In this section, Jesus comes back down from the mountain after the transfiguration and there is a man waiting with the disciples who stayed behind. The disciples are all standing around scratching their heads because they weren't able to cure the man's son of the evil spirit that possessed him. Probably nowadays this ''evil spirit'' would be called epilepsy.
So the father implores Jesus to help him, and Jesus tells him to have faith, to which the father replies something along the lines of ''I have faith! Help me out where I need faith''. The semantics of this seem slightly different in French: Je crois, aide-moi car j'ai de la peine à croire! Things like this always remind me that it would be different again in ancient Greek, so if you want to have a really detailed understanding of the Bible, you'd better not be reading it in translation. Fortunately for me, I don't believe that the Bible is the inspired literal word of God. I don't believe that God speaks any human language. I really liked when my minister described the Bible (in a private conversation with me) as ''A chronicle of peoples' struggles with faith: first the Hebrew people, then the early Christians''. That's a great working definition.
I met an American missionary in France whose translation of choice was the King James version. I was asking her what the best translation was. She didn't really have an opinion on it; she read the King James version because she had grown up with it. It's a bit disappointing for me to think that there are people who believe so strongly in Christianity that they will travel the world to proselytize, yet don't seem to have taken steps to ensure the utmost accuracy of their message. To some people, the Bible is the literal word of God, but I would like to point out that it is definitely not the literal English word of God.
That was a pretty big aside, so now we'll go back to the story. Evil spirit. Dad struggling with faith. So next, they bring the affected boy out, and Jesus notices that people are watching and starts to talk to the spirit and tell him to get out (is this showmanship?). So the boy starts to go into convulsions and foam at the mouth and all that, and then he is really still (I'm no doctor but this sounds like epilepsy, right?). Everyone thinks the boy is dead but Jesus takes him by the hand and pulls him up. Later the disciples ask him why they couldn't heal the boy, and Jesus says that the only way to deal with this kind of thing is with prayer. I love it.
So if I was writing the heading for this story, instead of something along the lines of ''Jesus heals a child with an evil spirit'', I would call it ''Jesus talks to an epileptic boy, watches him have a seizure and then helps him up''. Of course, I haven't finished the book of Mark yet, but I really don't think there was any follow up on this kid. Did he actually get cured or did he have another seizure the next day? Does it matter?
I'm not looking for miracles, I'm looking for some practical advice. Some things can only be dealt with through prayer. I can't go around curing epileptics; I'm not a doctor. I could, however, help an epileptic up after a seizure. Well, once I called an ambulance when someone was having a seizure (for the record, there isn't much you can do except move things out of the way so they don't hit anything while they are convulsing).
Not all healing is bodily. We live in a world of mystery. What happens to us when we are not in our frail human bodies is a mystery. Some things can only be healed through prayer.
I sincerely enjoyed your critique and personal thoughts:)
ReplyDeleteJesus had pretty sharp elbows. When you do things right, people won't be sure you have done anything at all.
I used to be offended by the notion of god and thought that it was a construct created, no pun intended) by humans to keep people from killing each other. However, It appears that most of the worlds bloodiest wars appear to have been influenced by the belief that one was better than the other.
Nevertheless I agree. Demonic possession in this passage quite describes the symptoms of epilepsy and prayer sounds much like a placebo. You may respond positively even to physical symptoms when you ingest the sugar pill of unquestionable faith. When I was younger i used to pray mostly when I knew I did something bad or if a family member was dying. They always passed away in the end and I've learned that common sense taught me understanding and guided my moral compass; consideration for others taught me empathy.
One day, a team Jehovah's Witnesses stopped by and dropped off this pamphlet,( I think they were J.W's anyway); So I opened it up and saw people burning for eternity in an ocean of fire because they were "sinners".I almost would have believed it too if it wasn't for my friends through whom I've learned that there are as many beliefs and or versions of them to fill an ocean..of fire maybe.
I also agree that the notion of God does not speak a human language. It speaks the language of time and nature. I believe the notion of god is the culmination and the relationship of every living and non living(life began chemically, not biologically as I understand it), thing from here to the ends of the universe. We are all made from stars.
- "The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts, therefore guard accordingly; and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue, and reasonable nature."
- Marcus Aurelius
*Had to throw in a little Marco.
**warning I have not read the bible or any version thereof but I've heard a lot about it. I hear good things**
Man, that was quite a rant. I needed that.
Sincerely,
DB