John 9:17-27 MSG A man out of the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my mute son, made speechless by a demon, to you. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and goes stiff as a board. I told your disciples, hoping they could deliver him, but they couldn’t.”
19-20 Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here.” They brought him. When the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a seizure, causing him to writhe on the ground and foam at the mouth.
21-22 He asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been going on?”
“Ever since he was a little boy. Many times it pitches him into fire or the river to do away with him. If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us!”
23 Jesus said, “If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.”
24 No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, “Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!”
25-27 Seeing that the crowd was forming fast, Jesus gave the vile spirit its marching orders: “Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you—Out of him, and stay out!” Screaming, and with much thrashing about, it left. The boy was pale as a corpse, so people started saying, “He’s dead.” But Jesus, taking his hand, raised him. The boy stood up.
Observation
This father came to Jesus out of desperation, hoping against hope that Jesus could heal and deliver his son. We don’t know how old the son was or how many years the parents had watched their son suffer, but we can hear the desperation in his reply (“help my unbelief”). I am sure he had tried everything else available before resorting to searching out this unconventional itinerant rabbi.
I am reminded of the woman with the issue of blood who had become impoverished and desperate in searching out healing until she broke the rules to find her answer in touching only the hem of Jesus’ garment. What about Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, whose daughter was dying while Jesus delayed to engage this unclean woman who dared to appear in public? (Mark 5:21-43 NIV) Desperation drove them to extreme measures, moving outside the acceptable cultural and safe box, to believe for what seems impossible. In doing so, they found that nothing is impossible with God.
Impact on Me
I don’t want to wait until I am desperate to take my needs to Jesus. However, I find that I sometimes get caught up in the urgency of a situation and immediately set out to do everything in my own power to fix things. At some point, I am arrested by my overwhelming inadequacy to effectively fix much on my own. Some things are just not humanly fixable.
My only daughter was in a car accident at 15 that resulted in a broken back when she was thrown from the car which then rolled over her. I am so grateful for all those medical professionals did to bring healing, but ultimately I came to understand that the extent of her healing was in God’s hands. So many times we cried out, “we believe; help our unbelief,” as we received bad news from the doctors about how her life would be limited. Then God would surprise them with impossible healing to take her past those limits. We saw many miracles along the way – spiritually, physically and financially – that changed our understanding about God’s possibilities.
You would think that an experience like that would prevent me from turning to my own devices in crisis, but I am so very human and forgetful. So, when I find myself trying to fix things on my own, I repent again for trusting first in my own ability, strength, wisdom instead of the Holy Spirit’s, bow in prayer and ask Jesus for His solution, His power to flow, His plan for how I can assist Him. Never discount the power of prayer on behalf of yourself and others. Your prayer may give others the courage and wisdom, like this father, woman and ruler, to put their lives and the lives of their loved ones into His hands and care.
Prayer
Lord, I put my faith in You, Faithful One, Gracious God, Loving Father, the One Who Sees All. Lord, I believe; help my dispel my doubts with Your perfect peace when crisis and fear ramp up the urgency and tempt me to run off on my own to fix what only You can fix. Give me the courage to allow You to pull me aside for time with You so I can be comforted, encouraged, listening to Your plan and my part in it. Remind me that prayer is powerful, You have defeated our Enemy, and that Your Holy Spirit is at work 24/7 to bring about Your will and purpose in all circumstances. Make it so, in Jesus’ name.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 