A Jesus story that has puzzled me over the years involves a distraught father and his desperately ill son (Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit, Mark 9). The man in the story is helpless, in the face of his son’s life-long suffering, but not hopeless. No one can heal the boy, so he seeks out Jesus asking for mercy, begging: “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus’ reply is less than saintly. He sounds a bit annoyed, as I read it, answering: “If you can do anything?” As if to say, you really don’t get who I am yet? But in the next breath, Jesus shares a message that still resonates today: “All things are possible for one who believes.” We can understand Jesus’ initial impatience. After countless miracles, He’s probably thinking: what else do I need to prove? But it’s the seeming contradiction of what happens next that is puzzling. The father’s response to Jesus is: “I believe; help my unbelief!” What does that mean? How can we hold belief and unbelief at the same time? How indeed.
Here's the story from Mark 9:
“A man in the crowd said, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not. ‘You unbelieving generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.’ So, they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit,’ he said, ‘I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He’s dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.”
Faith in God is not the default position for most of us. I think indifference is. We’re busy making our way in the world, finding love, earning a living, raising our families, etc. But just like Jesus invites his earliest Disciples to “Come and See” in John 1, we also are welcome to open our eyes and hearts to a God who is with us. As we begin to see, in the way Jesus means, we are transformed and able to inhabit “a whole new world,” as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5. In my experience, once we can begin to believe in things that we don't see, we will begin to see things that we can believe. This is the wisdom of this Scripture and Jesus’ overarching message: "Everything is possible for one who believes."
As we wait for our miracles, we are invited to open our eyes to what’s miraculous all around us and find healing. If we can remind ourselves that we believe and, from time to time, ask God for a little help with our unbelief, we’ll receive our miracles and then some. The song pairing is “Raise Your Head.” Until next time, stay safe, be brave and keep walking in the light. (Thanks to Tim Pickavance and Jesus and the Rational Nature of Faith.)
Raise Your Head
Bow your head with ears to listen
God’s around, see what you’re missing
raise your head with eyes to see
God’s right here with you and me
Now He don’t text and He don’t phone
but you can bet, you’re never alone
so when your faith’s a bit rusty
lean on me, He said, you can trust me
Raise your head with eyes to see
God’s right here with you and me
Raise your head with eyes to see
God’s right here with you and me
If a powerful worry’s tumbling ’round your brain
don’t take a bus, don’t take a plane
sit right down, open your heart
lean on Him, that’s a very good start
Raise your head with eyes to see
God’s right here with you and me
Raise your head with eyes to see
God’s right here with you and me
I Believe! (help my unbelief)