Mark 9:20-29
20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
Do we really believe that God can heal? We may intellectually agree that it is possible, but that is not the same as believing that it will happen. It has been said that the longest 18 inches is the distance between our head and our heart, for we often agree intellectually to certain theological ideas, but harbor doubt in our hearts. In this passage, a man has brought his son to the disciples and they could not heal him. So the man asked Jesus to heal him "if you can" (verse 22). Jesus challenges the man's doubt: "'If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes" (verse 23). The man's response is something that resonates with many of us: "I believe; help my unbelief!" (verse 24). This is a good response, for it is honest about his weakness, and asks for strength. What is needed is not just gullible, wishful belief, but a trust in the goodness and power of God to work in our lives, and thus a willingness to depend on Him. This is why Jesus says of the demon that "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer" (verse 29). It was not a magic prayer that Jesus said to kick the demon out, but a life of prayerful dependence on God's power.
Lord, I do believe that You are a good and powerful God who wants to heal me, but please help me to overcome my unbelief, to truly trust You in all things.
20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
Do we really believe that God can heal? We may intellectually agree that it is possible, but that is not the same as believing that it will happen. It has been said that the longest 18 inches is the distance between our head and our heart, for we often agree intellectually to certain theological ideas, but harbor doubt in our hearts. In this passage, a man has brought his son to the disciples and they could not heal him. So the man asked Jesus to heal him "if you can" (verse 22). Jesus challenges the man's doubt: "'If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes" (verse 23). The man's response is something that resonates with many of us: "I believe; help my unbelief!" (verse 24). This is a good response, for it is honest about his weakness, and asks for strength. What is needed is not just gullible, wishful belief, but a trust in the goodness and power of God to work in our lives, and thus a willingness to depend on Him. This is why Jesus says of the demon that "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer" (verse 29). It was not a magic prayer that Jesus said to kick the demon out, but a life of prayerful dependence on God's power.
Lord, I do believe that You are a good and powerful God who wants to heal me, but please help me to overcome my unbelief, to truly trust You in all things.