Basic Questions

1. Identify as completely as possible the person in need (e.g., age, ethnic origin, religion, gender, social status).
   Man's epileptic demon-possessed son.

2. What was the immediate, obvious need?
   Man's son was suffering from seizures (epileptic demon-possessed).

3. Who took the initiative in effecting the healing?
   The person in need? Others? Jesus?
   How was it expressed?
   Boy's father approached Jesus and knelt before him. He said, "Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and is suffering greatly."

4. Describe the actions or process leading to the healing; that is, what was said (e.g., questions, requests, commands) and what was done (e.g., approaching, following, touching, publicly/privately), and by whom?
   Boy's father approached Jesus and knelt before him and asked for mercy and healing.
   Jesus asked for the boy to be brought to Him.
   The boy's father admits and is willing to overcome his own unbelief.
   Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.
   Jesus tells the disciples that they couldn't drive the spirit out because this kind can only come out by prayer (and fasting).

5. Did the person in need or someone else verbally express faith? Non-verbally? Describe how and by whom faith was in involved in this healing.
   The father had enough faith to request mercy and healing from Jesus.
   The father was also willing to admit and overcome his own unbelief.

6. What were the evidences that the person was healed?
   The spirit was driven out by Jesus.

7. What were the reactions to the healing?
   People were amazed at the greatness of God.

8. What in this narrative led Jesus to minister healing to the person in need?
   The father's request for mercy and healing and the father's willingness to admit and overcome his own unbelief.

Digging Deeper

1. Coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus encounters a crowd of people arguing, apparently about the healing of a young boy. Which apostles were with Jesus? Who all were in the crowd?
   Peter, James and John the brother of James were with Jesus. (Matt 17:1)
   The other disciples were with the crowd arguing with the teachers of the law. (Mark 9:14)

2. What do you make of Mark 17:15? What Old Testament happening was similar?
   

3. This healing proceeds through a kind of dialogue, beginning with the father explaining the son's problem. What does the father say or do that reveals something about himself?
   The father says "IF you can do anything" which implies some doubt in Jesus' ability to heal. (Mark 9:22-23)

   About how the father regards Jesus?
   The father also says "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!". This shows his willingness to admit his doubts and seek help from Jesus to overcome them.

   Is this your attitude when you pray to Jesus for healing? If not, why not?
   This does seem like a good attitude to take, it shows a willingness to rely on Jesus. Jesus can get rid of doubts, strengthen faith, heal when no one else can!

   Does this conversation between Jesus and the father serve any useful purpose?
   It shows that the father was willing to rely on Jesus to remove his doubts, strengthen his faith and heal his son when nobody else could.

   Does this suggest anything you might do in some situations when responding to a request for healing ministry?
   Encouraging a dialogue may be useful, it may show other areas where healing is also needed. Jesus is concerned with the whole person.

4. In the healing account of the two blind men, and the daughter of the Canaanite woman, all asked Jesus to "have mercy on me" while the father in this story asks Jesus to "have mercy on my son". Is the difference important?
   The difference doesn't seem important. Jesus helps all involed when healing takes place.

   Would you call these "prayers"?
   Yes, these do seem like prayers where the answer is left up to Jesus.

   Is it enough just to be sick for Jesus to respond, or must someone request it? Discuss.
   Jesus does seem to respond without being asked sometimes. Asking encourages a dialogue to be opened with Jesus. This in itself is healing.

5. How does the son participate in his own healing? Does the son show faith?
   Jesus took the boy by his hand and he stood up (Mark 9:27). The boy was willing to be led by Jesus - this does show some faith.

   Another possible way to look at this is that the son wasn't able to participate at all - he may have been too "out of it". This is a more powerful message to us as intercessors.

6. Is Jesus showing compassion toward the father or toward the demon-possessed (epileptic) son, or both?
   Both, Jesus answers the father's request and heals the son.

7. This healing takes place in full view of a crowd. Is there anything in this passage to indicate this is not the way Jesus would have preferred it?
   When Jesus saw the crowd coming he rebuked the evil spirit (Mark 9:25).

8. Was Jesus expressing impatience with His apostles? When had He previously sent them out to minister healing? Discuss.
   It may not have been impatience. He may have said this to get them to think about what they were doing (Mark 9:19).
   In Mark 6:7 Jesus gives the disciples power over evil spirits and sends them out two by two. Therefore the disciples already had the power to heal this boy.

9. Discuss Jesus' response in Mark 9:29. Did Jesus pray in this situation? Do you think the apostles followed Jesus' example in taking time for prayer? Any specific instances?
   Prayer is an important part of the healing ministry. Jesus prayed alone many times.

   Look at Jesus' response in Matt 17:20, in this account Jesus talks about faith - how do you explain these two different answers?
   Faith and prayer seem to go together. When there is little faith there is little praying. Often people don�t pray because they lack the faith that God hears our prayers and does answer them. When there is an abundance of faith there is also an abundance of prayer.

   Read Mark 9:19. Is this yet a third answer to why the disciples could not heal the boy -- that they did not "believe?"
   Not believing is consistent with Matt 17:20 lack of faith. That's why Jesus wanted the boy brought directly to Him.
   The disciples were given the power in Mark 6:7 over evil spirits but somehow they weren't able to rely on this to drive out the spirit in this case. Lack of prayer and lack of faith got in the way of relying on the power they were given.

10. What lesson(s) have you learned about healing from this account?
    Perfect faith is not necessary for healing to take place.

    Jesus can help overcome doubt.

    Prayer can overcome the most difficult of circumstances.

    When we have a grain of faith we can move mountains (Matt 17:20).

    Prayer and faith go hand in hand.