Saturday, February 27, 2010

What Do You Mean?

Mark 9

20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

Sigh. Those of us who claim to believe, often times are of very little faith. I can almost hear the indignation in Jesus’ voice when he asks the dad, “What do you mean, ‘if I can’?” I’ve deserved that indignation from Jesus on more than one occasion. My prayer today is that I would believe that Jesus can do anything, and that I need to ask for His Will to be done, simply relying on the fact that the Will of my Lord will be more than sufficient for me.

No comments: