Jesus’ Compassion: The Heart of Missional Livingનમૂનો

Day #7: Mark 9:14–29

Jesus has been on the mountain with three of his closest friends (Peter, James, John). There they saw his appearance change to dazzling brightness, perceived Moses and Elijah conversing with him, and heard a voice from heaven declare, “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:2–8; this scene is known as the Transfiguration). On the way back down the mountain, Jesus tells them to keep silent about what they have seen (vv. 9–13), until the right moment for sharing it with others.

When they get down to the flatland, they discover the rest of Jesus’ disciples surrounded by utter chaos. A vast crowd encircles them, apparently avid spectators of the disciples’ argument with some religious leaders. Jesus asks for an explanation of the dispute, and the answer comes not from the disciples but from a man in the crowd. This desperate father relates the tragic case of his son, who from childhood has been rendered mute and subject to life-threatening seizures by an evil spirit (vv. 17–22). The disciples have been unable to cast out the spirit, and the father is bitterly disappointed. Jesus is also disappointed and exasperated (v. 19), but he takes immediate charge of the scene and commands that the boy be brought to him. The father complies, but in words echoing the leper’s cry in Mark 1, he says to Jesus, “If you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us” (v. 22).

This man is less sure than the leper was, but he seems to know that power and compassion belong together. When Jesus gently rebukes his uncertainty, shaking his head at that wobbly “if you are able,” the man cries out, “I do believe—help my unbelief!” That is enough faith for Jesus, and his power and compassion come together on behalf of the beleaguered boy. The demon is sent packing, and the young man is restored to health and well-being.

It's probably not a coincidence that Mark sets this scene immediately after the Transfiguration. This is what the Son, the Beloved, looks like and how he acts. This union of power and compassion on behalf of harassed and helpless people characterizes who Jesus is and what he does. This is what makes him recognizable as the Christ, the Son of God.