Mark 9

Jesus spends more time with his disciples. First with his inner circle and then with the larger group. Believing is still the critical topic. Verse one reassures some that they will see what Jesus sees in their lifetime.

 

Jesus takes his inner circle up on a mountain. Special tings and appearances of God happen on mountains in the Bible. Peter, James and John see Jesus' clothes become brilliant white and then see Moses and Elijah with Jesus. Both are long dead. Moses symbolizes the Law and Elijah symbolizes the Prophets. The Law and Prophets are two major parts of the Hebrew Bible – Jesus' Bible. Maybe this says that Jesus "sums up" in a person what the Bible is all about.

Peter is nervous and frightened (who wouldn't be?) at this sight and suggests memorializing it with some tents, sort of like making it a theme park or national monument. Then, just like at Jesus' baptism, a voice (God) says to pay attention to what his son, Jesus, is saying. Then everything disappears. Jesus again tells them not to talk about this to others until he rises. His friends have no idea what he is talking about yet. Jesus seems to end the trip by telling them that John was Elijah returning (Jews expect Elijah to return to usher in the time of the Messiah.) He also reminds them that the Messiah is a suffering person and not a warrior or politician.

Back at the camp, the remaining disciples cannot heal a boy like Jesus does and Like Jesus ordered them to do. Again, Jesus seems exasperated at the unbelief of even his closest friends. The boy's father proves to be a model of faith, picking up on the fact that Jesus expects the father to trust he can heal the boy. The father changes his tune but not without saying that he is a mixture of believing (conviction acted upon) and not-belief. Jesus tells this friends that prayer (being better in touch with God? Giving the healing process more time? Jesus does not say) was the only way to heal this one.

Jesus needs to get away with only his disciples in order to teach them more. He starts again with the death and rising of the Son of Man (Jesus.) The disciples clam up. They have no clue yet. Instead, they argue about who is the greatest (teacher's pet?) of them all. Jesus states very clearly that to be great one must be a servant of God to all people, even kids. Greatness is not about status or lording it over someone. It is about service. Do you expect to be served more than to serve?

Jesus gives status to people outside his inner group of disciples because they beat the fruit of helping people heal. In other words, the fruit is more important than knowing all the facts or saying all the right things. How many times do we see ourselves superior to others because of our church-going when, if we looked at it, they are producing better fruit than we are? Jesus tells the disciples (he is using exaggeration here, he does not physically think our eye is the problem) to not hinder someone doing the work of God (healing or restoring a person to wholeness) regardless of their church status.

Jesus finally ends this time by reminding his disciples that a great fruit is peace or harmony with themselves and others, not worrying about who "has it right."