Mark 9:26Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In a figurative sense, when Jesus, who embodies the Gospel, reaches out to someone and guides their abilities, that person is liberated from evil influences. It is important to recognize that while God desires to assist us, we often resist engaging in righteous deeds. The scripture affirms, ‘Jesus lifted him up,’ which signifies God's support, and ‘and he arose,’ indicating that the individual himself was inspired to pursue good works.

The compassionate Redeemer rescued the individual who had been cast down as lifeless by a destructive adversary who had already been expelled, through the gentle touch of His loving hand. As the true God, He manifested His redemptive might, while through the touch of a human hand, He demonstrated His genuine humanity.

The Lord, by grasping this man’s hand, elevated him, demonstrating His diverse ways of working. The act of taking him by the hand reflects a human action that is characteristic of our nature, while lifting him up, restored from his affliction, exemplifies not a human effort but a divine and life-giving power.

Christ ordered the mute and deaf spirit to depart from the child and forbade it from returning. The child screamed, and after a severe convulsion of his entire body, he appeared lifeless, yet Jesus raised him up, and he was able to stand. The crowd gathered in amazement at the magnificence of God, who had performed such an extraordinary miracle. Addressing the impure spirit, the Lord referred to it as a mute and deaf spirit, and He later informed the disciples that only through prayer and fasting could such spirits be cast out. What does the term ‘mute and deaf spirit’ (Mk. 9:25) signify, and why does this type of spirit necessitate particular efforts for removal? It seems that the Lord designated the malevolent spirit as mute and deaf not because it possessed these qualities inherently but because, due to its influence, the boy had become mute and deaf.

Christ confidently assured him that “all things are possible to him that believeth.” When the distressed father, eager to dispel all uncertainty within himself, cried out, “I believe, Lord, help my unbelief,” the Saviour promptly bolstered his faith by healing his son. To the afflicted one, He authoritatively commanded, “Spirit, deaf and dumb! I charge you, come out of him and do not enter again.” A louder outcry ensued, and the anguished boy convulsed even more violently before collapsing to the ground, no longer writhing or foaming, lying still as though dead. Some remarked that he had perished. However, Christ took him by the hand and, to the amazement of the gathered crowd, returned him to his father in a state of peace and health.