GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 9:28
Why Were We Not Able?
Have you shopped at Walmart lately? It might be wise to stop by the highway department first and pick up one of the bright yellow, reflective safety vests worn by highway workers before heading to your local Walmart. Why? Because surrogate shoppers buzz up and down the aisles—known in Walmart speak as “Personal Shoppers.” They are on a mission, and it’s wise not to get in their path. That’s one reason an in store shopper might need the safety vest.
Finding a particular item in Walmart’s mysterious, ever changing shelving algorithm is often tricky. That is where the Personal Shopper (PS) may come in handy—if it’s possible to interrupt one on their mission. Each PS carries a small handheld device that displays the shelving location of every item on the shelves in the store. In a desperate, last ditch effort, I recently flagged down a PS and asked about an item’s location. Sure enough, after a few button presses, the PS provided me with the answer.
The experience with the PS is somewhat similar to the situation Jesus’ disciples faced in St. Mark’s account of his healing of a young boy. The father brought the boy to the nine disciples, but they were unable to cast out the demon. Jesus, however, did cast out the demon: “And after he entered into a house, his disciples privately asked him, ‘Why were we not able to cast it out?’” (Mark 9:28; cf. Matt. 17:19)
I seek out the PS because they have the answer. The disciples sought out Jesus because he had the ultimate answer—a message for all believers.
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