Mark 9:28

26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 ^aAnd when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but ^aprayer and fasting.”

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection

30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.

31 ^aFor He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will ^bkill Him. And after He is killed, He will ^crise the third day.”

32 ^aBut they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Who Is the Greatest?

33 ^aThen He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you¹ disputed among yourselves on the road?”

34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had ^adisputed among themselves who would be the ^bgreatest.

35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ^a“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

36 Then ^aHe took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them,

37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and ^awhoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism

38 ^aNow John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”

39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, ^afor no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.

40 For ^ahe who is not against us is on² our side.

41 ^aFor whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Jesus Warns of Offenses

42 ^a“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me¹ to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

43 ^aIf your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life¹ maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to² hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

<< Mark 9:27

Mark 9:29 >>

What Does Mark 9:28 Mean?

Mark 9:23-29

This miracle teaches that it takes the power of faith to overcome the enemy (Matthew 17:20; Mark 9:19, 23-24). Why had the nine disciples failed? They had been careless in their personal spiritual walks and had neglected prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). The authority that Jesus had given them was effective only if exercised by faith, but faith must be cultivated through spiritual discipline and devotion. The apostle Paul uses Abraham as an example of this:

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). (Romans 4:20-22, The Amplified Bible)

Half of the healings Christ performed happened due to the prayer of loved ones and friends. The father of the demon-possessed boy remains a monument of faith, timid yet true, through his love for his boy. His pleading, "Have compassion on us, and help us," was highly honored by Jesus.

The key to the exercise of such faith is not its quantity, but the God to whom it is directed; therefore, even the smallest faith—"like a mustard seed"—will see spectacular results (Luke 17:5-6; Matthew 17:20). Jesus says in Mark 9:23, "All things are possible to him who believes." Faith acts as an open door into a relationship with God and as a shield that protects God's people when they are under spiritual attack.

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Exorcising a Young Boy (Part One)

Mark 9:14-29

Jesus walked with His disciples from Bethsaida to the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi. Six to eight days later, Jesus went up into a high mountain to pray, taking Peter, James, and John with Him and leaving His other nine disciples behind. There He was transfigured before the three. Meanwhile in the valley, the remaining nine disciples failed to cast out a demon from a young boy. Descending the day following His transfiguration, Christ healed the demoniac boy.

The failure of the nine disciples had given the scribes fuel for criticism of both the disciples and Christ. When Christ arrived on the scene, the scribes were being critically disruptive about the failure. The scribes were not known for their questioning as much as for their refuting and disputing. "Questioning" (KJV) or "disputing" (NKJV) in Mark 9:14 is translated from a Greek word that implies confuting, that is, attempting to disprove or deny.

The success of Christ, however, countered the failure of the disciples, shutting the mouths of the critical scribes. His coming upon this scene of dispute, chaos, and darkness must have been an incredible contrast to the honor, power, and glory that He had just experienced on the mountain in the Transfiguration. The sights and sounds that met Him on His return to the sinful world must have disturbed Him.

Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Exorcising a Young Boy (Part One)

Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Mark 9:28:

Mark 8:22-26

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Mark 9:29 >>

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