Help My Unbelief
Jesus said to him "If you can? All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the boy's father cried out and began saying "I do believe, help my unbelief."" Mark 9:23-24
I often wonder what it felt like for the disciples to come back down from the mount of transfiguration to encounter a problem like the one they face in Mark 9. They come down from the mountain top experience of seeing Jesus illuminated with glory and hearing a voice from the sky and then get plucked down into utter chaos when they come down from the mountain. No sooner do they get to the crowd then they hear the accusation of the father of the young boy in question say "I told your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it." Mark 9:18. I also wonder if there wasn't some sense of shame on the part of the disciples who got left behind that they were not able to handle the situation.
At any rate, I am sure they were glad to see Jesus coming with James, John and Peter back down the mountain. This boy clearly had a huge problems, he was rolling around on the ground, foaming at the mouth, convulsing. Maybe the disciples got intimidated by the situation. But, when we often focus on the lack of faith of the father, let me first point out that there was also a problem of faith with the remaining disciples. They clearly felt over their heads and initimated by the situation and their faith wavered. It is hard to point a finger of accusation because I am so often there myself.
So, after seeing the disciples fail miserably at healing his son, the father's faith is wavering. He has heard so much about the multitude that Jesus has healed over the years. That might be why after bringing the boy to Jesus the father is starting to have doubts. It is that word of doubt that Jesus seek to deal with the "If you can". To the father's credit, at least he admits his doubts and struggles and doesn't deny them. But, he is also a man of faith, so he says to Jesus, "I do believe, help my unbelief." Mark 9:24. I think that is a great statement and sometimes a great prayer also. To be transparent enough before God to say to God, "Yes, I believe in you, but I am really struggling to understand right now. Please help anyway." The great news for us when we read this story is that Jesus does respond and helps him despite his struggles.
There are so many awful things that happen in our world today, that is would be a person who has either been in a coma or worse that doesn't see that our world can be a cold and miserable place sometimes. In light of that, it can seem like Jesus is on the mountain while we are still here struggling and having difficulties. We may be tempted to thing that Jesus isn't paying attention or seeing our heartache. Clearly, this father was a man with a lot of pain. Most parents would tell you, they would rather hurt themselves than see their children hurt. I'll tell you from my experience, you mess with my kids and your pulling the wrong tail. You don't want any of that. It would be far better for you to mess with me than to mess with my kids.
An abbreviated version of this story is also told in the gospel of Matthew in Matthew 17:14-18. The disciples ask Jesus after the crowds are gone what went wrong. Jesus says to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, "Move from here to there, and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible for you." So, here we see again, that the problem was a lack of faith. But, the good news is that Jesus says it doesn't take a lot to move a mountain. Even it is as small as a mustard seed then God will honor it.
At any rate, I am sure they were glad to see Jesus coming with James, John and Peter back down the mountain. This boy clearly had a huge problems, he was rolling around on the ground, foaming at the mouth, convulsing. Maybe the disciples got intimidated by the situation. But, when we often focus on the lack of faith of the father, let me first point out that there was also a problem of faith with the remaining disciples. They clearly felt over their heads and initimated by the situation and their faith wavered. It is hard to point a finger of accusation because I am so often there myself.
So, after seeing the disciples fail miserably at healing his son, the father's faith is wavering. He has heard so much about the multitude that Jesus has healed over the years. That might be why after bringing the boy to Jesus the father is starting to have doubts. It is that word of doubt that Jesus seek to deal with the "If you can". To the father's credit, at least he admits his doubts and struggles and doesn't deny them. But, he is also a man of faith, so he says to Jesus, "I do believe, help my unbelief." Mark 9:24. I think that is a great statement and sometimes a great prayer also. To be transparent enough before God to say to God, "Yes, I believe in you, but I am really struggling to understand right now. Please help anyway." The great news for us when we read this story is that Jesus does respond and helps him despite his struggles.
There are so many awful things that happen in our world today, that is would be a person who has either been in a coma or worse that doesn't see that our world can be a cold and miserable place sometimes. In light of that, it can seem like Jesus is on the mountain while we are still here struggling and having difficulties. We may be tempted to thing that Jesus isn't paying attention or seeing our heartache. Clearly, this father was a man with a lot of pain. Most parents would tell you, they would rather hurt themselves than see their children hurt. I'll tell you from my experience, you mess with my kids and your pulling the wrong tail. You don't want any of that. It would be far better for you to mess with me than to mess with my kids.
An abbreviated version of this story is also told in the gospel of Matthew in Matthew 17:14-18. The disciples ask Jesus after the crowds are gone what went wrong. Jesus says to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, "Move from here to there, and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible for you." So, here we see again, that the problem was a lack of faith. But, the good news is that Jesus says it doesn't take a lot to move a mountain. Even it is as small as a mustard seed then God will honor it.
