as we are honest with Him. Scripture says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV)
The boy appeared dead after Jesus cast the demon out of him. However, appearances can be deceiving. When Jesus heals, He does so completely. Jesus took the boy by the hand and lifted him up. In this account Mark, in a sense, foreshadows a much greater event: That Christ would overcome death for all people and for all time when He rose from the dead.
Afterwards the disciples asked Jesus why they were unable to cast out the demon. Jesus replied that it could only be cast out by prayer. From this we learn that the disciples had neglected prayer which resulted in their unbelief. Perhaps they made the common mistake of thinking that the power to heal was inherent in themselves and had not called on God. Perhaps they forgot the purpose for healing – which was to authenticate the message that Jesus gave them to preach.
Though Jesus was irritated by the disciples’ lack of belief and understanding, He did not give up on them. He still took the time to teach them. In verses 30 through 32 Mark writes, “They went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know it. For he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, “The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.” But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.”
This was the second time Jesus told the disciples about His coming death. The concept was beyond them.