Lessons Learned in the Fires of Failure

Mark 9:28-29

The disciples might have learned a lot by contrasting the transfiguration with this healing.

TRANSFIGURATION

HEALING OF THE BOY

On the mountaintop

In the valley

The kingdom of God on display

The kingdom of Satan on display

A Son is radiantly glorified

A son is terribly demonized

A Father is honored in His Son

A father is horrified by his son

The disciples are confused and lack understanding

The disciples are defeated and lack power

A lesson about the future

A lesson about faith

A display of divine power

A directive for human prayer

What went wrong for the disciples? Why didn’t their attempt at “binding the strong man” (3:27) work?

Introspection is a healthy spiritual discipline when it causes us to examine our weaknesses and confront our limitations. Presumptuous self-sufficiency may be viewed as a great strength by the world, but it is deadly to our spiritual lives.

The disciples failed big time. It was public, brought ridicule, cast doubt on their Master and mission, and filled them with self-doubt. So when Jesus initiated reflection and debriefing, they asked, “Why couldn’t we drive the demon out?” Their question betrays a sense of confidence in their own strengths and abilities. It suggests a spirit of pride rooted in past accomplishments (6:7-13) that they believed should have been sufficient for this encounter. They are saying, “We did it before and we will do it again. But it didn’t work this time. Why?” Failure leads them to question themselves. This is a good thing.

Jesus responds with a powerful spiritual insight: “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.” The phrase “this kind” refers to casting out demons and all other spiritual conflicts of this nature. He is not saying some demon exorcisms require prayer but others do not. He is saying that whenever we take to the spiritual battlefield, if we go in our own strength, pride, and self-sufficiency, we have lost the battle before it begins. Faith bridges the gap between divine omnipotence and human weakness, and that faith is experienced and exercised through prayer. Could this be why prayer is one of the most difficult of the spiritual disciplines? Could this be why we don’t see greater things in missions, our churches, and our personal lives? Is this why Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing”?

The power of prayer is obviously not going to be experienced if we don’t pray. Tim Keller observes that the prayer of the father is characterized by honesty, helplessness, hopefulness, specificity, and passion (“Mark,” 112). These character traits of believing prayer can be summed up in one word: humility. It all depends on Jesus. If He acts, I’m delivered; if He doesn’t, I am lost. Faith expressed in prayer says, “I would not have it any other way.”

Lessons learned in the fires of failure may hurt us, but they can hurt us in a good way if they drive us to Jesus, increase our faith, and humble us in prayer. Today we do not have Jesus with us in the flesh, but through the gift of prayer, He is only a word, a thought, away. Remember what Jesus said to Thomas: “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed” (John 20:29). We believe, Lord. Help us in our unbelief. Give us the shield of faith with which we will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Eph 6:16).