This week’s readings are all from Mark chapters 8-9. Click here to see the full reading and a list of each day’s readings. Each day’s segments of the readings will be posted on this site during the week.
Today's Reading
Then, after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him.
Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me. For whoever is not against us is for us. For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ’s name will never lose his reward.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9.28–43 NET)
No verse 44
If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. (Mark 9.45 NET)
No verse 46
If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched. Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9.47–50 NET)
Parallel Passages
Okay so... what kind of prayer does Jesus mean here? What was prayer to Jews and these disciples during this time?
Just "talking to God" as we say it? Or something else?
@travisbruno3 Travis you asked:
...what kind of prayer does Jesus mean here? What was prayer to Jews and these disciples during this time?
Just "talking to God" as we say it? Or something else?
There were all kinds of prayers in Jewish culture: free-form spontaneous prayers, prayers for deliverance, and liturgical prayers.
What's interesting is that Jesus is not recorded as offering a prayer in this moment. However, he is recorded several times, in Mark and the other Gospels, as withdrawing to pray and spending time in prayer. Maybe it isn't about 'what kind of prayer', as in what kind of particular prayer, but rather about a consistency or lifestyle of prayer in one's life that matters?
There is an idea in OT texts and first-century (and later) Jewish belief that prayer was not only praying to God but also had an element of engagement in the larger spiritual realities and conflicts. Often, in works like Ezekiel and Daniel, prayer leads to an experience also with spiritual beings, after praying for 3 weeks (21 days), Daniel has this experience:
'Then he [traditionally, Gabriel] said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you gave your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words. However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for twenty-one days. But Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in future days, for the vision pertains to days to come...Now I am about to return to engage in battle with the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece is coming. However, I will first tell you what is written in a dependable book. (There is no one who strengthens me against these princes, except Michael your prince.”'
(Daniel 10.12–14; 20-21)
The idea of the 'princes' was that there was a hierarchy of spiritual beings, good and bad, that had power and influence over geographical regions and nations. Daniel and others, like Ezekiel, had interactions with these beings during times of prayer and in dreams and visions. In the one above, the spiritual-being says that he has been engaged in conflict with the 'prince of the kingdom of Persia' and had to be helped by Michael, the spiritual-being who was the prince of Israel. Daniel's prayer seems to be somehow connected to and affected by this spiritual conflict.
This idea happens in the New Testament as well. Zechariah is praying in the temple when the angel Gabriel gives him the message that he will be the father of John, the Baptizer (Luke 1.8–23). Jesus during his period of fasting and testing (and we can assume, praying) in the wilderness is tempted by Satan. In the book of Revelation, John has experiences not only with Jesus but with other angelic beings. Paul has a dream-vision where 'a man' (similar to the description in Daniel) tells him "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" (Acts 9:9-10). In a first-century context, this may have been understood to be a spiritual-being over the region of Macedonia. We know that in extra-biblical works from this period that the idea of persons having such experiences, where prayer was an engagement not only in conversation with God but also engagement with the larger, unseen spiritual realm, was well-known.
There is a fascinating story exorcists trying to cast out demons using Jesus name in Acts:
'But some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” (Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) But the evil spirit replied to them, “I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?” Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.
(Acts 19.13–16 NET, emphasis added)
These exorcists were trying to use the authority of Jesus as a sort of magic talisman for casting out demons, but the demons didn't know them and then subsequently beat up these exorcists. I wonder if this has to do with prayer? That these exorcists were more magicians that those who were engaging in prayer?
There is another interesting story in the Talmud (so, 5 centuries later, but still within the context of Jewish belief about demons):
Abaye heard that Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov was coming. There was a certain demon [a mazziq] in the study hall of Abaye, which was so powerful that when two people would enter they would be harmed, even during the day. Abaye said to the people of the town: Do not give Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov lodging [ushpiza] so that he will be forced to spend the night in the study hall. Since Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov is a righteous man, perhaps a miracle will occur on his behalf and he will kill the demon.
Rav Aḥa found no place to spend the night, and he entered and spent the night in that study hall of the Sages. The demon appeared to him like a serpent with seven heads. Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov began to pray, and with every bow that he bowed one of the demon’s heads fell off, until it eventually died. The next day Rav Aḥa said to the townspeople: If a miracle had not occurred, you would have placed me in danger.
(b. Qiddushin 29B, lines 12-14, Koren-Steinsatlz Edition)
It should not be missed that it was not merely the idea of prayer that allowed Rav Aḥa to slay the demon, but it is connected also to the idea that he was a righteous man, someone who would have been known for both prayer and justice towards those in need.
@travisbruno3 That last story about Rav Aḥa reminded me also of this passage in the NT:
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith(fulness) will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous-person is powerful and effective.
(James 5.13–16 NRSV)