Homily for February 25th, 2019: Mark 9:14-29.
The boy who is brought to Jesus by
his father is possessed by “a mute spirit,” Mark tells us. He is evidently both
deaf and dumb, unable to speak. The symptoms Mark describes are consistent with
what today would be called epilepsy. Jesus lived in a pre-scientific age.
Illness was normally attributed to demons. That is not entirely false. Illness
and death were not part of God’s original plan of creation. They entered the
world as a consequence of human sin. And it was human sin that opened the door
for the Devil and his dark power.
Jesus’ cry, “O faithless generation,
how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you?” reminds us of Jesus’
sigh before the healing of a deaf man in chapter seven of Mark’s gospel, which
we heard just ten days ago. That sigh, and Jesus’ words here, are expressions
of the Lord’s grief over the consequences of human sin – in both cases illness.
The father’s detailed description of
his son’s condition shows that he is in anguish over the boy. “If you can do
anything,” the father concludes, “have compassion on us and help us.” Quoting
the father’s own words, “if you can,” Jesus assures him: “Everything is
possible to one who has faith.” Whereupon the man cries out: “I do believe, help
my unbelief!” His prayer for greater faith shows that he still has doubts.
As the story goes on, it becomes
clear that even this imperfect faith is enough. It enables Jesus to cast out
the demon and restore the boy to good health. Jesus’ words, “Mute and deaf
spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” show that
the healing is permanent.
What is the story’s lesson for us? It
tells us that what opens the door to God’s action is faith. And it assures us
that this faith need not be perfect. Finally, the story encourages us to pray
with the desperate father of this boy: “Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief!”
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