If You can…(Mark 9:21-23)

And He[Jesus] asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22“It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief…(Mark 9:21-23)

This man was desperate.

Can you imagine seeing your son in anguish from being demon-possessed since childhood? Being thrown in the fire and water? Knowing that every day you woke up, you faced the reality that today could be your child’s last day?

He had heard of Jesus and all the miracles he performed and now, Jesus was so close. Close enough to hear his voice as he shouted over the crowd to get his attention.

And he did.

Finally, there was a glimmer of hope that his son could be healed. But fear gripped him. Perhaps it was because before he approached Jesus, he thought the disciples who had been with Jesus could have healed him. But that was a failed expectation. An expectation that he wasn’t completely sure if Jesus could meet as well, but he had to try. So he did and this is how:

“But IF You can do anything…”

Immediately Jesus responded to this man’s hesitancy.

“If You can?” All things are possible to those who believe. (Mark 9:23)

I don’t believe Jesus responded this way to condone this man’s hesitancy. I believe it was to simply remind him that while he faced the disappointment of failed expectations by man, Jesus’ ability is never confined to an “if you can” because He always can. It’s only confined to our ability to believe that He can.

So instead what He says to us is “If you believe.”

Now here is the part that I am constantly blessed by.  The man assures Jesus that he believes. AND at the same time, he still needed help overcoming the battle of doubt within.

 “I believe…but help me overcome my unbelief.”

Wow! What courage it took to say that to Jesus.

He could have simply said “I believe” to appease what Jesus had just said to him. But He couldn’t shake off the reality of the battle within that would remind him of all that he had been enduring for the past years. And because those memories would rise up, He knew that if Jesus were able to heal his son, then unbelief wouldn’t intimidate Him. Surely, He could heal him of that as well

I love the honesty of this man! I’m encouraged by it. And it allows me to get a glimpse of what an intimate relationship with God could look like.

As you read further on, you see how Jesus responded. Jesus didn’t scold him, He honored his honesty. He appreciated it and desired to use it to show Himself strong.

Here is what I have learned from this story:

 Jesus honors our humanity and in that, He honors our honesty. He honors our vulnerability in confessing our doubts at times. He honors our desire to want to believe Him while in the midst of facing our reality.

All of us experience different realities. And Jesus isn’t naïve to them. He doesn’t downplay them. He doesn’t laugh at them. He is compassionate towards them.

And in His compassion, He wants us to know that He takes delight in being Believed at Who He says He is and WHAT He says He can do in our lives.

While He wants desperation to drive us to Him, He doesn’t want fear to keep us from believing IN Him and most importantly believing HIM.

I encourage you to keep being real with Him. Keep standing on your belief while confessing your unbelief to Him. I believe that the more we do that, the deeper our relationship goes in Him and the more our unbelief will turn to belief.

 He loves us deeply and He longs to be so real to us. Keep giving Him the chance!

 May these words encourage you:

“If faith never encounters doubt, if truth never struggles with error,if good never battles with evil, how can faith know its own power? In my own pilgrimage, if I have to choose between a faith that has stared doubt in the eye and made it blink, or a naive faith that has never known the firing line of doubt, I will choose the former every time.” -Gary Parker (The Gift of Doubt)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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