mark 9:21-24 :: Jesus heals a boy possessed by an evil spirit (pt  3)

with some sort of faith and or desperation, this father had come seeking Jesus to help heal his son. he was working from some sort of faith or belief that something could happen. he was operating on hope, and though it may have been a very small hope, it was enough to get him out of his house and on the road to find this Man from galilee who was unlike any other man he had ever heard of.

but beaten down by the distance, and travelling with his possessed child, and broken several times again by each failed attempt of Jesus’ disciples his small hope had dwindled to the point that though he was now standing in the presence of  Jesus, is is uttering “ifs” and walking again in the realm of doubt and unbelief. his despair would be understandable if he stood in front of yet another man, seeking counsel or help. but today, he finds himself in front of Jesus, he doesn’t get a reply of “well, if i can do anything…” but instead, Jesus points out that he even used the word “if”, and proceeds to move into their lives in order to give the only real help they have received.

Jesus doesn’t just try to move them through the line of those needing healing, like the santa on “A Christmas Story” kicking kids down the slide, and mechanically trying to just get through the crowd.  Jesus talks with dad and asks him how long this has been going on. He wants them to know that they are important to Him, and that He sincerely cares about them and their situation. He’s not going to heal him, just for the sake of doing it, but for the purpose of doing an actual work in their life that will elicit a change.  He wants them to see the love of God at work in their life for them and for their sake.

so Jesus explains to him that belief will help heal his son, and dad instantly says to himself ‘obviously my belief so far has come up short, so help me make up the difference.’

“help me overcome my unbelief!”