“Jesus said to him, “‘Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Mark 9:23-24 (NAB)
Faith is knowing that everything is in God’s hands, and even when things seem to be getting worse, and our faith is weakening, it’s okay to come honestly to Jesus and say,
“Lord help me in my unbelief.”
Those were the words of the father of a demon possessed boy. He barely had faith to believe that his son could be delivered, but He had enough faith to come to Jesus. Every miracle begins in just coming to Him, even when faith is not perfect.
When the father of that boy heard Jesus say, anything is possible to the one who has faith, he figured that excluded him, since he hardly had any hope for his tormented boy. He had very little hope, but a whole lot of honesty. When he said to Him, “Help me in my unbelief,” a miracle was about to happen.
It’s easy to get the impression that Jesus only responds to people of great faith. He praised the Centurion who said “Only say the word, Lord.” He was impressed by the woman who said “If I can just touch the fringe of His garment.” He used the example of the gentile woman who humbly persisted by saying, “Even a dog can receive a crumb that falls from the table”.
There’s no doubt that great faith pleases God, but He also responds to great honesty. Jesus was touched by the desperate father who said in honesty, “Help me in my unbelief, Lord.”
God has always desired intimacy in His relationship with people, and intimacy requires honesty. There is a blessing of intimacy, when we open our heart to Him in truthfulness.
Jesus wanted to help those who were struggling to believe that He had truly risen on that third day. He made an extra effort to convince His disciples that He was risen in body, not a ghost or a spirit. He went to every extreme to remove their doubts, by asking for something to eat, and eating food in front of them. He showed them His scars and His wounded side. He went even further by telling them to put their hands into His scars, saying,
“It is I, myself. Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
(Luke 24:39)
God is patient with everyone who struggles to believe. He was patient with the father in this story, He was patient with the disciples, and He is just as patient with us today. He desires intimacy with us through our honesty, and by spiritually putting our hands in His scars.
Jesus is pursuing every one of us with those nail scarred feet and hands. He desires that we come to Him, which is an act of faith in itself, and He won’t scoff at the areas where we are weak in faith.
As we remember His unconditional, relentless love for humanity, it’s like putting our hands in His scars, hearing Him say,
“Touch Me and see how much I love you.” He gave it all for us, so that we can trust Him for all things.
Lord, thank you for your patient relentless love for us, and help us to keep coming to you, in those areas of unbelief. We touch your scars today, and trust you to raise us up to a higher level of faith and devotion to you. Amen