NO BIBLE NO BREAKFAST DAILY BIBLE REFLECTIONS AND MORE

JESUS COMMANDS A DEMON (MARK 9:14-29)

REFLECTION

The theme for today’s reflection is Jesus commands a demon. To command means to control someone or something or to tell a person authoritatively what to do. The commanding power of Jesus reflects His Glory. In other words, the Glory of Jesus refers to the manifestation of God’s power and greatness in Him. Jesus’ commanding power over demons relieves us from their attacks and agony. Agony is the extreme physical or mental suffering we go through as a result of spiritual, emotional or physical attack and pain.

In today’s Scripture reading we discover that a demon or an unclean spirit subjected a little boy to physical and mental agony. A further observation will lead us to the conclusion that the boy’s father also had his share of mental agony or frustration. It is painful and hard to witness your beloved family member go through suffering or torture yet you are completely helpless and powerless. In worst cases, the doctors we count on are equally helpless although they try their best to save the said family member. The man described the son’s condition to Jesus after the disciples were unable to heal him, He said to Jesus “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” (Mark 9:17-18). Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it(the unclean spirit) has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” (Mark 9:21-22)

My dear friend in Christ, your agony ceases when the glory of God is manifested through the commanding power of Jesus over demons or evil forces. We must however note that what keeps us strong in times of agony to overcome spiritual attack is our faith in Christ. When the man appealed to Jesus that “ if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us”( Mark. 9:22) Jesus assured him that “‘…All things are possible for one who believes.”, and Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:23-24) The point is that, anytime you find yourself in agony or suffering, your faith is greatly challenged, you ask so many questions and sometimes even doubt if God is able to take away the suffering, but Jesus’ answer is, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23) In other words, you shall experience the glory of God in your suffering if you believe in our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. No wonder the man immediately identified his weakness and prayed to Jesus, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) Beloved in the Lord, this is a short but powerful prayer which anyone who seems to be growing weak in faith, especially, in times of agony can pray. When the disciples were unable to deliver the boy from the unclean spirit, Jesus reemphasised the importance of faith when he said to the disciple “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”(Mark 9:19). In the end, when the disciples wanted to know why they failed to deliver the boy, he said to them “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”( Mark 9:29). In Matthew’s account of the same story, Jesus said “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Faith and Prayer reveal God’s glory in times of agony. We possess the commanding power of Jesus over demons when we rely on Him in faith and prayer. Through faith and Prayer God’s glory is manifested through the commanding power of the name of Jesus even as we experience the transforming and liberating power of the the Holy Spirit. Our agony comes to an end or there is a great relief and peace that comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. Be a man and woman of faith and prayer and God’s glory will never depart from you. Let us through prayer and faith, rely on Jesus’ commanding power over demons or unclean spirits to experience endless testimonies in our lives. Shalom

PRAYER

LORD JESUS, HELP US OVERCOME UNBELIEF, ESPECIALLY, IN TIMES OF AGONY, SO THAT WE MAY GLORIOUSLY TRIUMPH IN YOUR NAME THROUGH FAITH AND PRAYER. AMEN