9:17 διδάσκαλε, “teacher”: Again, Jesus is portrayed as a teacher (see the commentary on 1:27), which is his own preferred self-understanding (in addition to being the Son of Man). As elsewhere in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ teaching precedes his miraculous deeds (see 1:21 and 6:34), just as later believing precedes divine activity (see 8:24–25). πνεῦμα ἄλαλον, “a mute spirit”: This incident does also bear similarity to 7:31–37 and demonstrates once again that in Jesus the eschatological reign and