Instruction
Scripture: Mark9:14-29
Have just come back from His Transfiguration, Jesus found His
disciples in a crowd arguing with the scribes. He discovered that the disciples
had been unable to cast a spirit out of a boy, and expresses His exasperation
at their lack of faith. The text functions to show that faith centered on
Christ is capable of miraculous things because Christ is the one who acts
powerfully for His people.
Teaching
The dialogue between Jesus and the boy’s father highlights
the importance of faith, and points to the source of faith. Jesus says, “All
things are possible for one who believes.” The father replied, “I believe; help
my unbelief!” Faith is powerful because it is God’s gift. We do not make it
stronger, but Jesus does, and in so doing accomplishes much in us, for us, and
through us.
Life
Have you considered the father’s prayer as one you might
want to emulate? There are many times in life that our faith gets stretched and
we feel like our faith is faltering. This prayer can serve as both reminder and
confession. There are also times that we deal with the mysteries of faith:
creation, Jesus as God and man, the real presence in the Lord’s Supper, etc.
When our ability to understand falls short, these words are much like throwing
ourselves on the Lord’s mercy; and He is always ready to extend His mercy to
us!
Prayer
This prayer is written
in the themes of Instruction, Thanksgiving, Confession, and Petition.
Lord Jesus, when You returned from Your Transfiguration You
discovered Your disciples in a moment of failure. All throughout this event You
observed how frail people’s faith can be. We see ourselves in this reading,
too, learning to trust You and empowered to trust You by the work of Your Holy
Spirit in our lives.
We thank You for giving us faith so that we might believe
You, Your Word, and Your promises. Thank You for not giving up on us when we
are more like a faithless generation than the disciples we wish we were. Thank
You for giving us victory over the powers of the devil that continue to work in
this world and for giving us the ability to cast them out by the power of Your
Word and prayer.
We, however, have not always clung to Your power as we live.
All too often we have turned to our own strength, wealth, position, or power to
live this life of faith. We have allowed our senses and our intellect to
overshadow Your promises and Your power. Forgive us, Lord Jesus! We confess
that we believe; help our unbelief!
We throw ourselves at Your feet recognizing that without You
we are like corpses with no life in us. Take us by the hand as You did the boy
that we might walk in faith, believing all You have said and done. Give us
wisdom to recognize when we place our trust in ourselves or worldly reason to
the detriment of the faith You have given us. Help the many who doubt to come
to believe so they too may have the life You long to give them through faith in
Your death and resurrection. And help us to be steadfast in prayer, trusting
that You, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, hear and answer that prayer
because of Your compassionate love for Your people. Amen.
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