All Things Are Possible for the One Who Believes

The Gospel According to Saint Mark: Chapter 9

(Note: Some verses are accompanied by questions, and others by notes. Most important are the blank spaces wherein you can write down the things that the Lord is speaking to you in His word.)

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 

• What were the disciples and the scribes arguing about? Why were the scribes there in the first place?

(MULTILINE REVEAL BIG)

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 arguing about with them?” 

17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 

• What can we tell about the state of the man and his child from the urgency with which he addressed Jesus? 

(MULTILINE REVEAL BIG)

18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 

• Read chapter six (verses 7-12) of the Gospel according to Saint Mark; what do you notice in contradistinction about what’s happening in this pericope? 

(MULTILINE REVEAL BIG)

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.” 

• Who’s being rebuked here, and why did Jesus rebuke them? 

(MULTILINE REVEAL BIG)

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 this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 

• How did Jesus respond to the request of the man? What does this tell you about Jesus? 

(MULTILINE REVEAL BIG)

22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 

23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 

• Although the translation here is noted as an exclamation mark, it is probably better translated with an interabang. 

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 

• Have their been times in your life where you have had your faith and hope mixed with fear and doubt? What are some of the ways in which you can overcome fear and doubt?

25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute 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.” 

• The boy was not actually dead. This verse says that the boy “was LIKE a corpse,” meaning that he could have even been unconscious, but still alive. 

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.”

• Re-read the note from v. 18. What 

In the end, we are left with three questions: 

1. What do we learn about Jesus from the passage?
2. What do we learn about people from the passage? 
3. What areas in our life do we need to trust and obey the Lord. 

(MULTILINE REVEAL BIG)