BUT JESUS...
While Mark 9:37 describes the helplessness of the disciples, and even the Pharisees who were watching, to aid a boy tormented by a demon, the passage emphasizes the sublime grace of Jesus, who arrives as a great hero to save the boy and bring peace to his distraught father.
REFLECTIONS
A. Cortés
9/6/20242 min read
This passage from Mark 9:37 is packed with meaning!
Firstly, it reveals the disciples' inability and their lack of spiritual preparation. Even the Pharisees, who were watching the boy convulsing from the demonic attack, demonstrate that despite being the best-prepared religious leaders, they merely witnessed the event in an inhumane way. As was evident, they had no capacity or intention to help, even if they had invoked the great Hashem, since they had not realized that He was living among them and they had rejected Him.
Secondly, the BUT... Ah, this sublime contrast! Then my Savior appears on the scene. A grand contrast of love, mercy, power, and authority. Unlike some other miracles where His word was enough, in this miracle, He is revealed as a divine physician who inquires about the boy's condition. His act of reaching out and taking the boy's hand is deeply moving, highlighting His compassion and personal touch. This physical contact tells us that Christ is in direct connection with those in need, even in our time.
Thirdly, the lesson of this boy—tormented, according to the account, by a demon that made him fall into water and fire, and violently shook him in order to destroy him—is for you and me: Dear friend, if the devil does not tire of tormenting you; if you have felt the fire of affliction in your life, if someone has "burned" you, or you yourself have stumbled and fallen into a fiery furnace, and afflictions give you no peace; if you have felt the water up to your neck; if you have been shaken violently to the point of "foaming at the mouth" from so much commotion and evil, remember the Righteous One, the Merciful One, the Omnipotent, the Invincible, the Almighty, the Just Judge, the King and God of the Universe... He is holding your hand, and before His powerful voice, He will rebuke your enemy, my enemy, the roaring lion, the unclean spirit: the devil. Have resilience, just trust, let's navigate this impetuous sea of life together. Pray and fast because this kind and offspring of evil will only come out this way and only with the help of the Crucified One. Do not forget that His power and love surpass all your understanding.
"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]." John 10:10 AMP
Have a blessed day!