The Sunday of Confession (GA)

Mark 9:14-29

¹⁴ And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 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. 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.” 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.” 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. 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.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 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.” 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.”

The prayer would should speak each day, “I believe help my unbelief!” It is just that simple. God has granted us the gift of faith. He has granted us a blessing to proclaim that faith. He even grants us the power to speak this prayer, “I believe help my unbelief!”

What kind of evil spirit is this? Jesus tells us, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Are there other spirits that can be driven out by other things? Most Exorcisms require prayer at some point. Did the disciples not pray? This evil spirit was not easily removed. This evil spirit required the power of God.

It is God the father Almighty who has exorcised the demons within each of us. The evil spirit within our flesh has consumed us. It may not be throwing us into fires, or making us foam at the mouth. But the demons in our life are preparing us for eternal fire. They are turning us from the truth.

In Holy Baptism God has given us His Holy Spirit. He has exorcised, removed, our evil spirit. He has forgiven us all our sins. He has cleansed us from all unrighteousness. He has given us new birth as Children of God. “I believe help my unbelief!” Cast out my evil spirits and remove all my sin from me. All things are possible with God. ALL sins are forgiven in Christ Jesus.