Why were the disciples unable to cast the demon out of that child? Why were the disciples arguing with the Teachers of the Law? Why was Jesus upset? This is a hard passage… but the reason for impotent ministry is highlighted here.

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The video link is here:

Mark 9:14-29… Impotence in Ministry

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Here is the transcript used in this podcast:

Mark 9:14-29

Impotence in Ministry

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.

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

This begs the question… why were the teachers of the Law arguing with the disciples? Perhaps the teachers saw an opportunity to “expose” the disciples when the disciples failed at something they claimed the ability to do – i.e. cast out demons. After all, hadn’t they recently been casting out demons when Jesus sent them out in pairs? In Mark 6 we read:

Mark 6

6Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

The world is ever ready to point a finger when they see a Christ-follower fail. I remember the shame-filled moment when in a fit of anger, I punched a hole in the wall of a rehearsal hall while in the Navy (I was in the Navy Band at the time).  Someone standing nearby said something to the effect of “How’s that being a Christian thing working for ya?”

I see that happening here. The disciples failed at something they were supposed to be able to do. And worse yet, Jesus’ biggest critics – the teachers of the Law – caught them at their moment of impotence. The disciples were unable to do what Jesus had told them they could do, and ended up arguing with the teachers of the Law. 

Arguing is the last bastion of the impotent. You don’t have to be an expert in anything to argue. My father once told me to “Never argue. It’s like wrestling a pig in the mud. You both get dirty – but the pig loves it.” Caught in their impotence, the opponents of Jesus attacked. Jesus returns in the middle of this conflict.

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.”

We will find out later that the disciples did not know why they couldn’t cast the demon out of the boy. But yet here they are arguing with the teachers of the Law about it. They got sucked into arguing about something they didn’t have an answer for. That’s how arguing works. Arguing is useless. Arguing many times (in my observation) deflects from the fact that you don’t know what you are talking about. Here, the disciples could not cast out the demon. They didn’t know why. So they get sucked into arguing about something they did not understand.

This leads right into the next verse, and Jesus’ response.

19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? 

Who do you think Jesus is speaking to? Let’s review the flow of the narrative – I think it will become clear.

1. Jesus was frustrated by the disciples inability to understand Him. In chapter 8 of Mark we read:

14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 

2. Peter had the temerity to rebuke the Son of God when He revealed shortly after His comments in CH 8 that He had to die. Jesus’ words were VERY harsh. In chapter 8, we read this after Peter rebukes Jesus:

33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

3. Very soon after Jesus rebukes Peter, they go to the Mount of Transfiguration, and Peter opens his mouth and is rebuked by God the Father.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

“Peter – This IS my Son. LISTEN to Him!”

After all of this, Jesus is told by the father that his son was demon-possessed and His disciples could not cast it out, and even worse were arguing with religious leaders about it all. Jesus said:

19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?

I truly believe He is speaking to the disciples when He says “unbelieving generation”. These are hard words to a group of men who were expected to know better.

“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.

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.”

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!”

This one statement epitomizes what our attitude should be in spiritual matters. It recognizes the sovereignty of God in everything while recognizing our own helplessness. I believe God can do this. I also believe I cannot. I believe You can do this, Lord.  But there is part of me that does not. This isn’t faithlessness. This is reality. 

“I believe You CAN do this. I lack the ability to imagine how it can happen – or even if it WILL happen!”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.[a]”

In the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible we read the following:

Given the disciples’ previous success (6:13), why this failure at this particular moment? Jesus’ private (v. 28) explanation suggests there is more at stake. Since the disciples’ authority depends solely on their relationship to Jesus, their failure to understand and faithfully respond to his call has compromised that authority. Only prayer can align them again with the things of God (see notes on 8:33; 14:36).

Edited by Carson, D. A. (2018). NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible. Zondervan.

A continual ongoing relationship with Jesus is paramount if ministry is to become successful. Perhaps the disciples, after their initial success at casting out demons, began to think this was an inherent power in THEM – maybe they thought THEY owned this power now, once Jesus had given them this ability.

Later, just before His death Jesus explains:

John 15

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; 

apart from me you can do nothing. 

6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Sometimes we get the cart before the horse. We pursue ministry because are supposed to minister, right? It’s true – we are to minister to those in our periphery. But if we make THAT the priority, then relationship with Jesus moves into the back seat. Relationship with Jesus HAS to be first. Ministry happens as we pursue Jesus. I am not talking about salvation, here. I am not saying that once we bow our knee to Him we are automatically equipped to minister. Jesus’ own words make that clear in John 15, above and when He said in Mark 12:

28 “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] There is no commandment greater than these.”

The command to love God implies relationship with God. Do I love my wife if I refuse to live with her? Do I love my wife if I refuse to spend time with her, talking to her? My relationship with my wife is the focal point of my marriage. The success of my family hinges on the relationship between my wife and I. The success of ANY ministry we are involved in hinges on our relationship with God. Pursue God… and ministry will happen. Don’t assume that because you wear the name Christian that that alone qualifies you for ministry. You don’t have magical powers because you are a believer. The disciples seem to finding that out here.

Blessings!

Paige