Mk 9:14-29
The Jewish family is a Patriarchal family. In every Family, the role of the father is very important, more than that of the mother. The mothers care about the growth of the child within the family, whereas fathers care about his contact with the world, work and his social relationships. He connects the child with society. The father makes the decisions for the family for his wife and children. Today's Gospel of Mark beautifully narrates the sacrificial father's requests to Jesus for healing.
Just imagine yourself: There is a son possessed by the spirit, epileptic in front of a large crowd. This is a kind of social shame and humiliation for the father, because who will marry an epileptic child? How he will go to work to earn? In this case, a father will suffer more than a mother. That is why Jesus asked a particular question “How long has this been happening to him?” not only out of care for the possessed boy, but he wanted to know how long the father has been suffering for his child. The father replied, “Since childhood."
1. Father's care and responsibility for his child include the capacity to suffer for him. That's what Jesus did. This story is introduced in the Gospel of Mark when the Messianic secret is revealed. Hereafter Jesus will predict his death and resurrection three times. Jesus will start to suffer for humanity. Jesus looks at this figure as his own image of carrying the sins of humanity until his death on the cross. We need to pray like this; God, Father, help us to follow the example of your son's patience in suffering.
2. The disciples have been presented in the Gospel of Mark, are the persons of failure until the resurrection. The Father brought his son first to the disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so. It is good for us to direct our prayers and problems to the right person, Jesus himself. Sometimes, we need to know if the people have the spirit of God. We cannot go to the persons who say that they are problem solvers, healers, and are well prepared, and still are not so. Disciples were not yet prepared until they experience the passion and death of Jesus. The Father shouted to Jesus, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” constantly doing this we revise our human pride.
3. Prayer is the “intimate” dialogue with God. Saint John Paul II affirmed that “Prayer always brings with it a type of interior hiddenness with Christ in God. Only in this hiddenness do we see the work of the Holy Spirit.” Prayer will increase our faith in Jesus, and Faith will make miracles.
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