Mark 9:24
How do you come to Jesus? What do you expect from him? Some of us come like this father, thinking Jesus is probably willing to help, but not sure his is able:
"But if you can do anything…" (9:22). Others are like the leper who came to Jesus, thinking he was able, but wondering if he was willing: "If you are willing, make me clean"(1:40). Both kinds of people have an incomplete belief in God: Either they believe that God has lots of love but limited power, or they believe that God has plenty of power but limited love. But the God we pray to in the name of Jesus is perfect both in power and in love.
The Lord shows remarkable patience with those who have limited faith in him. To those like the father of the boy with a demon, Jesus laughs and say, "If you can?...Everything is possible for him who believes" (9:23). To those like the leper, he is "filled with compassion" and smiles as he says, "I am willing" (1:41).
Healing faith, or for that matter any kind of faith, is not necessarily an either/or. It is not that you either have it all or you have nothing. Both the father and the leper, with their puny little faith, come away from Jesus blessed. That’s because our faith is not in faith itself, but in Jesus. He said it only takes a little bit of faith, a mustard seed-sized faith actually (see Matthew 17:20), for him to laugh or smile and do for us what we need.
Thanks be to God, it is enough to say to him, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
Janet Irene Thomas
Playwright/Screen Writer/Director
Published Author/Gospel Lyricist &Producer
FOUNDER/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
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