In today’s Gospel reading we meet a man that I can truly relate to. He is a despairing father who desperately needs a miracle. He has some faith, but at this moment it seems rather ragged. Many of us have possibly faced a crisis of one sort or another, and can relate to this man’s trouble. Let’s take a look at Mark’s account.
Immediately prior to our passage Jesus had been off with His three closest disciples. While He was away, the remaining nine disciples were ministering to the people in the area. In the midst of the crowd a father comes with his terribly sick son, seeking healing for him. Not too many weeks before, Jesus had sent all twelve out with the power and authority to heal and cast out demons (Mark 6:7-13). This man’s son had been quite sick since he was a young child, having severe seizures, could not talk, and on top of it all, he was demonically possessed (vs 17-18, 21-22). The demon was always trying to kill this young man by throw him into water and fire. The father brought him to the disciples, hoping for a miracle, but they were unable to cast out the demon or heal him (vs 18). It was at this moment that Jesus returned, and heard what was happening.
Here we see this father at his most desperate and despairing moment. He was tired, and felt he had nowhere else to go. His prayer to Jesus was not a confident, courageous, or strong one. “If you can. Have pity on us. Help us.” (vs 22). This father would soon find out that no problem, absolutely nothing is too difficult for God to handle. The father had wondered if Jesus could or would help. Jesus gently let him know that the “if” was in the wrong place. Not if Jesus can. It is if we can believe (vs 22-23).
The father admitted the imperfection of his faith, mixed with doubt. He pleaded with Jesus to help him to have the greater faith the Lord demanded (vs 24). No matter how much faith we have, we never reach the point of being self-sufficient. It is not stored away like money in a bank. Growing in faith is a constant process of daily renewing our trust in Jesus. God doesn’t wait for us to have tremendous faith before He will answer our prayers, though. All He requires is a little mustard seed size of genuine faith.
Jesus then turned to the young man, and addressing the demon, cast it out of him, and He healed him. Jesus has absolute authority over demons. Jesus is the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity. He is God. Jesus has power over both the natural world and supernatural world.
Later the disciples asked Jesus why they had been unable to cast the demon out. We are not really given the specific reason. They had been able to before. Some demons are more powerful and obstinate, thus more resistant to being cast out. The battle with Satan is a difficult and ongoing one. Victory over sin and temptation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through our own efforts. Jesus said that these serious cases must be thoroughly covered in prayer. Often fasting should accompany the prayer (vs 29). Prayer is the key that unlocks faith in our life. Effective prayer needs complete dependance on God, and we need to come to Him and ask. There is no substitute for prayer, especially in circumstances that seem impossible.
When the disciples failed to bring healing, the father could have taken his son and left, but he didn’t. He came then directly to Jesus. Don’t let the failures of other Christians destroy your faith in God. Look beyond their failures and Satan’s antics. Also never cease to pray for loved ones. No case is hopeless with Jesus.
This man was a parent with a sick son. His prayer to Jesus wasn’t much, but the answer was. The power is not in the prayer, but in the One who hears it. The devil cannot come up with a problem in our life that God cannot solve. It’s not a question of what God can do, but of what you believe He can do. Let’s take our eyes off of our circumstances, and look to the Lord.
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