Help me overcome my unbelief!

Mark 9:14-29 (TNIV) -

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

16 "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.

17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

19 "You unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. 22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

23 " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes."

24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. "

My thoughts -

Verse 24 may be my favorite verse in the Bible. The father here is desperate. His son in suffering and there's nothing anyone seems to be able to do about it. He took the boy to Jesus's disciples and, not only could they not help him, their attempt seems to have devolved into a shouting match between them and some teachers of the law that has attracted the attention of a large and growing crowd. It's bordering on pandemonium.

Now the boy has been brought to Jesus and the father has explained the situation. Given how this whole process has gone up to this point the father says, understandably, "if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

IF you can do anything.

There's doubt in that sentence. There's doubt in a lot of desperate situations. There's doubt in a lot of this life. There's doubt in our suffering. We feel alone and helpless. We have lost control and we need someone to save us; to have pity on us.

Jesus answers this doubting "if" with, "Everything is possible for one who believes."

And now, the boy's father's response, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

There's a lot of faith in that statement.