Christian Art | Miracle Prayers Of Healing With Jesus
Mark 9: 14-29 – Week 7 Ordinary Time, Monday (King James Audio Bible, Spoken Word)
14 ¶ And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Jesus returns with Peter and James and John from the mountain of the transfiguration. He finds a scene which is crowded and confused. The scribes are present, arguing with Jesus’ disciples. They are surrounded by many people, who now catch sight of Jesus and rush to greet him. Jesus asks what has happened to create such a hubbub, and we learn that at its focal point there is sickness, in the form of possession, and inability on the part of the disciples to cast the evil out of the child.
Immediately, we are taught by Jesus to understand the scene in terms of faith and faithlessness. It is on hearing of his disciples’ failure that Jesus says in exasperation: ‘O faithless generation.’ The twelve, in Mark’s account, have been sent out before on mission, successfully healing and casting out demons from many (Mark 6: 7-13). Perhaps it is in Jesus’ absence during the transfiguration that the disciples have experienced some loss of faith, and we may recall the behaviour of the Israelites in the absence of Moses, while Moses talked with God.
The evil spirit recognizes Jesus, and we see just how much the devil tortures the boy. The boy’s father explains that it has been this way from childhood, the devil seeking to destroy the boy. He is helpless and uncomprehending, only praying that Jesus do something to help, if he can.
It is in response to this ‘if’ that Jesus tells the man, as he tells us all, to have faith. If we have faith, all things are possible. Faith in God can so complete our lives. Perhaps the father has known this before. Perhaps he knows that he must have faith, and now recognizes his own limitations and imperfections, so that he is moved to cry out with these wonderful words, which can seem to cry out for us all: ‘Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’
The man’s faith has been strengthened. In tears, he gives himself fully to God, to Jesus, only begging Jesus to save his son. In what must have been a deeply troubling scene to witness, the evil spirit leaves the boy at Jesus’ command, convulsing him terribly then leaving him like a corpse. The crowds have come running to watch this, drawn by the violence, and we can imagine the state of their minds now.
The boy, though, is not dead. Jesus takes him by the hand and the boy is raised. It seems at this point that silence prevails. Where Jesus came from the mountain to find confusion, he leaves peace in his stead.
Jesus’ response to his disciples’ question is also peaceful, educative, reassuring. He is no longer critical of their inability to heal the child, merely telling them that prayer and fasting, two of the great pillars of faith, are needed to drive such evils out. For all, then, this episode offers renewal. For the boy – he has his life cleansed and restored to him. For those present and for us all as we read these verses – we are reminded to treasure and nurture the gift of our faith.
‘In teaching the apostles how to expel a spirit as evil as this, he is teaching all of us how we should live, and telling us that prayer is the resource we should use to overcome even the severest temptations, whether they come from unclean spirits or from men. Prayer does not consist only in the words we use to invoke God’s clemency but also in everything we do, out of faith, as homage to God. The apostle bears witness to this when he says: “Pray constantly.”’ St Bede
Concluding Prayer
King of heaven and earth, Lord God,
rule over our hearts and bodies this day.
Sanctify us,
and guide our every thought, word and deed
according to the commandments of your law,
so that now and for ever
your grace may free and save us.
We make our prayer through our Lord.
Miracle | Prayer | Healing | King James Audio Bible | KJV
What is faith healing in the Bible?
The accounts of Jesus’ healing and casting out devils in the New Testament provide a powerful reflection on Jesus’ divine power and compassion for humanity. Through these miraculous acts, Jesus demonstrated his authority over physical and spiritual afflictions, and demonstrated his love for all people.
In the Gospels, we read of numerous instances where Jesus healed people of illnesses and afflictions. Jesus’ healing miracles included the restoration of sight to the blind, the curing of leprosy, and the healing of people who were paralyzed or had other physical disabilities. In each of these cases, Jesus demonstrated his power to heal and restore the brokenness of the human body.
Similarly, Jesus cast out demons from people who were possessed by them. These accounts reveal Jesus’ authority over the spiritual realm, and his ability to bring freedom to those who were oppressed by evil spirits. Through these acts, Jesus showed his compassion for people who were suffering from both physical and spiritual afflictions.
In each healing miracle, faith is an important factor. It is through the faith of the person who is not well, or as is the case with the centurion’s servant, that Jesus responds with healing. To speak of faith healing and healing through prayer in the Bible is thereby certainly valid. In a sense, we may consider faith as healing, as we pray with confidence.
‘Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.’
The healing and casting out of demons were not random acts of kindness, but a manifestation of Jesus’ divine mission to bring salvation and liberation to all people. As Jesus says in Luke 4: 18-19: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’ (KJV)
Through his healing and deliverance ministry, Jesus demonstrated that he was the promised Messiah, fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament that spoke of a Savior who would bring healing and freedom to God’s people. As Isaiah 53:4-5 prophesied: ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows… and with his stripes we are healed.’ (KJV)
Jesus’ healing and casting out of devils are also a sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God, where all forms of suffering and evil would be eliminated. As Jesus says in Matthew 12:28: ‘But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.’ (KJV)
In conclusion, Jesus’ healing and casting out of devils demonstrate his divine power and compassion for humanity. Through miraculous acts, Jesus revealed his authority over physical and spiritual afflictions, and showed his mission to bring salvation and liberation to all people. The accounts remind us of Jesus’ love and mercy, and give us hope that we too can experience Jesus’ healing and deliverance in our lives.
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The parable of the prodigal son is among the most famous of the parables which Jesus teaches us. Indeed the phrase ‘prodigal son’ is familiar to English speakers who might not tend to read the Bible very often if at all. In the parable of the prodigal son, the story Jesus tells is so homely and familiar to our lives, and to our most basic human and family instincts, that even without the deeper meanings as we interpret the parable, it would be powerfully moving to hear as a tale of estrangement and difficulty followed by forgiveness and reconciliation through love [ … ]
The poem meditates on mortality, the ephemeral nature of the human body, and spiritual preparation required for the inevitability of death. Herbert, addressing the relationship between the soul and body, deliberately ‘entombs’ the flesh in acknowledgment of its temporal nature, using the act as an opportunity to reflect on its destiny: to return to dust. This act of entombment is not literal but symbolic, serving as a lesson in humility and a call to align oneself with a spiritual reality that transcends physical existence [ … ]