Mark 9:17-24
“Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 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!”
A few years ago I experienced a miracle. It was the first day of a fast the church was going on. I was on a train and I declare the Spirit of the Lord, an angel or something powerful made its presence known to me. I was so excited I started telling everyone I could about my incredible encounter. Sadly, no one believed me. I shouldn’t have been surprised; but I was. I guess it doesn’t matter if anyone believes your testimony, as long as you never stop believing.
But I did have to stop and ask myself, “Why”? Why would the Lord come and visit me? I’m not special. The fast just started, so I hadn’t invested much time and effort in soliciting His presence. Why then and there? And strangely, that intense supernatural visitation hasn’t happened again. So, why?
Let’s look at the Gospel of Mark and I believe we will find the answer. There is such transparency to the fathers answer to Jesus. Perhaps he emotes so much because he is a concerned father and his son is in deep trouble. But his response is epic. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” While we aren’t given the name of the father in this account, his words are timeless. He could’ve ruined the entire moment by giving the usual or standard responses. He could have said he was sorry but he just couldn’t bring himself to believe. His son had been in this condition for so long, who could blame him? Or, he could have made the standard Christian declaration, “Yes I totally believe”. Y’all know we do that all the time. Let’s be honest, we love to put a good face on a bad situation. We could be overwhelmed with doubt, fear, anxiety and depression, but somehow we just can’t admit it, so we fake a grin and make insincere expressions to make everybody go away, while holding on to our hurt all alone. But the father in this story was courageous.
If you read the entirety of this story you can better understand why the father was skeptical of his son’s healing. The disciples of Jesus had already tried to heal him but couldn’t. Jesus had a reputation as a healer and prophet. While the father believed in what he heard about Jesus, he didn’t yet have a personal testimony. It’s wonderful to hear what God has done for others, but nothing comes close to having your own personal relationship. He believed, but could use a bit more from the Lord to solidify his faith.
Sometimes desperation is the place where the Lord most often comes into your situation. When you surrender, when you are utterly broken, sufficiently contrite and down right in need, here comes Jesus just in the nick of time. It’s so important to keep your focus on the power of the presence of the Lord, even when you can’t immediately feel, hear or touch him. Faith says he is accessible. He can be felt, heard and even touched if only you continue to believe.
As unbelievable as my story of feeling the presence of the Lord may seem to others, it is my story. I can’t ‘unbelieve’ what I know is true. And with that revelation I immediately understood why Jesus came to me in the first place. He came to help my unbelief. Though I heard of his saving grace. Though I witnessed others being miraculously healed, delivered and set free. Though I believed in my head that a physical relationship with the Living Christ was possible, it didn’t totally resonate until it happened to me. And you won’t be able to make a definitive statement until it happens to you as well. We all need a personal touch from the Lord. For some of us it is a subtle nudge; and that’s enough. For others it’s dynamic and extraordinary. In either case, it’s imperative to have a personal interaction with your Savior, Confidant, Lord and King, because JESUS IS REAL.
God Bless
