Big Faith
How strong does our faith need to be?
Jesus asked the father, 'How long has this been happening to him?' And he said, 'From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.' Jesus said to him, 'If you are able! -All things can be done for the one who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out, 'I believe; help my unbelief! - Mark 9:21-24
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus is confronted with a dilemma. His disciples have failed to cast out a demon. It may not sound like a problem to us, for who among us believes we have such power?
But that is the whole point of this encounter. When the father of the possessed boy seeks help from Jesus, he puts the onus back on the father, telling him it is his faith that will heal the boy.
The father immediate tells Jesus he believes, but he needs help overcoming his unbelief.
We are all in this situation, aren't we? We say we believe, but we have trouble seeing ourselves in the role of healer. When we are troubled, we cry out to God for help, because we know God is able, but like the father, we fail to see we are able as well.
Studies of patients in hospitals point to prayer and faith as positive contributors to healing, and I am sure we would all agree with that, but the idea that we are able to heal ourselves is still hard to grasp.
Some day, perhaps, science will discover the mechanisms of healing and the power of the mind over the body's own incredible abilities, but for now, these things remain mysteries.
I have heard of therapies where the patient is told to envision their antibodies attacking cancer cells, and I would like to believe that works. Why not?
If we can help our bodies cope with pain and fight off diseases, why not try?
So, maybe we should take a cue from Jesus and work with God and those in whom we put our trust to help us be healed. But the onus is on us to believe we can get well.
If we do our part, who knows what can happen?
More to come...