Therefore, I chose Mark 9:23-24 for my scripture meditation this week:

"…All things are possible for one who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

The context here is that a man had brought his son, possessed with a demon, to Jesus’ disciples. They were unable to cast the demon out and so the father of boy brought him directly to Jesus. It’s in this conversation that it unfolds that the demon keeps him mute, and at times throws the boy to the ground, or attempts to throw him into the fire.

Jesus inquires for how long the demon has had the boy and we learn that it’s from a very young age.

The boy’s father then makes a miserable mistake. He fails to believe completely. Mark 9:21, "But" says the boys father, "if there is anything can do, have compassion on us and help us."

It reads almost as if Jesus is taken back with the man’s choice of words. "If you can?" Jesus responds. Jesus corrects him with the fundamentally important news that, "all things are possible for him who believes." Probably in shame, the man cries out, "I do believe! Help me to overcome my unbelief!"

What a paradoxical statement. He believes, yet he fails to believe. Who of us couldn’t share this sentiment?

If you continue to read, you’ll find out that Jesus does has compassion on the man and his son. He casts out the demon who doesn’t go quietly and puts up a violent, but pathetic, fight.

As I’ve been meditating on these verses, a few things have stuck out to me. Notably, of course, is the man’s words which resonate so clearly in me. Then of course, Jesus’ correction confirming that "all things are possible." But I think the most striking is the context which brought this man to Jesus’ feet.

He brought his son to Jesus’ disciples in some type of faith that they would be able to heal him. But, for lack of faith, were unable to. Doubt was cast on Jesus’ ability himself and when the man came before Jesus his doubt came through, "if there’s anything you can do…" Of course we know what happened.

When we face our own demons, proverbial or literal, how much doubt is cast on Jesus’ power or willingness to save and heal because we see the lack of faith in those around us? I think it’s quite a bit. It is so rarely that we see transformed lives, we doubt that our own will experience transformation. We see our brothers and sisters struggle with this sin or that sin, and their failure to gain victory over them casts a shadow of uncertainty on Jesus’ overcoming that same sin in us.

But Jesus’ rebuke over all of us is just as it was to that man, "All things are possible for him who believes."

We must stop looking around us at others and fix our eyes on Jesus. Trusting, waiting, dusting, trusting, waiting, dusting, until finally Jesus proves himself faithful, as he really is, and we are made perfect with him. In the face of whatever our demons may be, let’s cry along with the boy’s father, "Jesus, I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!

No related posts.

So, I thought this week for scripture mediation I would focus on a verse dealing with the church’s church-hood. 1 Peter 2:9-10:

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

As I’ve considered this passage over the week, the first thing that struck me was the obviously elaborate language describing Jesus’ gospel call in the lives of believers. Then, the fantastic outflow from that, that we are now God’s people, that we have now received mercy. Then, it was striking the offices we now occupy–a priesthood, a chosen race, a holy nation, one of God’s (prized) possessions.

But as the week went on, what emerged as the really profound thought, (or at least profound at this time in my life) is capping off verse 9. It’s not what we are, or what we have because of what we are, but why we are that is so striking to me so.

Yes, we are a chosen race. Yes, we are a royal priesthood. Yes, a holy nation and a people for God’s possession. But why? So that we can proclaim the excellencies of Jesus.

Talk about a lofty purpose. A rag-tag group of sinners has been privileged, through the Gospel of Jesus, to proclaim to the whole world, all that is wonderful, amazing, and worthy–namely, Jesus Christ himself. If there is a better explanation for why a person is, I’ve never heard it. The point boils down to bringing Jesus glory, revealing to the world his excellencies.

And while this calling is irrefutably true of every single individual believer, this verse is dealing specifically with the corporate body of Christians. How does the Church do that? It’s a good question and a sensitive subject for me. But I think it starts in John 14:15:

"If you love me you will keep my commandments"

So we will shower Jesus with praise in keeping his commandments. But what does he command of us? Matthew 22:39:

" ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ "

Okay, so we love Jesus by keeping his commandments to love him and to love others. If we do not do this, we cannot confidently claim to love Jesus, nor could we confidently claim to enjoy his grace. So if ultimately we declare the excellencies of Jesus by loving him, then how does the corporate church do that? John 13:35 is (at least part of) the answer:

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

It is absolutely crucial to our purpose as believers in Jesus to love each other. That means love the people in the church. Encourage them. Pray for them. Lift them up when they’ve fallen and be patient  when they’re struggling. Forgive. Give. Weep with the broken and rejoice with the joyful–in the church.

It’s by these things that the world will know that we love Jesus and it’s by these things that his excellencies are declaired to the whole world!

Related posts:

1. Lord, Seek Your Servant
2. Is it any wonder they don’t listen?
3. Jesus’ Words About Unity