Mark 9:25-27 “When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.”
Welcome to deliverance 101! This passage is a continuation of this powerful lesson on deliverance ministry as Jesus casts out a spirit that was beyond the measure of what His disciples were able to perform successfully. In this instance Jesus is compelled to immediate action by the growing crowd that is headed His way. He recognizes that there will soon be a level of chaos gathered around Him that could make this time of ministry more difficult. Or, was Jesus allowing the crowd to gather so that the impact of the miracle was greater.
There is no way to know for certain what was in the mind of the Lord at this moment but the thought of a large crowd arguing, debating, and just the general chaos of the moment would seem to be a motivator to end this dramatic scene quickly and move on. In particular the pain that this father and this son would have both been experiencing emotionally would have seemed to indicate the Lord’s desire to spare them from any further emotional suffering at the hands of a thoughtless and calloused crowd. When interpreting the actions of Jesus and applying their lessons to our own lives it would seem safe to always assume that the love of Jesus would compel Him to minister in such a way that protects the person who is the center of the actions taking place.
As Jesus directs His energy towards setting this boy free He wastes no time in addressing the demonic spirit that is behind the boy’s condition. He now demonstrates the outcome of His diagnosis and discernment as He identifies a deaf and dumb spirit as the source of the boy’s condition. By this fact we can once again learn that in many cases demons are specialists. This demonic spirit’s function is specifically to bind people with deafness and muteness, but it is educational to realize that the impact of this spirit goes beyond simply the realm of speech and hearing. Even though this is the dominant condition being generated by this demonic presence it also is able to so overcome the boy that he is convulsed and thrown into the fire or water.
The scope of Jesus’ authority is also on display in this passage and we are given a small glimpse of Christ’ dominance over evil spirits. Not only does Jesus command the spirit to leave the boy, He also commands the spirit to never enter him again! This principle by implication carry over to us in that we have been told that we will do greater works than Christ because of His heavenly intercession and the victory of the cross. When this is considered in the context of His teaching that those who believe will cast out demons how can we not assume that the scope of authority that can both evict and regulate this demonic interference extends to the believer as well.
This powerful lesson in spiritual authority and personal ministry continues as the demonic spirit is expelled. In this case the demon does not leave quietly but rather with a measure of drama as it compels a shriek from the boy upon exiting and then the boy’s physical reaction comes in the form of one great, violent convulsion and then the boy is left lying on the ground as if dead from the intensity of this experience. How are you prepared to react when the Holy Spirit comes upon someone that you are ministering to and they are set free but with external manifestations that might even seem contrary to your expectations?
The visual impact upon those observing is so great that many assume that the boy has died in this encounter. Jesus however is not disturbed and simply takes the boy by the hand and helps him to his feet, restoring him to his father completely free. This passage is a great lesson in perseverance as Jesus resists the discouragement created by His disciple’s failure. It is also a tremendous lesson in walking by the Spirit not judging by external manifestations. Though it seemed very messy and quite dramatic it was very much the work of the Holy Spirit, not the work of the devil as at times some of the spiritual leaders of the day accused the works of Jesus as being. Inside every one of Jesus’ encounters with hurting people there is a depth of wisdom and insight waiting to be found by those who will search for this precious treasure. Take up the search and let your heart grow rich in the revelation of Jesus Christ!
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