What IF I have beliefs and UN-beliefs?

There is a story in the Gospel of Mark about a man who has a grown son who has suffered from childhood with an Evil Spirit.  This Evil Spirit makes the kid fall down, flop around, foam at the mouth.  Sometimes the kid is in danger of rolling into a fire or into water, so this is a life threatening condition.

Jesus wasn’t around  so the disciples agreed to heal the boy with this Evil Spirit problem.  I’m sure they thought, “We have watched Jesus heal people, and heard the prayers he prayed, so it seems logical if we do what Jesus did we will get the same results that Jesus gets, right?  Only it didn’t happen.  A crowd had grown around the dad, the possessed boy, and the disciples, and when it was clear they were failing, well, the disciples were embarrassed, the dad was frustrated, and so the followers of Jesus started to argue and blame shift among themselves.

It is at exactly that point in the story where Jesus shows up and asks what the hubbub is about.  

The dad steps up and tells Jesus about his boy and the possession of this Evil Spirit and then the father says something the Jesus found Off Putting.

The dad asks Jesus, “IF you can do anything, please have mercy on us and do something.”

Jesus picks up on that word IF. 

IF is a doubter’s word.  We use the word IF to indicate that there is an uncertainty regarding the subject of the sentence.  We use the word IF when we are clueless about the answer to our question is going to be.

IF you have change can I borrow a quarter?

If you are the supervisor you can help me.

If is not certainty. 

If is not being sure. 

If is not a believer word.

Jesus reacts to the dad’s use of the word IF.  “What do you mean IF I can help you?  ALL things are possible for him who believes.”

The dad’s reply is immediate.  “I do believe.  Help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24

As for me, that describes me perfectly:  I am a person filled with belief, AND unbelief.  Sometimes my belief is strong, and sometimes it is weak, but there is always some unbelief lurking about. 

Most church people I run into are far less tolerant than Jesus was in this situation.  Some might say a person is unworthy to serve Christ and his church if they lack belief in some of the tenants they feel are deal breaker items of faith.

Jesus could have condemned this dad for using the word IF.  Jesus could have said, IF you have doubts then I doubt IF I will help you.  But instead of rejecting a person who has both belief and unbelief, Jesus heals the son of his Evil Spirit. 

There are other scriptures that might support Christ’s tolerance.

In I Corinthians chapter 12 Paul writes about the “gifts of the Spirit” and the passage says clearly that there are different gifts handed out, but all the gifts come from God.  Some of the gifts are gifts of service, others get the gift of messages of Wisdom, still other’s get the gift of speaking other languages, or prophesy, or interpreting these other languages, some get the gift of healing, and some get the gift of faith.

If faith is a gift from God’s Holy Spirit, then that might explain why there are some people that seem to have a strong, unshakable faith, while other’s struggle with their faith.  Everyone is not blessed with the gift of faith.  We, who were left off the list have faith, but it isn’t the sort of faith we would brag about.  I believe.  I still need help with my unbelief.

We doubters might be tempted to get off topic here.  We could get revved up over the story details.  We could say, “That Evil Spirit, sounds like epilepsy, but if God is all knowing and incarnate in Jesus then Jesus would know if it was epilepsy or not, so why is he clearly mislead into thinking this is an Evil Spirit when it is a health issue?”  We could get all stirred up by the act of healing as we poo-poo the idea that healing by just saying words seems a little like magic and magic isn’t real.

I will write about fundamentalism later, and try to address this matter, but for now, let me just say, I am skeptical of miraculous healings, but for me the point of the story is not magic, the point of the story is that Jesus wants us to help each other, even those among us who struggle with their unbelief.