MARK 9:23-24: “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” NKJV

OBSERVATION: Do you ever struggle with unbelief? Sometimes we feel like we are alone when we battle our unbelief. It is easy to put on our “church face” and pretend that everything is ok. Yet, in the secret of our solitude – we doubt!

I love this account of the father with the demonized son. Jesus, having been on the mountain of transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, comes down to a large crowd gathered around both this man, his son, and Jesus’ disciples.

While Jesus was on the mountaintop the father approached the other nine disciples asking them to heal his son. They were unsuccessful in their attempt. It was this atmosphere of disappointment and unbelief that Jesus encountered when He walked toward the crowd.

Jesus, in His humanity, showed His frustration with their unbelief.

“He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” (Mar 9:19 NKJV)

However, Jesus in His divine compassion shows His love and mercy. He approaches the father, asks him about his son’s condition, listens attentively, and then lovingly says,

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

The father, already desperate, already battling doubt and disappointment, doesn’t reject these words from Jesus. He also does not feign faith. He answers Jesus honestly and in a spirit of humility and surrender.

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

What happened next shows the heart of Jesus toward those who humble themselves before Him. He does not rebuke the father. If you or I were Jesus we might say – “Unbelief has no place in the heart of a believer!”, “Buck up and trust the Lord!”, “Don’t be weak – be strong in the faith!”

Yet, Jesus did not say any of these things. What did Jesus do? He healed his son. Not only did Jesus heal the father’s son, but Jesus also healed the father’s faith. No doubt, when his son was delivered, whatever doubt the father had was swallowed up in believing faith.

This does not mean the father never doubted again. It does mean that God looks for honest, humble, and sincere hearts to pour out His mercy and grace upon. We never have to pretend before Him. He knows our hearts and the times we struggle in our faith. 

When we are honest before Him, He embraces us with His love and mercy. We are wrapped in His arms and it is in this place of mercy and grace we find the strength and the faith we need to continue. Our victory is not found in placing faith in our feigned confession. Our victory is found in trusting only in Jesus Christ.

We all know that all things are possible to those who believe. Yet, there are mountains we face where believing is difficult. Doubt wages a war against the small kernel of faith we hold onto. In these times, like the father in this account, we need to cry out to the Lord,

“Lord I believe, help my unbelief!”

Jesus was frustrated with His disciples for not admitting their failure and for the general crowd’s lack of total faith. Yet, Jesus received the honest father who bore his heart to the Lord and trusted in Jesus’ words – despite the doubt that he was battling.

Lord, I want to pray for everyone today who is battling with doubt. Many are facing situations that they do not understand. They have prayed and the mountain has not moved. They are afraid to be honest about their doubt. Yet, You come to meet them at their point of need. May they find mercy and grace in their time of need as they cry out to You,

“Lord I believe, help my unbelief!”

In Jesus’ Name!