Discipleship of Jesus
Chapter 13: O faithless generation

Previous Chapter: You are the Christ


The disciples just completed two academic years of studies under the direct teaching of Jesus Christ, at the end of the second year they cleared the major test and cleared it by confessing "Jesus is the Son of God", Peter confessed Jesus is the Son of God, when the mainline synagogue issued the deed that no one should acknowledge Jesus as Messiah.

Moreover, the disciples were constantly hearing different opinion about Jesus Christ, as some say He is Son of Mary, some say He is  Son of Carpenter, some say He is John the Baptist risen from dead, and some say He is Old Testament Prophet like Elijah, Jeremiah, etc. in that situation Peter boldly confessed that "Jesus is the Son of God", and now they just started their third year academic studies under the direct teaching of Jesus. 

The disciples learned many things about Jesus, definitly they are much closer to Jesus than the initial days, yet, the disciples still unaware of that we must have to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, nor did they realize that the Lord's name alone to be exalted in our ministry and in our life, and also, there were so many worldly characters among them like pride, self centered life etc,.

And for Jesus, this is the last year that He is going to be with his disciples, and the disciples has to learn some important teaching from Him, that's when this incident happened, someone brought the complain to Jesus about His disciples, that they failed to cast out a dumb spirit, if some one failed to cast out the demon, nobody will complain about that person, but here a one man came to Jesus with an compain, Its because, Jesus has to complete this important teaching before going to Cross, that's why he said to his disciples "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?" - 17.Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18.And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” 19.He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20.Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21.So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22.And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23.Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24.Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” 25.When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26.Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27.But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose - Mark 9:17-27

This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting

When Jesus gave them power, he did not caregrize the demons, rather gave power over all the demons, and then why the desciples failed? Jesus gave them two reasons for their failure and metaphorically said "prayer" and "fasting" - 28.And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29.So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting - Mark 9:28-29

What is the meaning of "prayer" and "fasting"? to understand that we must study little deeper about parables, we saw in the beginning that Son of God must have to speak in parables, and these parables can be categorized based on the audience it was spoken for.

1. Irrelevant parables: These types of parables spoken for nonbelievers, bible call them as "out siders", because they cannot enter the Kingdom of God, only wrath of God will remain on them, and these types of parables will have its own interpretation[direct meaning], unless the Holy Spirit explains the meaning, we cannot understand the meaning [intended interpretation], for example, the parable of sowing the seed, many of them heard this parable and went to home with their own understanding - 11.But to those on the outside everything is said in parables. 12.so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven - Mark 4:11-12

2. Inadequate parables: These parables are mainly spoken for the believers[in siders], basically those who are chosen for God's kingdom, but the problem here is, there is nothing in this world that can explain the intended message, for example, when Jesus want to explain the kingdom of God, there is nothing in this world to describe it, so He said - 30.With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31.It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32.yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade - Mark 4:30-32

3. Negative parables: These parable were mainly spoken for nonbelievers [out siders], they are not just an out sider of the Kingdom of God, they always speak wrong about God, for example, When Jesus said, the Son of Man came eating and drinking, He was telling this parable to those who used speak bad thing about him, if you take this parable as it is, it will lead only into destruction, and you will became a gluttony and drunkard, so believers must evaluate these parables carefully and understand the original meaning, actually in this parable, Jesus giving an example that we must rely "God's Grace" and be filled with "Holy Spirit" like him - The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds - Matthew 11:19

4. Relevant parables: These parables are spoken for believers [in siders], those who are chosen for God's kingdom, these parable are much relevant to it's original intention, following these parables without understanding also will help achieving the goal[original meaning], when Jesus said, This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting, It mainly spoken for those who does not know to ask in the name of Jesus, the disciples of Jesus Christ following him for two years, yet, does not that we should pray in the name of Jesus, so it teaches them to pray in the name of Jesus Christ and also teaching that, the secret that the demons will flee only for the name of Jesus Christ, the disciples might have prayed, but they did not pray in the name of Jesus, unless it has a stamping word "Jesus" nothing will reach to Heaven.

And the "fasting", at the beginning of the ministry, the Jesus said that His disciples need not to fast until He [Bridegroom] was taken away, and then why did he is asking to fast now? - 18.The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19.And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20.But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days - Mark 2:18-20

Fasting is basically fighting against the appetite, in this world there are many appetite, appetite to be fame, appetite to be great, and pride, jealous, anger, bitterness, selfishness, unforgiveness all follows that, and when we give rooms to that, we are like Gluttony, so when Jesus said fasting, the main intention is to over come these kind of deadly appetite - 19.Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20.So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21.However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting - Matthew 17:19-21

Next Chapter: What were you disputing?