Faith Needed

Mark 9:14-16 When Jesus, James, John and Peter came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around the disciples and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. 
 
JESUS is taking care of his disciples. As he and the others returned from the Transfiguration, they could have easily fixed their attention on the adoring crowd. It’s nice to be noticed!
   But Jesus noticed his disciples needed help. They were arguing with the teachers of the law. The Rabbi took control. “What are you arguing about?” indicates he wants to be involved in the conflict. He is Wisdom, and he has come to settle the matter at hand:
 
Mark 9:17-19 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” 19 “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
 
The disciples could not heal the demon-possessed boy. Jesus had earlier granted them power over the demons: Mark 6:7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. What had happened to their authority? Did the teachers’ opposition to Jesus affect the disciples’ faith to do God’s work?
   A similar faith lesson is found in Moses’ ascent to Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. When he returned, he found his brother Aaron had made a golden calf idol, rejecting the LORD, who had delivered them from Egypt. When the prophet was gone, the people lost their faith in God.
   Jesus was upset at the unbelieving teachers of the law who knew of Moses and many other times the Jews had rejected God’s authority. And he’s upset his disciples had too little faith to do the work he had anointed them to do. Evil strives to bind up our faith and turn our thoughts against God’s salvation. We must be faith-filled to repulse the devil’s distractions, so we can do the work he anoints us to do. 
          Once again, the Lord comes to do what no one else can do. He is dismayed knowing someday he will leave his kingdom in his disciples’ hands. Of course, he wants them to be faithful hands.