Help My Unbelief

 (Note: still no resolution to the erratic appearance of these slices of bread.  It did not appear at all yesterday or so far today.  No explanation.  Faith and patience!)

 

  Mark 9: 14-29 

 Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

¹⁴ And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵ And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. ¹⁶ And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷ And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. ¹⁸ And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” ¹⁹ And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰ And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²² And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³ And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” ²⁵ And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” ²⁶ And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. ²⁸ And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁹ And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

A very charged scene as we tune into an argument, frustrated apostles who could not drive the evil spirit from the possessed boy; an exasperated Jesus over the lack of faith he found, even in his chosen ones; the boy, unconscious on the ground, and finally, a peaceful resolution of this "learning experience". The lessons are clear: Faith is the key to working miracles, effecting change, discovering true life, and prayer is essential to make things happen, even miracles!  As long as we are following Jesus, even as long as our whole life, we'll still need to pray as this father did:  "I believe help my unbelief" A simple but essential attitude and prayer. Go for it!

Bro. Rene.