The
Current Conflict
Mark 9:14-29 records one of the most
insightful passages in the NT regarding the Christian life. When Jesus
came down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John,
he found the scribes “questioning” [arguing, debating] with his other
nine disciples over their inability to cast out a demon. I'm sure the
scribes were asking: “If your Master is who he claims to be, how is it
his name is insufficient to get rid of this demon and cure this kid?”
A conflict was raging between the
scribes and the disciples. Another conflict was raging between a
satanic force (demon) and the young boy the demon had possessed from
his youth. It was a precursor to, a foreshadowing of, the conflict
raging in America today.
There’s a word play in these verses
that’s instructive. In 9:19, Jesus made reference to a “faithless [unbelieving]
generation.” The Greek for “generation” is γενεά (genea),
meaning “fathered, that which is related to birth.” In 9:29, behind
closed doors, Jesus made reference to the demon as “this kind” when
explaining to his disciples why they were unable to cast him out. The
Greek for “kind” is γένος
(genos), meaning “kindred, offspring.” The words “generation” and
“kind” come from the same root. Jesus taught there was a certain kind
of believer (the UNBELIEVING) and a certain kind of demon (the
UNRELENTING).
Isn’t that an oxymoron of sorts? How
is it possible to have an unbelieving believer? But According to Jesus,
the unbelieving believer is one who is NOT praying and fasting (9:29).
Therefore Jesus establishes “prayer and fasting” as vital components of
the NORMAL CHRISTAIN LIFE!
In the conflict raging in America
today, we see the POWERS of darkness flourishing against a POWERLESS
church, an UNRELENTING evil challenging an UNBELIEVING church that
names the name of Christ without exhibiting the power of his name. And
when the unrelenting comes face-to-face with the unbelieving, the
unrelenting always wins.
Jesus expressed his frustration with
these two questions: “How
long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?”
(9:19). Do you think he might be asking the same of his church today?
These two questions are somewhat rhetorical, but have a silver lining.
Just how long IS Jesus willing to “suffer” [tolerate, put up with,
endure] the unbelieving and powerless state of his people? The context
provides the answer: AS LONG AS IT TAKES!
When Jesus CORRECTS his own, he
always does so with COMPASSION! No matter how low the charge on our
spiritual batteries, Jesus stands ready to EMPOWER the believing
believer, whose desire for his Lord is GREATER than his necessary food
(see Job 23:12). His LONGSUFFERING will ALWAYS outlast our STUMBLING!
So, amidst the conflict that rages, it’s high time for the church to
experience a fresh dose of NORMAL!
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