I Believe...But
There is an interesting vignette in the Jesus story that Mark recounts when Jesus and three of his closest followers, Peter, James, and John, went up a mountain. There, Jesus, in a sense, took off his human side and let the divine show through. The transfiguration of Jesus must have been absolutely amazing for these three. On their return they saw the other disciples surrounded by a large crowd and some of the Jewish religious leaders. When asked what was going on, a man stepped forward and 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." [the story goes on with a dialogue between Jesus and the father. Finally, the father says] "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
Coming off a mountaintop experience like no other, where Jesus shows his glory and talks with Moses and Elijah, and where God the Father cuts Peter off mid-sentence with, "This is my beloved son, listen to him", the group returns to a somewhat chaotic scene. A distraught dad, his tormented son, a crowd wanting to see some action, and religious leaders scrutinizing what this uncontrollable rabbi would do next.
The dad is at his end. You can imagine he has exhausted every avenue for a solution to his boy's seizures, without success. Likely, he has heard about this miracle-man, and with hope against hope he travels with his son in search of healing and relief. Now, Jesus' disciples provided no help and if you squint as you read, his heartache comes to the front in his plea: "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." What follows opens an unexpected window onto human nature and the heart of Jesus.
I picture Jesus as smiling, maybe chuckling, as he replies, "'If you can’??? Everything is possible for him who believes." Less indictment than invitation. He has just been revealed in glory and power and divinity and now faces off with a relatively tiny issue. Can you picture the scene? People lean in to hear and see what happens next. Jesus in complete control. Peter, James, and John with heads still spinning, trying to process what they had witnessed on the mountain with what they are now in the middle of. Religious leaders with arms crossed and brows furrowed. More people running to not miss whatever hubbub was happening.
And then, there stands the father with a mixture of desperate hope and crushing fatigue replying to Jesus with one of the most honest admissions in the bible.
"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief."
This father is you.
He is me.
He stands in for every one of us as we face life with our little faith in our hands.
We believe, but we still doubt.
We want to be strong, but we sometimes waver.
We still have regions of our heart that are yet to be converted.
We are not quite . . . whole.
The rest of the story that unfolds in Mark 9 showcases a picture of the heart of Jesus, first toward these two needy folks, and with us, as well. The boy is healed on the spot, while the dad still carries his doubts. Think about the implications:
God won't wait for you to be good enough, faithful enough, strong enough before he acts. Ask now!
The love of God toward you is not handcuffed by your doubts. Trust anyway!
You are blessed not as a reward for your good heart, but because he chooses to bless you. Rejoice in truth!
You are loved, not because of what you do, but out of his will to love you. Relax!
So, friend, this is the good news for you buried in a story of Jesus and a father in the midst of a crowd. Imagine how grace transformed this man. I believe his "unbelief" shrunk a bit that day. This man learned it was natural to doubt, but the key is to doubt our assumptions about Jesus and not his ability to act. Just like us, the father would never be full of belief, being altogether human, but I think Jesus gained a follower that day who found a God who accepted him as he was, warts and all.
That dad stands in for you and me. Consider praying honest prayers with this guy's words on your lips. "I do believe, Lord, but help me overcome my unbelief." Then move forward with whatever you face, trusting in a God who loves you. Let's go!
...and music!
How about a funny?
A pastor assured his congregation he was their servant and that they should feel free to call him anytime they had a problem.
That night the pastor's phone rang at 3 a.m. On the other end was a dear elderly lady who said, "Pastor, I can't sleep."
"I'm so sorry to hear that," he comforted her. "But what can I do about it?" the pastor asked.
She sweetly replied, "Preach to me a while, pastor."