Overcoming a Lack of Belief

I felt led to read from Mark 9:21-25 this morning:

[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.”

I love the humility of the father's response in verse 24. I think this is true for all of us, we believe, but we can always grow more in our belief, because there is some level of unbelief in us. We haven't seen everything that God can do, and so when confronted with something new, some new need, we often respond in unbelief, or wondering if God could or would act - which is the same thing. We all can grow in our understanding and experience of the Lord, and the more we see the more we believe.

Adversely, some people take Jesus' statement in verse 23 and turn it into a theology that blames unanswered prayers on the belief of the individual who is praying. It is important to note that Jesus didn't require the father to belief any more before He healed the child, He didn't chastise the father for his lack of faith, rather He healed the boy and gave him to his father. I dare say that after that event the father had more belief than previously, and Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit had answered that man's prayer and helped him overcome his unbelief.

There are so many great examples of Jesus healing people, where their belief or faith is never mentioned. We often want to figure out some equation of action and belief that results in answered prayers every time, and the Lord just doesn't work that way. Sometimes, Jesus says your faith has a healed you, (Matt 9:22) sometimes He forgives sins (Matt 9:2), others times He never mentions sin or faith (Matt 8:15), one time He heals a blind man by touching him (Matt 9:29), another blind man by spitting in the dirt rubbing it in his eyes (John 9:6-7), another by spitting in his eyes (Mark 8:23-26). Sometimes Jesus heals all the sick that are brought to Him (Matt 8:16) and another time he walks into a room of sick people and heals one man (John 5:1-15). We are mistaken to try and develop a theology around one verse or one statement, as we must look at all the examples that Jesus gave us, and recognize that it is walking in perfect step with the Father that will increase our success in praying for people.

I love reading about some of the men and women who have had successful healing ministries. One of my favorites is John G. Lake, who ministered in the USA extensively in the late 1800's up to 1935. He had an amazing gift of healing, and as he got older and looked at his life and his desire to see everyone healed that he prayed for. He never saw that level of success and in explaining this, he stated, it must be within himself, not the people, that the faith or understanding was lacking, for Jesus healed everyone that was brought to Him, regardless of the level of faith, sin, or understanding. It is for this similar understanding that I love the statement of the father in verse 24, he believed, but he knew that he could grow in his belief. That is a very honest position to take. He didn't know what to do, but he knew the one who did. He didn't give up, helpless at his own lack of belief, but persisted out of love for his son.

We would be wise to take a similar approach in recognizing our own lack, and ask the Lord to help us overcome this in our lives.