They
brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.
Mark 9:20
Mark 9 [19.] He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”
Mark 9 [20.] They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.
Mark 9 [21.] He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?”
He said, “From childhood. Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”
Meaning:
Jesus had said, “Bring him to me” (Mark 9:19). The boy is brought, and the moment he comes into Jesus’ presence the evil spirit reacts violently. Before any healing takes place, the crowd sees the full horror of the boy’s condition. This verse shows the meeting between the powers of darkness and the Son of God.
- “They brought him to him”
The disciples had failed, but the right step was still possible: bring the boy to Jesus. Others did the carrying, as friends once lowered a paralysed man through a roof (Mark 2:3-4). Many people cannot come to Jesus by their own strength. They need family, friends or a church to bring them, in prayer and in practical care.
- “When he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him”
Mark makes it clear that it was the spirit that “saw” Jesus. Evil spirits in Mark always recognise who Jesus is. In the synagogue at Capernaum one cried out, “Have you come to destroy us?” (Mark 1:24), and “The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, ‘You are the Son of God!’” (Mark 3:11). James observes that “The demons also believe, and shudder” (James 2:19). Here the spirit does not bow or speak, but it lashes out, throwing the boy into a convulsion. Its last act of violence shows both its cruelty and its fear.
- “He fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth”
The boy rolls helplessly on the ground in front of everyone, just as his father had described (Mark 9:17-18). Things seem to get worse, not better, at the very moment the boy reaches Jesus. The same pattern appears with the man among the tombs, whose demons cried out in protest as soon as Jesus approached (Mark 5:1-8). Evil often fights hardest when its defeat is near.
- Jesus is not hurried
Surprisingly, Jesus does not act at once. He turns to the father and asks how long this has been happening (Mark 9:21-22). He is in complete control of the situation. The convulsing spirit cannot frighten him or force his hand, and he takes time to care for the father as well as the son.
The Significance of Mark 9:20
- When things get worse before they get better
Sometimes, when people turn to Christ or pray for deliverance, the struggle seems to grow more intense. This is not a sign that Jesus has failed. The cross has already “stripped the principalities and the powers,” triumphing over them (Colossians 2:15). The enemy’s fury is the rage of a defeated foe.
- Bring others to Jesus
Believers are called to bring the suffering to Jesus, even when earlier attempts to help have failed and even when the situation looks out of control. Prayer for others is one way of saying, as the people did here, “They brought him to him.”
Cross-References:
Mark 3:11: "The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, “You are the Son of God!”" Evil spirits always recognised Jesus’ authority.
James 2:19: "You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder." The demons know who God is and fear him.
Colossians 2:15: "having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Christ has triumphed over the powers of evil.
Luke 10:18: "I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven." The power of the enemy is broken before Jesus.
Conclusion: When the boy was brought to Jesus, the evil spirit saw him and immediately threw the boy into a violent convulsion, so that he fell and rolled on the ground foaming at the mouth. The spirit recognised Jesus and lashed out in fear and cruelty, but Jesus remained calm and in control. The verse encourages believers to keep bringing the suffering to Jesus and reminds them that evil’s fury cannot stand against the Son of God.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible