Jesus gained victory through prayer when He rebuked the evil spirit that controlled a young boy. The disciples had tried to exorcise the spirit earlier but failed. Later, when they were in private, the disciples wanted Jesus to explain what had happened. Mark 9: 28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, …
Jesus prevails over the demonic spirit in a boy. The father had brought the boy to the disciples for deliverance, but they had failed. Then Jesus appeared and told the man, who was struggling with unbelief, that anything is possible if a person believes. Next, Jesus demonstrated His authority over the demonic realm. Mark 9: …
At some level, the father of a demon-possessed boy understood that it takes faith to deal with the spiritual forces. Mark 9: 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” [1] He had …
The shift from “if you can” to “all things are possible” is the narrative in Mark 9:21–23, a raw, deeply human story. A father stands before Jesus, worn down by years of watching his son suffer. His words are not polished theology. They are a mixture of hope and hesitation. Mark 9:22Have mercy on us …
The demonic recognizes Jesus before the religious leaders do. This is puzzling yet revealing. This happens early in Jesus’ ministry. Mark 1: 23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who …
A touch that brings wholeness and breaks barriers is part of Jesus’ story. Mark 5 41 Holding her hand, Jesus said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!”[1] The scene is powerful. Jairus’ daughter had died, and according to the customs and religious laws of the time, touching a dead body made a …
To get through the storms of life, we must have faith instead of fear. Jesus can get us through any storm. I remember being in a hospital chaplaincy training program when the person I was visiting was dying. His wife handed him a piece of paper with a Bible verse on it. He held on …
We often worry about what others will think of us. This may prevent us from putting our faith in action. In this week’s story, both Jairus and the woman with the bleeding issue had to take a risk to put their faith into action to become well and whole. Jairus was the leader of the …
Faith amid desperation is the story that unfolds in Mark 5:24-29. We encounter two powerful stories woven together—Jairus’ dying daughter and a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve long years. As Jesus walked through the crowd on His way to Jairus’ home, the suffering woman quietly approached Him from behind. She believed that …
Have you ever thought about how interruptions can be a blessing? In our world, we don’t often think of life’s interruptions as gifts, but they often are. Our prayers interrupt God. Yet He welcomes them like a mother responding to her infant. Often, God uses interruptions in our lives to bring wholeness to our lives …