Unbelief

Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

I notice how freely some people will believe just about anything. The newest things comes down the road, a new cure, a new weight loss miracle, a new teaching, and they seem to jump at it abandoning the old for the new. And then the next new thing comes along and off they go.

I find the problem is not with the old, but with the real level of engagement with the old. So many just lick the surface of what they claim to believe without really engaging with it. They paint the outside without dealing with the heart issues.

The old partially embraced is no match for the hope offered in something new. The problem is not with the old, it is with the surface encounter with the old. They have gotten just close enough to look and smell like the real thing, but haven’t gotten close enough to truly change.

The outward signs of this type of person is obvious: they are always bouncing to the next new thing. They are never satisfied. They are always wondering. They are easily excitable. They have no anchor for their soul.

In contrast, someone who is fully engaged with their beliefs isn’t easily moved. They ups and downs of emotion don’t pull them from their spot. Even life’s worst tragedies don’t seem to pull them from their beliefs.

Our text is very interesting. A man has brought his son to Jesus to be healed. He was like so many at this time in Jesus ministry. They were traveling from all around to get to Jesus. He could bring cures to the incurable. And He did!

So this man hears about Jesus and brings his son to the disciples. This was probably during their first solo outreaches. They weren’t really solo outreaches, but in pairs, but I digress. The disciples aren’t able to help. So the man becomes even more determined to find Jesus and bring son and Jesus into the same space.

So the man has the chance. As soon as the son sees Jesus, he is thrown into a demonic convulsion. The man sees his son, yet again in a fit, and he is overcome with hopelessness. All his previous attempts have failed. But Jesus….

So he asks Jesus “if” he can help. And Jesus replies by pointing to the key: belief. Now this is where the man wavers. He has brought his son to Jesus having heard what Jesus can do. And at the same time he is face to face with the hopeless condition of his son. What a hard place to try to find solid ground on which to stand.

Now this man is honest in his reply to Jesus. He has faith, but he still waivers. He needs help overcoming his unbelief. He is torn. He is struggling.

This is often where we find ourselves, isn’t it. We want to pull in close to Jesus, but then we see the earthly circumstances and we get overcome. We want to believe, but believing can be hard. Sometimes believing means we have to not pay attention to the “reality” we see right in front of us.

But reality is often hidden under the surface of things. The LORD uses the most unlikely to bring restoration. He uses spit and mud! INFECTION CONTROL! The LORD doesn’t have to fit our mold. He can do it His way.

Help our unbelief, LORD!