Mark 9:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

NIV: 'If you can'?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for one who believes.'

NASB: But Jesus said to him, '?‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.'

CSB: Jesus said to him, " 'If you can'? Everything is possible for the one who believes."

NLT: What do you mean, ‘If I can’?' Jesus asked. 'Anything is possible if a person believes.'

KJV: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

NKJV: Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Jesus' words have been translated several different ways. He may have been making an ironic rebuke to a father and a crowd who have placed their faith (and doubt) in the disciples instead of God. Or He may be saying, "As far as your words, 'if you can'…" to highlight what He is responding to.

The sentiment He quotes reflects the climate of the entire crowd. The father has a hard time believing Jesus can save his boy when His disciples can't, the scribes don't believe Jesus' power comes from God (Mark 3:22), and the disciples' limited faith isn't directed at God where it should be. Like in Nazareth, the collective lack of faith threatens to prevent the miracle (Mark 6:1–6).

Jesus isn't saying that we can accomplish anything we want if we have enough faith; this isn't an endorsement of the Word of Faith teachings. True faith doesn't presume that God will do what we want but that God can do what He wants (see: Mark 1:40–42). Jesus will expand this truth from healing to salvation when He tells the disciples that the rich can only be saved through God's power and not man's intent (Mark 10:25–27). If the scribes have been reiterating their accusation that Jesus' power comes from Satan (Mark 9:14), then Jesus is telling the father to choose whom he believes—Jesus or the scribes.

Mark 9:14–29 follows the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John went up a mountain with Jesus and saw a display of His glory as God. They also saw Moses and Elijah and heard God affirm Jesus as His Son. Now the three disciples and Jesus return from the mountain and find the remaining disciples arguing with Jewish scribes. The disciples have tried to expel a dangerous demon from a young boy but have been unable despite having performed exorcisms before (Mark 6:7–13). Jesus explains that to do God's work, we need faith in Him and to be empowered by Him. This section is parallel to Matthew 17:14–20 and Luke 9:37–43.

Mark chapter 9 contains an account of Jesus' transfiguration, where three of the disciples witness Him in a glorified form. In this passage, Jesus also heals a demon-possessed boy. His teachings in this section include a prediction of His death and resurrection, and corrections to the disciples' errors on questions of pride and temptation.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.