Help My Unbelief

Gospel: Mark 9: 14-29

The disciples are unable to heal a boy possessed by an evil spirit.  The boy's father struggles to believe because they were unable to heal him.  Along comes Jesus who shores up the weak faith of the father who desperately wants to believe.  I do believe, Lord; help my unbelief.  How often do we find ourselves in this man's situation?  We find ourselves not helped by the institutional church, or worse yet harmed by its leaders and ministers! 

So, we find ourselves tempted to give ourselves over to something else. Nay, often we find the ministers of the church giving themselves over to other things: the promise of political and economic security; the adulation of celebrities in media empires, athletics, and the like.  When each false idol passes we move to another one like an addict looking for their next fix, their next false security.  It is here we turn to our only source of healing and comfort: I believe; help my unbelief.

It is only at death do we see the folly of our false paths in all clarity.  At death we see the vanity of vanities and come to realize that God alone is our consolation and strength.  We realize the harm we did to ourselves and others with all these false idols and false securities that were all mirages in this desert of life, missing the oasis of life giving water that is found in the Lord Jesus alone.  I believe; help my unbelief.