Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (MK 9.24)
The son of the man who uttered this prayer twisted and convulsed at Jesus’ feet, foaming at the mouth and grinding his teeth. He’d suffered this heartbreaking affliction since childhood, sometimes tumbling into fire or water. Imagine his father’s constant grief, anxiety and stress. After all these years, the father’s faith barely registered on the scale. He wasn’t even sure that this reputed miracle-worker could do anything. After all, the man’s disciples hadn’t helped his tormented son. His doubt-filled request to Jesus was: “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
If I had been Jesus, I would have said, “Nice try, Jack. Come back when you’re a little more convinced of my love and power.”
But instead of turning him away, Jesus encouraged him to have faith: “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” To which the man honestly admitted, “I believe, but I’ve got a whole lot of doubt, too. Help my unbelief.” Amazingly, Jesus replied: “I’ll take that. I’ll take your mustard seed of faith and work with it.” It’s almost like Jesus ignored his vast unbelief but grabbed his speck of faith as if it were monumental. Then, unleashing his power through that particle of faith, Jesus healed his son.
This story encourages me, because so often my faith would fit in a thimble.
But Jesus doesn’t require barn-sized faith. All he needs is a mustard seed’s worth.
So whatever you’re praying for, be it the salvation of a parent who’s never darkened a church’s doorway, or a teen who rolls his eyes every time you talk about Jesus, an impossible health condition, or a mountain-sized financial need, bring your thimble of faith to Jesus, for that’s all he needs. Confess your unbelief and ask him to help you trust him. Ask him to increase your faith.
Rivet your eyes, not on your impossible situation or on your peewee faith, but on Jesus. He’s waiting to pour out his power.
Photo by wade from oklahoma
Written by Mark Altrogge
Topics: Faith