Mark 9_ Study Notes “Unbelief”
“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
Mark 9:23-24 NLT
In this passage of the scriptures, the boy’s father had already been dealing with a challenge for this boy’s entire life and this evil spirit would not leave because although the father had authority with his son, he did not have authority in the spirit realm. This actually brings to mind the fact that Satan can not cast out Satan. When we were subject to Satan and under the curse, we did not have the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ; this was given to us through the Holy Spirit coming to dwell on the inside of us.
This boy’s father had already gone to the disciples trying to get them to help him clear his son of this spirit and they could not do it. Toward the end of this passage when they asked Jesus why they could not get the spirit to leave, he told them that it was because they could only get their “unbelief” out by prayer and fasting. Meaning, they needed to be walking in the spirit and not after the flesh. They boy’s father on the other hand did have some unbelief that he was dealing with, but when he cried out to Jesus to help him overcome the unbelief… we know that he did because the spirit left the boy.
Jesus tells the man that “Anything is possible is a person believes.” — this to me is powerful because it says that God has already made available anything that we need and if we can believe for it, we can have it. My question then to the Lord would be, how do I know that it’s your will for me to have that thing that I want and His answer is “if you ask anything according to my will, I hear you and if you know I hear your, then you know that you have the petition that you are asking for” 1 John 5:14-15. He said “According to my will” meaning whatever we ask that is alignment with the will of God. Well, where can we find the will of God? In the word of God — the Bible.
So, What is it that you want? & Is it in His word? If so, where?
Another thing that I want to mention from this passage is that when Jesus cast the devil out of the boy, the people were murmuring because they thought that the boy was dead. Jesus could actually hear them saying these things, but he did not let that stop him from proceeding from reaching out and picking up boy up by hand. He knew that there was a mission to be accomplished and there was nothing that people could say that would divert his attention. He did not allow himself to be moved by the words of others and their unbelief — this term meaning that they did not have any faith.
Well, why did these disciples not have any faith? They had actually heard Jesus and was walking with Him for quite some time. This is shown because Jesus asked them How long shall I be with you? He came to teach them so that they could do the work of the ministry.
Well, this can be partially answered when the boy’s father responds—“At once the father of the boy gave [an eager, piercing, inarticulate] cry with tears, and he said, Lord, I believe! [Constantly] help my weakness of faith!”
Mark 9:24 AMPC
So, How do we strengthen our faith? This man did not have the word of God and He did not have Jesus pouring into him. For we know that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So to increase and strengthen our faith, we must take a look at Abraham’s walk (for he is the father of our faith).
Romans 4 — We are, just as Abraham was, made righteous in the eyes of the Lord as a gift from God. Not something that we had to work for and in that, faith was deposited to us. It’s important to understand that before we can use our faith to “do” we must acknowledge first our identity—Which is the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Abraham was considered righteous even before being “circumcised”—the removal of spiritual impurities. Meaning that we are also accepted even before God corrects our behavior, we dont have to work to receive the gift of faith or anything that the Blessing covers, but we must Believe!
