One
A Father’s Plea
When Jesus came down from the mountain of the Transfiguration, a desperate father whose son was possessed by a demon ran up to Jesus and pleaded, “Master, please cast the demon out of my son.”
This dad just wants what any dad would want; he wants his boy to be well. That’s what he cares about. And that sounds like a good thing to care about.
Jesus also wants the boy to be healed. In fact, He is going to heal him. But Jesus wants something even more for the father and the son.
Two
Jesus Redirects the Conversation
While Jesus and the father are talking, the demon takes hold of the boy and causes him to have a seizure. If you’ve ever seen a seizure, if you’ve ever had a kid who has had a seizure, you know it’s a very scary experience for everyone. He convulsed violently, foaming at the mouth, writhing on the ground.
On his knees, the father begs Jesus, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us!” Jesus responds, “If you can? Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.” Jesus is effectively saying, “You are asking whether I have the power. The deeper question is whether you will place your trust in Me.”
The father does not yet understand who Jesus is. He has come seeking the gift of healing without yet realizing that Jesus Himself is the infinitely greater gift.
Three
What Do We Want Most?
If you’re a parent, there is almost nothing you care about more than your children’s health and happiness. You would give anything for them. And yet, even their health and happiness are not the greatest good. The greatest good we can desire for our children, and for ourselves, is union with God.
Jesus cares about the boy’s healing. But He refuses to stop there. He wants to give both the father and the son something infinitely greater: Himself.
Four
The Relationship with God
What was the mission of Jesus? Jesus came to bring us God. Jesus knows that the father and His son need liberation from this terrible affliction. But He also knows that their deepest need is union with God.
So Jesus won’t be doing the man any favors if He just grants His request and lets it go at that. Jesus tells the man that he needs faith because faith is the first step to receive God.
Five
Resolution: Asking Jesus for Greater Faith
The father understood that he did not have the faith he needed, so he cried out, “I do believe. Help my unbelief.”
Like this father, we all have good things we want, sometimes even more than we want Jesus: the well-being of our loved ones, the achievement of our goals, and the fulfillment of our good desires. But what we need most is God. And Jesus has come to bring us God.
So let’s resolve to do the same thing; let’s say to Jesus, “Lord, I believe in you, but I’m still tempted to put other things ahead of You. Dear Jesus, I believe; help my unbelief.”