UNBELIEF

UNBELIEF!

Mark 9:17-24

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

           Unbelief is a New Testament word! According to my resources it is found 16 times in the Authorized Version. While the concept of unbelief is certainly found in the Old Testament, I find it peculiar that the word only occurs in the New. Why that is, I haven’t yet discovered.

           Another peculiarity of unbelief is that it seems to be able to cohabit with its counterpart of belief. The distraught father, in verse 24, said that he believed but immediately asked for divine help for his lingering unbelief. I think most of us understand this emotionally while we can’t reconcile it theologically. It is part of the human experience.

           The Greek word used in verse 24 is apaistia and means faithlessness. It is akin to the word apistos which begins with a negative article and indicates active disbelieving. How can we believe while actively engaged in a life filled with disbelief?

           After three years of teaching the disciples, when it came time for Jesus to die, one betrayed him, one denied him three times and the rest ran away. Yet the resurrection so energized these unbelieving believers that they turned the world upside down! We are a pitiful lot without Jesus but we are a force to be reckoned with when in right relationship with Him.

Mark 4:39-41

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Dear Lord, I believe but active unbelief stubbornly hangs on. Help me to trust you more today. AMEN