Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, help us to believe, so that we may see Your glory. Amen.
Text: Mark 9:17–27
Then one from the multitude answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever he seizes him, he throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast him out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
Devotion
Two things especially impress us from this Bible lesson: 1) Jesus, and He alone, can help us out of the worst need; 2) He doesn’t reject weak faith. – We have a strong Savior, who can rebuke all demons and free us from all vexing spirits. No power of hell, none, can resist Him. This servant is really a picture of human misery, and this father’s heart was crushed by the horrible demon. He would rather see his child dead than this horrible gnashing of teeth and these devilish convulsions. Poor parents, is there no one who can save you? No one else, but Jesus can do all things. He commands the spirit to go out and forbids it from entering him again. And though it had so entwined itself with everything in the child’s soul and body, it had to go out and let him remain alive. No one on earth is so horribly controlled by Satan, either spiritually or physically, but our Lord Jesus can still save him, and no affliction is so great that He cannot turn it into joy. If you are sorely plagued by the devil, still you are fortunate that Jesus is here and wants to help you, – only believe. As long as you will not call on the Lord and not believe His saving power, He cannot show it to you. But look here: He can and He will save you from the worst need, if you will pray to Him with a believing heart. Dwell on this thought, and He will also create prayer and faith in your troubled soul. Thousands even in our day could tell you about His saving power.
But if anyone feels that his faith is too weak, then he shall see that our Bible passage is written by God’s Spirit just for him. “O you faithless generation!” Jesus must say to His Apostles. They couldn’t strengthen the man’s faith. And what the man says to Jesus: “But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. … If You can do anything,” – that is very little faith. But he is honest and feels his own weakness, so he cries out, weeping: “I believe; help my unbelief!” And this faith is already enough for our merciful Lord Jesus, so He gloriously crowns it. As no power is too great for Jesus to deal with, so there is no faith too little for Him, when we just seek Him sincerely. Is there anyone who sought Him for help against sin and the devil and went away without being helped?
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank You heartily that You do not crush the bruised reed and do not snuff out the smoldering wick. May You see the sincerity in us, may You preserve and strengthen our weak faith! O merciful Lord Jesus, we pray You humbly for this. Amen.
Hymn
What comfort is more pleasing
In our embattled life
Than find our strength increasing
In trying days of strife?
Though furious be the fight
God gives us perseverance,
We gain through faith experience
And thus increase our might.
O Jesus, my Defender,
My Savior in distress,
My life to Thee I tender,
Do Thou my all possess.
Let come whatever may,
I nevermore will waver,
But only ask this favor:
To serve Thee, God, for aye.
Brorson: The faith that God believeth L 275:8-9 HCH 187:4-5 tr. P. C. Paulsen;
tune: Aus meines Herzens (ELH 79); alternate hymn: Lord Jesus Christ, You have bestowed ELH 320:6