LORD, I BELIEVE! HELP MY WEAKNESS OF FAITH!
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: (Ek glo HERE, kom my ongeloof tot hulp!)
Translator: Robin Barker
I was busy reading the book of MARK, when our Lord showed me the following.
Here follows the section:
Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit
MARK 9:14-27
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered.
22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
The first thing that I saw was:
Is it not wonderful to be one of Jesus’s Disciples!
For Jesus, to put it that way, His children always come first.
MARK 9:15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
MARK 9:16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
The crowd became agitated around Him and tried to speak to Him. But His attention was with His disciples where they were being accosted.
MARK 9:16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
Then, just look at the display of power satan wields.
MARK 9:20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
But Jesus was not impressed by satan. To tell the truth Jesus did not even pay attention to satan’s power. His attention was with the man who called out for His help.
MARK 9:21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
Then the man says to Jesus:
MARK 9:22 “… But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
According to my modest opinion, it is not a statement of faith but of hope and actually without him realizing it, a little facetious and an attack upon Jesus’s authority, because Jesus can do anything.
Jesus, however, does not get annoyed with the man as you and I might. No;
Can you hear the compassion in His voice when he says, full of understanding of the situation when He says:
MARK 9:23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
The man then says to Jesus that he does believe but, and I believe Jesus has raised it in his heart, then the man realized that he was getting a little confused and that he was confusing hope with belief and therefore he changes, you could say in the same breath, what he thought was belief, now to disbelief.
MARK 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Here someone might ask the question:
"I believed; but what I believed so fully, did not happen.”
In this short sentence, there is a word that is used twice and maybe there is merit for the first time – and this is the word: “I”.
In our humanity, it is even for us as Christians most of the time difficult to see – and sometimes just too hard and sometimes even impossible to see ourselves in the right light as far as our faith concern.
I see, yes, I see even in the faith, but I look from a point of "I" or “me” perspective –
Because my faith is not answered as I wanted it to be answered – but in the first place, my faith is not all about myself –
For; Who am I? I am a creation of the living God. A Creation for His glory and; Who am I, His creation, to even wonder or ponder why my faith is answered in such a way?
Or, as I may see it; wasn’t answered at all?
Let us now remove the "I" from my viewpoint of my full faith and we see our Lord within my full faith and we read again the words of Jesus:
MARK 9:23 And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes."
MARK 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."
But here's how I must live out; "Everything is possible for him who believes" if it really is in all respects "full faith":
1JOHN 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
Oh! How absolutely wonderful is the perfect example that we find in the Word of how the full faith, comes in fulfilment in full perfection, if it really "full faith"!
MAT 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."
Then, what was the great accomplishment of this full faith out there in the garden also for you and me – even if it didn’t look like it?
Just ask Peter who, about that very night many weeks after he walked on water – that very cold night when his warmed his hands at the fireside and observed the events and the people around him.
Yes, how great!
How wonderful!
JOHN 3:17-18
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (The person who, in his humanity, kept on believing – no matter what happened in his/her life)
In my life it happened many times that the things I asked the Lord did not worked out the way I wanted it to happen – but how absolutely wonderful! – I know I am His child and He who do not lie, is saying – if you summarize everything that is written in this regard:
"Trust me."
In closing:
When I had finished reading that section that you have just read, the overwhelming thought that remained with me is that:
Amidst the attack of the scribes on His disciples,
Despite the power of satan,
Despite the man confusing hope with belief because of his ignorance which is also insulting –
Yes, despite this confusing situation, Jesus is alone from start to finish and is in complete control and it is divine control.
It is Devine love that is in control.
It is Devine compassion in control.
With the same Devine love and compassion, Jesus looks today at you and me and do you know what is so wonderful to me?
Even though my faith is so small and so doubtful, I only have to be honest to say it to Him and just like the man that you have just read about, He will help me to overcome my doubt and unbelief.
Greetings,
Sakkie