Lack of Faith

Today’s Gospel Text:  And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, "What are you discussing with them?" 17 And one of the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; 18 and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." 19 And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." 20 And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." 23 And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" 29 And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." Mark 9:14-29

Reflection: Whom do you pray to? Is it right to pray to the saints when we have Jesus as our Lord and master who always lives to intercede for us?

These are questions about which many strayed ones would always make us doubt about?

They may sometimes back their arguments with selective scripture passages which suits their arguments.

Here in the gospel we have an instance in which one from among the crowd that brought his son, who was assailed by dumb spirit, to be ministered to by none other than Jesus. 

But his only immediate option was the dedicated Disciples of Christ Jesus, who couldn't handle the case and in the process Jesus had to face the battering from the crowd that had gathered to see the moment.

To join the crowds in the arguments were the more instructed scribes who may have questioned them to no ends.

When Jesus arrives on the scene he has to face the indignant crowd on account of the ineffectiveness of the disciples.

At this Jesus could have rebuked the disciples for interfering with his work and ministry and told them that to him only belongs the authority and power to save people from their sins and from the evil one.

Instead he rebukes the disciples for their inability to handle a situation on account of their lack of faith: "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me."

The statement of Jesus is a clear indication of his desire that his dedicated disciples stand equal to the task and mission that he came to accomplish in their midst.    

Prayer:  Lord, help us to live our call of disciples in the faith which you have delivered to us through your holy apostles.

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