I Believe; Help My Unbelief!

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 threw the boy into convulsions, 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 keep 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

Many modern scholars have decided that the story of the boy possessed by an evil spirit is the story of a child with epilepsy, something controllable these days. Yet I think we can get prideful and distracted by our modern diagnoses, while missing the anguish of the father and the failure of the disciples. In our times, with all the modern medical treatments, there are still times when the child is still getting worse and all the medicines and devices aren't working. That deep anguish is something we can all respond to, times when we've tried everything, nothing worked, and we're completely exhausted and broken by the experience. Jesus speaks to the heart of all of us who are completely exhausted and broken. "All things can be done foe the one wo believes." And we can respond as the father did. "I believe; help my unbelief!"

Wondrous Creator, you hold us as your beloved

a prefect parent embracing these crying children

bringing us the needed healing and deep peace

despite the fractious world we live in these days.

We often turn from our faith when pain prevails

we are furious that our pain is still with us

we try to blame others for the suffering we bear

and seek revenge on all who don't help us.

Lord, help us to believe again and ask for help

seeking your answers in a world of confusion

make us strong in our faith as we call on you

so all who come after us may know of your love. Amen.