"And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And 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 arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”"
Mark 9:14-29
In this text, we look at a story in which Jesus exposes our unbelief and shows us that very often, unbelief is the result of a modified view of God. As we struggle in our long term difficulties and battles, we are tempted to modify our view of God's power, presence or love, as we seek to make sense of why it is that we struggle. Key questions that this story makes us ask:
* What are your long term struggles? How does your heart respond to these struggles?
* What is your view of God in the midst of your challenges? Do you doubt that God can heal you or your struggle? Do you question if God cares?
* Faith feels like weakness. At first there is discomfort. At first it feels like it might make things worse. But this is followed by the presence and work of Jesus to heal and restore our lives.
* Are you learning to embrace the discomfort of faith? The discomfort of feeling that your are not in control, and that you are always in desperate need of the Saviors guiding presence in your life?
