The Healing of a Boy with a Demon

Today's Reflections

 

The Healing of a Boy with a Demon 

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Mk 9:14-29

¹⁴When [Jesus, Peter, James, and John] came to the [other] disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to him and greeted him. ¹⁶He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. ¹⁸Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” ¹⁹He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. ²¹Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. ²²It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” ²⁴Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” ²⁵Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” ²⁶Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!” ²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. ²⁸When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not drive it out?” ²⁹He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

Reflection:

O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? Jesus here expresses frustration and disappointment over the disciples’ failure to cast out a demon. But he never loses hope. He fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy: “A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench” (Mt 12:20; cf Is 42:3).

When the boy is brought to him, Jesus leads the boy’s father to greater faith until the man cries out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit and heals the boy.

The father’s words are a beautiful prayer that we ourselves can and should often repeat. Believe, and experience the power of God!

Remember: “Everything is possible

to one who has faith” (Mk 9:23).