Mark 9:17-31
At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has he had this?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”
“…but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” I believe, help my unbelief.
One of the key moments in today’s gospel reading occurs when Jesus tells the father, who asks Jesus to heal his son, that it is his, the father’s, faith that will heal his child. The man replies. “I believe, help my unbelief.”
During this period of Lent, the father’s statement might very well be relatable to some of us. The instructions to fast more diligently, pray more earnestly, attend church services more regularly, and give alms more generously can sometimes result in feelings of frustration, anger, and disappointment—challenges to our belief in the Church and ultimately in God.
The father’s simple statement, “I believe, help my unbelief,” reveals to us that faith is a process, that faith is a relationship between us and God. And the reality is that in this fallen world this faith is constantly under attack. Belief, faith in God is not chiefly a mental affirmation of truths but foremost a trusting relationship.
Coming to trust God means we that we force ourselves to be vulnerable just as when one takes up one’s cross and follows Christ, which as I noted last week that crucifixion is an extreme example of when one is most vulnerable.
In making the statement, “help my unbelief,” the Father, expresses repentance, which is our goal for Great Lent. This cry expresses his recognition of his state of affairs and his desire to change his way; a cry we should share.
Great Lent, the school of repentance, involves taking a step, which includes giving up control and making space for reflection and spiritual growth. This is the purpose of the Ladder of Divine Ascent by Saint John Climacus whom we honor today. In his revered book of ascetic discipline, Saint John provides a series of steps that monastics, but ultimately all Christians, are to take to take in order to manifest the love of God in their lives.
Let us in this fifth week of Lent focus on our belief and with prayer and fasting asking God to help our unbelief.
