“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him
who believes.’ Immediately the father of
the child cried out and said with tears ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’”
There had been quite a dispute between the disciples and the
scribes about this person who was tormented from childhood by a spirit. No one yet had been able to heal him. Jesus said within earshot of the disciples,
the scribes and the father that they were a ‘faithless generation.’ When the son is brought before Jesus, he asks
the father a few questions. The
desperate father explained to Jesus that the spirit often threw his son both
into the fire and into the water to destroy him. Make no mistake, Satan will harm us as much
and as often as he can – thank God that Satan cannot harm us as much and as often as he would. In this case Satan had accomplished the
torment of two individuals, the son possessed by the mute spirit, and the
tender hearted father who is just as afflicted to see his son in such torment. The father states that if Jesus can do
anything, have compassion on them and help them.
That “if” the father placed before Jesus is now placed
before the father. If you can
believe. So Jesus turns the question
around. But with that question Jesus provides
encouragement, showing the limitless possibilities for those who believe. All things are possible.
The father’s response, his cry, was at once and tearful. He confessed a belief in the person of Jesus
Christ, in His works. He called Jesus
‘Lord’ in a public setting that included the scribes. “I am not saved because I believe the
Scriptures, or because I believe the doctrines of grace, but I am saved if I
believe Christ; or, in other words, trust in him. Jesus is my creed. He is the
truth. In the highest sense the Lord Jesus is the Word of God. To know him is
life eternal. By his knowledge he justifies many.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Yet with the father’s confession of his belief, he also confessed
the sin of unbelief. Scripture says unbelief
is the pathway to a hardened heart, an evil heart. “Beware,
brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing
from the living God.” (Hebrews
3:12) “While men have no faith, they are
unconscious of their unbelief; but, as soon as they get a little faith, then
they begin to be conscious of the greatness of their unbelief. …having made a confession of his unbelief as
you observe, the father, in the narrative, prayed against it, and an earnest
prayer it was. It was, "Help thou mine unbelief." It is very
noticeable that he does not say, "Lord, I believe; help thou my
child." No, nor does he say, "Lord, I believe; now cast the devil out
of my boy:" not at all; he perceives that his own unbelief was harder to
overcome than the devil, and that to heal him of his spiritual disease was a
more needful work, than even to heal his child of the sad malady under which he
labored. This is the point to arrive at, to feel that there is no deficiency in
the merit of Christ; no lack of power in his precious blood; no unwillingness
in Christ's heart to save me; but all the hindrance lies in my unbelief. Go, any of you who are in trouble about this
matter, go where you gained your first faith, go there to get more. If you
first obtained your faith at the cross foot, go there again to end your
unbelief.” (Charles Spurgeon)
We might assume that this father’s traces of unbelief arose
from the repeated failures of anyone to heal his son. It may have been spurred by the scribes’ lack
of comforting words. Maybe something
similar has happened to you. A church
leader has disappointed you, or maybe another church member. Maybe things have failed in your life and
their effect was to insert a fracture in your belief. Friends, the only solution for any unbelief
is found in Jesus. Look deep into the One
who cannot lie. Turn not to yourself or
to your friends. Turn to Jesus, the One
who never fails. Your past defeats have
no impact on His faithfulness. His power
is still invincible. Confess the belief you
have and pray to God to help your residual unbelief. “Behold,
the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that
it cannot hear.” (Isaiah 59:1)
I have said that prayer of this father many times since I comprehended
this passage of scripture. I do believe. I believe I am a child of God. I believe that I have eternal life through
the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes, though, fear enters me while I am in service to God. I wonder, will they still be my friend if I
tell them His truth? Through the Holy
Spirit, Jesus prompts us what to do, and we must do it and trust Him with the
consequences. Besides, what kind of
friend am I if I do not tell them the truth?
It is not OK to have unbelief.
But it is OK to ask God to help you with that unbelief, and then press
on in faith.
May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
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