Faith & unbelief

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" And someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 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." 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." 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. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 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." And Jesus said to him, "'If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" 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." 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." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." - Mark 9:14‭-‬29 ESV 

Rev. Dan Whang

All things are possible

Jesus has just showed his power through the transfiguration. He revealed his tender kindness and mercy towards Peter. Seeing God's power humbles us and emboldens us. The disciples and the scribes are arguing before a large crowd. There's another demon possessed boy and the disciples cannot cast out the demon. The father brings the boy and asks if Jesus can... to have mercy. This is Jesus but the man clearly hasn't seen His prior miracles. The father would not have questioned the limits of Jesus. 

Help my unbelief

We pray to God for many things this year. Today we see so much brokenness in this world. The father has some faith in Jesus and in God, but he also acknowledges his lack and imperfection. How often do we turn to idols, comforts, and addictions because we do not trust that God will meet our needs. We do not have that much faith in God. It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that saves you. A strong faith in a weak branch can prove fatal, but a weak faith in a strong branch can be life saving.

The disciples have cast out demons before. They've been sent out by Jesus. So what happened here? A lack of faith is noted in the parallel passage in Matthew. A lack of prayer, maybe a lack of dependence on God. In ministry, we are dependent upon the power of God. So we need to pray before Bible study, before reaching out to unbelievers... We need to go deeper in prayer, deeper in Bible study.

The transfiguration of Jesus

And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" And he said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him." - Mark 9:1‭-‬13 ESV 

Rev. Travis Drake

Who sees Jesus like this?

Peter, Paul, and John are those who were closest to Jesus. To them, it was revealed who Jesus was. So for us, who are Christian today, need to see Jesus as powerful, triumphant, and glorified. It is not just for those who do not believe, but for those who are closest to Jesus. Jesus is the gleaming God man shining with the brilliance of a million suns. Who are we to correct Jesus, like Peter in the previous passage? Who are we to choose what we obey and what we ignore of His commands? Peter was rebuking Jesus earlier about being a suffering Savior. Jesus called Peter Satan for this... And then now, Jesus takes Peter to reveal the fullness of Jesus. Who calls their friend a horrible name, gets into a big fight, then goes on a camping trip afterwards? Jesus doesn't cancel Peter. 

What happens when you see Jesus like this?

Peter wanted a Savior who was conquering and triumphant. He wanted Jesus to dominate the Roman military, restore Israel, and bring about the kingdom in power. Peter wanted a Jesus who was like him. But Jesus is one who is holy and perfect. He is someone who convicts us of our sinfulness. Jesus reveals our dirtiness and humbles us. 

Elijah was a prophetic voice showing the power of God. He called down fire from heaven. He confronted God's people of their sins. Only to be chased out of the kingdom by a queen who loved everything that God hated. Holy power and miracles did not bring about a better kingdom. Moses brought Israel out of slavery and gave the people a new law. But Israel still lost the law in the temple of God. A better law did not make for a better lasting kingdom. So new laws and military victory were not enough to make a better kingdom. 

Consider these things in modern times. An age of racial tension and oppression. A new law alone is insufficient and inadequate. It is not for lack of understanding, lack of power, or lack of proper morals... But rather unchanged hearts.

Why is seeing Jesus like this not enough?

The Elijah that the people had their way with him was not the historical Elijah. The historic Elijah was taken up to heaven. The one that Jesus was referring to was John the Baptist. He was imprisoned and beheaded. His head was paraded through a birthday party as an object of mockery. 

John the Baptist did not baptize people to see. He baptized people to repentance. We need not to see, but we need fixed and healed hearts. We need changed hearts that hear and obey. 

So what of us?

We need to walk in repentance both individually and corporately. Daily and regularly.

We need to repent of our history, whether our country, our ethnic group, our cultural background. 

Jesus above politics & comfort

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."  And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?  For what can a man give in return for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." - Mark 8:31‭-‬9:1 ESV

Rev. Ryan Egli

Jesus predicts death & resurrection

Jesus prophesies about suffering and dying. This would've been a very odd way to speak about being the Messiah. This breaks with all the current views of the time about the Messiah and how he would bring salvation. Jesus saw the rejection of religious leaders as necessary. But it is not just to condemn them. He calls for forgiveness and we even see loving confrontation of the religious leaders.

Jesus rebukes Peter

After this prophesy, Peter takes Jesus aside and rejects what Jesus said. We don't know what Peter said exactly but we do know that Jesus responds with one of the strongest rebukes we ever read. Jesus confronts and firmly rejects what Peter says. Peter represented the mainstream Jewish expectations for the coming Messiah. They were expecting a triumphant Savior. Peter and the other disciples were looking for their own power and prestige. They were not looking for the kingdom that Jesus was bringing.

Jesus challenges his followers

Jesus demands it all. Total allegiance to the point of death. Jesus was telling his followers to expect a painful death. As Christians in the states, we want Christian lite, or the trappings of the Christian life. We don't want discomfort, inconvenience... Jesus would likely rebuke us as well. Following Jesus is a call to suffering and for us in the west, many of us may worship the idol of comfort. The earliest Christians would go on to be persecuted and even killed. 

Application

Jesus wasn't about playing political games. Jesus calls for our ultimate allegiance. Does the gospel take precedence over any political party or platform? We need to pick up our cross and follow Him.

The second touch

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"  And he looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees, walking." Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."  And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"  And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. - Mark 8:22‭-‬30 ESV

Rev. Dan Whang

If your are having trouble with your spiritual eyesight, Jesus can heal you.

The theme of Mark 8 is spiritual blindness. It touches insiders and outsiders, friends of Jesus and enemies of Jesus. Even the disciples, who were with Jesus day after day, were blind to what Jesus was doing. Jesus gave them a revelation. But just like the blind man, they need Jesus to touch them again. So it is with us. We have a salvation story, each believer does. But that was then, now perhaps we've been blinded by sin or lost sight of Jesus. 

Just like the blind man, we need Jesus' second touch. We need Him to restore our sight again. Thus is how we grow. This is how we mature.

Restored sight

After Jesus touched the blind man the first time, Jesus asked the blind man if he could see. Jesus knew the answer. Jesus wanted the blind man to admit his blindness. The man needed to voice his need. Take a now routine surgery, Lasik. People with poor eyesight can be restored to 20/20. So it is with Jesus, when we read his word, pray, & worship, Jesus restores us a bit more. Not only that, but Jesus has secured us a place in heaven with God. So we need to keep going back to Jesus.

Do you not yet understand

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away."  And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."  And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?  Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" - Mark 8:1‭-‬21 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Struggles in grasping the reality of Jesus

The struggle of Forgetfulness

Jesus wanted to feed the crowd. The disciples said, how should we do this in such a desolate place? But this isn't the first time. Jesus has fed crowds before. How could the disciples have forgotten such a miraculous thing? But this is not just the disciples, it is also with us. We forget God and his lessons, even for those who grew up in the church. During times of crises, we forget how God has provided in the past. We are gripped by fear, anxiety, and panic because we forget God. Not only that, but we drift into becoming workaholics because we forget that we have a solid identity grounded in Christ.

The struggle of Stubbornness

The Pharisees rejected Jesus because because he didn't fit their categories. Jesus wasn't the Messiah they were looking for. So the Pharisees looked for everything to reject him. They looked for anything and everything to reject the Lordship of Jesus. The religious leaders had something to lose, if Jesus was who He said He was. They did not want Jesus to be Lord. They had already decided prior to examining the evidence. So it is with us, we often choose to believe or not because it supports what we desire. 

But it was not the irreligious, but rather the religious leaders who crucified Jesus. So how does it apply to the modern day? We, Christians, make arguments, make exceptions, come up with theologies that are more agreeable to us. If Jesus never offends, challenges, or disagrees with us, then perhaps we are not following Jesus. We are likely following an idol of our own making. Christians are called to take up their cross, love & pray for their enemies... This is not natural for us. Following Jesus will not come naturally 

The struggle of Dullness

Jesus tells them to beware of the the leaven of the Pharisees. The disciples then argue about bread and who's fault it was that they didn't bring enough bread. It was a failure to see spiritual realities. The disciples lived and walked with Jesus and still did not understand or see the spiritual realities. 

Leaven here is used to allude about the pervasive and negative effects of the Herodians. This was a warning to the small growing church to be on watch against the pride of the Pharisees. They tithed down to the herbs, but neglected justice and mercy. Is it not with many Christians today? Pharisees refused to eat with sinners, perhaps the original cancel culture. Just preach the gospel and don't mind this justice thing. But Jesus addressed this directly, we must pursue reconciliation, justice, and mercy in the light of the gospel. We must beware of how the religious leaders got caught up in theological minutae and neglected the pursuit of mercy & justice. We need both. 

Where does that leave us? 

We will struggle with all these things. So we must run to Jesus. Pray for hearts that remember and are convicted for the things of God. We need to ask for eyes to see and ears to hear. A church without the centrality of the gospel will only get lost in the world.

Mark 7: A Gentile Woman's Request

And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."  But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." And he said to her, "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."  And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. - Mark 7:24‭-‬30 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

The background

Jesus is in need of rest. He's been healing, interacting with the authorities, dealing with crowds and fame. So he leaves Israel to a region among gentiles. The religious officials of the day considered any contact with gentiles made people unclean. But Jesus goes there for an extended time, commonly considered unclean, to find rest. Jesus did not consider them subhuman, second class, or unworthy of notice. He did not consider it unsafe or a place where one had to be on guard. 

The nature of the conversation

Jesus had this conversation in the spirit of challenge. A challenge to enliven and build up, but still a challenge. He responds to this woman's request for healing with a challenge. He demands a response. Jesus is a good friend, but He is also God. So not only with Jesus be a comfort, but also a challenge to grow faith and confronting of sins.

How does Jesus do this? He says that children's bread should not go to dogs. Not big dogs, but little pet dogs. This conversation likely happened in a household. A family with children, pets, and relationships. So we need to look at this from the perspective of the family of God, Israel is the covenant family. "Let the children be fed first" is what Jesus said. Not that there was nothing for those outside of Israel. But that there was a process and a timing to Jesus and God's plan. The woman was being challenged to submit to God's plan. Would she do it even if it felt like being a pet dog at someone's table? The core question is this: is Jesus God or not?

The posture of faith

This woman's response is great humility and great faith. Her first words contain the word Lord. It is submitting to Jesus. It meant that even being a pet in the household of God was sufficient. This is the only place to eat there is no other bread, no other table. Even if it meant being treated like a pet, there were no alternatives. Jesus is the singular hope. He alone is the salvation and grace that we need. He knows that we are dust, we are broken, but he takes on our sins. He takes them up to the cross. He knows that the guilt of sin must be paid. The cross is where justice and mercy meet. 

For this woman's response, Jesus provides healing for her daughter. The simple response gets healing. But Jesus paid for salvation and restoration with a shameful public execution. She does not demand elevation from Him. She would rather be in Jesus' house than anywhere else. She trusts that Jesus can and will heal. The end of our efforts and power is the beginning of faith. The end is not too be perfect but to come to the perfect one. 

Application

1. Crumble into Jesus' arms. Bring your inability and weaknesses to Him. He is the only path to salvation.

2. Let Jesus challenge you in the areas where you are absolutely certain that you are right. Allow him to change your political parties, your friends, your finances, your habits with spending, phone, time...

Struggling to believe

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."  And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. - Mark 6:45‭-‬56 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Leadership is very difficult during this time. Please pray for the pastors & elders. We've just started to come out of a pandemic and now civil turmoil over long-standing injustice.

Learn to withdraw

Jesus sends the disciples and crowds away. Then he goes and withdraws from everyone. Jesus had done these miracles and the crowds were getting their own ideas. They wanted to make him king by force. Jesus wanted follow God's will, to bring a heavenly kingdom by sacrifice. Jesus was interested in God's ends and God's means. So it is with us. We need to withdraw from the world to recenter on God. To not get caught up in purely human striving, but rather to work in God's strength. 

Learn to refocus/repent

The disciples were scared when they first saw Him. They thought Jesus was a ghost. A spirit of the night come to bring disaster. These disciples had seen so many of Jesus' miracles, not to mention the feeding of the crowd just earlier. Their hearts were hardened.. If this is the state of the disciples, then even moreso for us. We need to listen to God and the Spirit. We need to ask God to look within for our sinful ways and repent.

Look within

"Take heart, it is I do not be afraid. It is I." Jesus says. We are exhausted straining against the wind. But who has power over the wind? Who can can a storm with His word? Jesus comes to us in the midst of our struggle. He stepped into the boat. So it is with us. He took up our burden when he was on the cross. He took on the hostility and reconciled everyone to himself and each other.

"When it feels like nothing working, God is." - Lecrae