"Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, 'I believe; help my unbelief!' " - Mark 9:24 ESV
Many things have been said about this passage. I see one detail that really puts this passage into context.
"And someone from the crowd answered him, 'Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.' " - Mark 9:17-18 ESV
...So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able...
I have prayed, 'Help my unbelief!' many times. I think it is a good honest prayer that God will answer and wants to answer. What causes this 'unbelief'. I think we could point at many things. Lack of trust. Lack of knowledge. Uncertainty about God's will in a situation. Other People... yes... it could be that other well meaning people have failed us because or their weakness, ignorance or lack of faith.
In a way I think the man was saying, 'I wanted to bring my child to you but I got them instead.'
Jesus says this...
"And he answered them, 'O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.' " - Mark 9:19 ESV
I think He was talking more about His disciples than about this father who was 'faltering' in faith.
"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.' 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.' But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose." - Mark 9:25-27 ESV
God's plan is so interesting to me. Jesus sent people out to cast out evil spirits but then they run up against this and their failure shakes things up.
He sends out you and i also and we mess things up. Then people have to choose based on our often imperfect witness. Still... God sends us and we are accountable.
"And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, 'Why could we not cast it out?' And he said to them, 'This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.' " - Mark 9:28-29 ESV
Some translations say 'prayer and fasting'.
I imagine these disciples were hungry for this answer with an urgency. I am hungry for the answer. I am hungry to be so centered in on Jesus that I am not hindered. I don't want people to doubt because of me. God knows. He knows. That comforts me.
"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.' " - Mark 16:15-16 ESV
We go knowing our focus and prayer life is important. The stakes couldn't be higher.
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