The Size of Your Faith Matters

Today’s passage is Mark 9:14-23.  With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:14-23 (NIV)
¹⁴  When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
¹⁵  As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
¹⁶  “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
¹⁷  A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
¹⁸  Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
¹⁹  “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
²⁰  So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
²¹  Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered.
²²  “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.”
²³  “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

On verses 14-23:  At first in verse 19 it seems that Jesus is rebuking his disciples for their lack of faith.  But in verse 23, Jesus turns his attention to the father’s apparent lack of faith (v23).  The father’s words “If you can” suggest that the father’s faith was not strong that Jesus could help his demon-possessed son.  So when Jesus says in verse 19 “O unbelieving generation”, perhaps Jesus is not just referring to his disciples but also to those who would come to Jesus for help.

This raises an important lesson for us:  How much of God we experience will depend not just on the faith of those we go to for help, but also on our own faith.  We see this in the Gospels of Mark, how the amount of miracles Jesus performed in any one town was correlated with the amount of faith the people in that town had (e.g. Mark 6:5-6; Matthew 13:58).

You can bring yourself, your kid, your problem to the most anointed spiritual leader, but if you yourself do not have faith that God can do anything, your lack of faith can affect the outcome.  When you bring your problem to God or ask God for anything, believe that with God anything is possible.  In doing so you give God maximum room to do His work in your life.

In the kingdom of God, the size of your faith matters.

Father, please forgive me when I bring my issue to You but don’t have the faith that You can do anything about it.  The fact is that anything is possible for You.  May You not be limited in my life because of a lack of faith on my part, but may my faith release You to do everything You want to do in my life.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!