Thoughts for the Day

When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him. He asked them, ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ Someone from the crowd answered him, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.’ He answered them, ‘You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘You spirit that keep this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!’ After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand. When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ He said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The disciples and Jesus leave the sublime heights of the mountain where the voice of God spoke, to descend to the chaos of the valley below. Here there are crowds of people: the scribes are arguing with the disciples; the father of the epileptic boy is still trying to be heard; and then the boy has another fit. How must Jesus have felt after the affirmation of his mission by His Heavenly Father, to be faced with the inability of the disciples to heal the boy? These are the very same men whom he sent out earlier in his ministry to heal the people (Mark 6.7-13) and who were so successful!

Jesus, knowing that his path is now set for Jerusalem and to his death, nevertheless puts that to one side to heal the sick boy. The father no longer has much faith and asks Jesus to heal the boy "if he is able"! However, when pushed he responds with the wonderful statement, "I believe, help my unbelief!", and Jesus heals the lad. So why had the disciples failed? Well, healing is a gift, and gifts that are not used tend to disappear. God-given gifts need to be strengthened and grown by constant contact with God. Perhaps the disciples have let the world's concerns get in the way of their prayer life.

May we cry "I believe, help my unbelief!" this day and every day, and ask God to continue to grow the gifts He has given us.

Father-God,
You give Your gifts to whom You will:
the gift of knowledge;
the gift of faith;
the gift of wisdom;
and the gift of healing,
among other such gifts.
May we be worthy of Your gifts,
and may we seek to strengthen them
by our constant contact with You.
Amen.