THE DUAL NATURE OF UNBELIEF

 

Thursday, November 9, 2023

 

THE DUAL NATURE OF UNBELIEF

 

Matt 13:55-58

55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

 

Mark 9:23-24

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.

 

          Two Greek words are translated “unbelief” in the New Testament. The one most used refers to someone who simply is not convinced even in the face of strong evidence. The other, apeitheia, is a stronger word and refers to someone who is obstinate and rebellious. This word is like our English word “apathy.”

 

          Unbelief is sometimes just belief in the wrong thing. Unbelief was a belief that Jesus was NOT the Messiah. “Isn’t He just the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?” How could He be the Messiah? Absent is the majesty we expected and the mystery. He is too common and too well known by us to be anything special. We are unconvinced.

 

          Unbelief can also be incomplete faith. The distraught father of the demonized son asked for “help” in believing. Help here is boetheo which is a request for aid or relief. It indicates weakness and a fear that this weakness would not be sufficient to meet the demands of the difficulty. It is a good prayer. “Lord, fill up all those areas in which I am deficient with grace!”

 

          In Hebrews we find another word for unbelief. This word means obstinance and rebellion. It specifically refers to the ten spies who brought back an “evil report” of the land of promise. These ten failed to believe that they were capable, with God’s help, to obtain the promised land. Their unbelief, their rebellion, doomed the entire nation to forty years of wandering. These all died in unbelief, or rebellion.

 

          The unbelief of the distraught father and his request for aid is commendable. The unbelief of the rebellious spies is condemnable.

 

Lord, in my lack of faith, be merciful. Let me not be obstinate and rebellious. AMEN