S.O.S. Please Someone Help Me, It's Not Healthy...

"Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. "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." " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Mark 9:21-24 NIV

Recently learned insight. It blew me away. Changed my life. FOR-EV-ERRRRR!!!

The father came to Jesus, kinda sorta hoping He could deliver his boy. I'm sure he'd heard a lot about Jesus' miracles, but He probably didn't know a whole lot about Jesus. His lack of knowledge of Christ's identity and power produced his wavering of "if you can do anything at all, take pity on us and help us."

I mean, I really wouldn't expect a stranger to do me a favor, let alone this powerful, miracle doing guy who claims to be God's Son. Even more, until that point, God wasn't someone with whom each person had a deep and close relationship. Nope. It was more like, "well, I've been good. I've kept to the law. I think maybe I'm worthy enough...maybe?"

And before this he'd also already asked the disciples to give it a try, but the boy kept being thrashed around and thrown into fire by his possessors.

So then, Jesus asserts His authority, reminds the father that what He lacks is belief. And the father responds with something like, "I do believe. Well actually, I kinda don't. Will you help me with that...I mean my unbelief?"

I learned that the Greek word for unbelief (apistos) means "not worthy of confidence, untrustworthy...a thing not to be believed in, incredible.

Christ wanted him not just to belief that He would heal his boy, but that He could accept the truth of the fact that He is the Son of God, that He could believe Him in everything He taught/teaches, and that He is trustworthy.

Then, Jesus helped him. Thank God!

It's OK to struggle because it's there (right in the struggle) that Christ wants us to say...

"A lotta help, over here. S.O.S. Me! I need the life savor. I can't do it on my own. I'm not even sure you want to help. I even feel guilty for that. I'm not just struggling. I'm struggling with unbelief. HELP ME!"

Because when we admit that we need the help we do a few things:

1) We identify that we are in struggle or bondange (our choice to sin)

2) We also identify that there is a greater truth and reality than what we are currently facing. We just can't see it all that clearly.

3) We relinquish control of the situation that we obviously cannot manage on our own.

4) We re-establish authority in Christ, to Christ

6) He comes to help us reorient our perspective, our actions AND EVEN gives us ability to see (SIGHT to BLIND), ability to hear (HEARING to DEAF). He also binds us up (HEALING to BROKEN) and gives us freedom (RELEASE to CAPTIVE). (Is 61:1)

5) He helps us choose life, over death.

Welcome to the struggle club...I wish it were the giggle club...that's more fun...but I think, this becomes easier...over time...as I see Jesus come to my rescue each time I peep a little "help". As my trust grows. As I learn more about Him. My "helps" will become louder and louder yelps.

Because He says about Himself...

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed"
Luke 4:18 (but prophesied in Is 61:1)