One of the Ugliest Words in the Bible...

Unbelief, one of the ugliest words in the Bible. To Jesus it was like a curse word. Here in Mark chapter 9 we read of a man who brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples to be healed. They couldn’t do it. When Jesus came on to the scene the man asked Jesus to help, “if He could”. Jesus seemed perturbed that the man used the word “if”. The man sensed His irritation and asked Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief. Any time we doubt God, we don’t need to continue to follow our feelings, for they will lead us down the wrong path. Instead, we need to humble ourselves and cry out to God, asking Him to help us overcome our own unbelief. Whenever we doubt God can do something, it’s like slapping Him in the face and calling Him a liar. We need to stop, refocus, and as Paul says in Romans 12:2, “be transformed by the renewing of our minds”. Unbelief can and will take you down a long and painful winding road if you let it.

14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet Him.16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so You could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked Your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if You can.”23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, He rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” He said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with His disciples, they asked Him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.” Jesus Again Predicts His Death 30 Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know He was there, 31 for He wanted to spend more time with His disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of His enemies. He will be killed, but three days later He will rise from the dead.” 32 They didn’t understand what He was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask Him what He meant. Mark 9:14-32