“How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.
He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”
“What do you mean, ‘IF I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes” (Mark 9:21-23, NLT).
You’ve probably heard of the rider who gets thrown from a horse. In that one instant, they go from the peak of confidence to questioning everything they had ever learned. They’re shaken to the core. Their confidence is rattled and they never get back on a horse again.
How about the Olympic-bound ice skater that has a terrible fall. In one single moment they find themselves unable to jump again. A few cautious ovals around the ice, but no jumps – they exit the rink and hang up their skates; their confidence is gone.
What about the man who came to Jesus to heal is son from demonic torment. He asked Jesus “IF” He could heal the boy. Rather than focusing on the boy, Jesus first focused on the father and his LACK OF CONFIDENCE in the power of Jesus.
Jesus wanted the dad to have complete FAITH and CONFIDENCE that He would do what the dad was asking Him to do.
We often find ourselves in challenging or dire situations where our faith is tested and our faith is shaken. We wonder IF Jesus can help us through our situation. But, just like the dad in the verse above, Jesus EXPECTS US to have FAITH IN HIM so that He can do His best work in us and through us, when the chips are down.
So what do we do? We pray in the same way the dad spoke to Jesus, “Help me overcome my UNBELIEF” (Mark 9:24). And with that profession of confidence in Jesus, the dad’s faith began to build – and ours will too!
Jesus helps us get back on the horse. Jesus helps us jump spirals across the ice. Jesus DID heal the dad’s son. Jesus helps us rebuild our marriage, do better at work, repair our families. All we have to do is have the CONFIDENT FAITH that when He begins to do His good work, it is up to us to BELIEVE IN HIS POWER and TRUST IN HIS WAYS.
David McCall
Executive Pastor
