Daily Gospel Reflection for May 21, 2018

Today's Gospel: Mark 9:14-29 "Everything is possible to one who has faith." That’s what our Lord said to the father whose son was possessed by a mute spirit. After the Transfiguration, Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down the mountain to find a large crowd that had gathered, waiting for them. An argument was in progress between the disciples and Scribes over the disciples’ failure to drive out the demon. The young man had been plagued by the demons since childhood. They were vicious demons, causing him to foam at the mouth, grind his teeth, fall to the ground, and become rigid. They even tried to kill him by throwing him into fire and water. Surely these men, these followers of Jesus of Nazareth, could dispel the demon according to their claims. When they tried and were unable, the frustrated father became angry. Since scribes were involved in the scene, it’s not unlikely that they helped incite the man’s anger by spewing barbs and insults. Perhaps they were hoping to move the crowd to violence against Jesus and his followers. That could be an effective way to get rid of this troublemaker, Jesus. The poor disciples were perplexed as to the reason why they couldn’t free the young man from the demons. Jesus had told them that, by invoking His name, they would be able to do wondrous things. What had happened? After curing the young man, Jesus told the disciples, “This kind can only come out through prayer.” Some Bible translations interpret our Lord’s words as meaning “through fasting and prayer.” Either way, the point is that only with serious prayer can we effectively counter the evil that seeks to deter us from doing great things in Jesus’ name. As Jesus said, “everything is possible for one who has faith.”