World English Bible translation
Today's Scripture
Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them. 9:15 Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him greeted him. 9:16 He asked the scribes, "What are you asking them?" One of the multitude answered, "Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit; 9:18 and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren't able." He answered him, "Unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him to me." They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth. He asked his father, "How long has it been since this has come to him?" 9:22 Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, "I believe. Help my unbelief!" When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter no more into him!" Having cried out, and convulsed greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead; so much that most of them said, "He is dead." 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose. When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we cast it out?" 9:29 He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting."Today's Lesson
Today's Scripture is another healing miracle of Jesus that is as well known for something that an anonymous man says as it is by what Jesus accomplishes. Jesus, Peter, James and John were coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration. He had told the disciples that the Son of Man must suffer and die. He told them to tell no one what they had seen on the mount until after He had risen from the dead. But, even after seeing all of these miracles they did not understand.
When they come down from the mount there is a crowd surrounding the disciples they had left behind. The scribes from Jerusalem are there, no doubt building a case against Jesus. The disciples were distressed because a man had brought his son who was being controlled by an evil spirit. The spirit would bring seizures onto the child and threatened his life. When the boy was brought before Jesus, "the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth."
When Jesus asked the father how long his son had been afflicted in this way He was told that that the evil spirit had been on his since he was a small child. The father begged Jesus to help him. When Jesus told him that all things were possible if he believed the father responded with a plea that many a Christian has learned to rely on. "I believe. Help my unbelief!"
All things that God demands of us are based on our response to God in faith. But many times we do not feel complete faith. Doubts assail us. We stumble and are hard pressed. But, God will always respond to this cry for help. "I believe. Help my unbelief!" Paul told us that we must live up to the measure of faith that we have been given and that God would see us through trials and tribulations. The faith that we have, meager though it is will see us through if we will only trust God to supply us with aid. God will act if we step out on the faith that we have been given.
This does not mean that God will guarantee the success that we demand. It only means that God will see us through. If you find yourself in a position where you fear that your faith is not sufficient for the task ahead, pray this prayer as well. You will find, with millions of Christians that have gone before you, that Jesus still responds to this cry of faith.
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