If You Are Able
Mark 9:14-29
Who is responsible for my faith?
When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him. He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.” He answered them, “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 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!” When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” 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.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand. When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “This kind can come out only through prayer.” - Mark 9:14-29
When Jesus tells the man that he must be able to help his boy, it triggers a response in the man so strong that we know he is ready to believe.
It also tells us we have work to do if we expect God to hear our prayers and respond.
We must believe.
It sounds easy, and of course, we call ourselves believers, so it should be automatic. We ask, and God hears.
But Jesus had to do something to cure the boy. He had to call on the spirit tormenting the boy to make it come out of him.
His apostles couldn’t achieve the same results. Why?
“This kind can come out only through prayer.”
Jesus tells them that prayer is the secret ingredient. Without it, the spirit would not respond.
So, was the father’s cry the prayer that expelled the spirit?
No. The father prayed for help in believing, and Jesus answered that prayer by expelling the demon.
The challenge for us is to overcome our doubts. When we pray for healing for a loved one, and we have doubts, does that prevent the healing?
No, but often we don’t have the same perspective as God. We are being asked to believe that God hears us and is responding in ways we do not understand.
That’s when we start to doubt that God hears us at all, and so, we become the ones in need of prayer.
Prayer is more powerful than we realize. It is the way we connect to the Holy Spirit within all of us, like a network of healing power.
When we pray for someone who is sick, we send that message of strength to them through the Spirit, and we believe that it calms and consoles the patient.
It brings the peace that surpasses all understanding.
That is healing power. It is not the cure, most of the time, but it could be just what the person needs.
More to come...
Prayer is the best thing. Amen.