Jesus walked into the midst of a hopeless situation.  He came off the mountain, where He and three of His disciples had an awesome encounter with Heaven and the Heavenly Father.  But as He comes off the mountaintop experience, He encounters desperation and fear.

And, He responded. “…Jesus said to him, ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

First, we see a dad who has helplessly watched his son be tormented by a deaf and dumb spirit for many years. I cannot imagine the pain that the dad must have felt all that time.

Once I was speaking at a conference in another country, and a mother brought her son to us for help. The son, who was in his early twenty’s, had for years been tormented by a demonic spirit. When I saw the mother, I saw the pain and helplessness in that woman’s heart. But, I also saw the joy when the young man was set free from spirits that held him captive. It was just like that for the father in this passage.

Secondly, we see the remaining disciples helpless and unable to cast the spirit out of the young man.

Thirdly, while they were trying to minister to the boy, we see that some religious scribes were arguing with Jesus’ disciples.

The scene had to have been a scene of great emotion and confusion. It is in the midst of this chaos that Jesus gives us a quote that can anchor our souls as we face the uncertainties of life.

The first thing Jesus does is to question the disciples about their discussion with the scribes. They are not focused on the boy and his dad. Instead they are in an argument. It is in the midst of Jesus’ inquiry that the panicked father interrupts and tells Jesus that His disciples could not cast the spirit out of his tormented son.

I could see the disciples getting caught up in a theological discussion with the scribes about whether it was possible for the young boy to be healed. Because of their misdirected focus Jesus rebukes them.

Many times, when we are facing impossible situations, people will want to challenge us and state their theological views on the possibilities of that which we are believing God for. Whether it is a need for healing, a financial need or an addiction issue we must guard our hearts from the soulish search for the answers to our questions (1 Corinthians 2:14).

It is so easy to start discussing the possibility of miracles rather than seeking God’s face to believe for them. When I was in seminary, I was filled with theological arguments about the validity for the inerrancy of God’s Word. I got into a discussion with my cousin Earl about the subject and proudly declared my puffed up and seemingly spiritual arguments. Ignoring my clouded arguments, Earl looked at me and said, “You know Rick, God said it, I believe it and that settles it!”

When Earl declared that simple summary of truth, my deflated, proud heart started rejoicing. With that declaration I was encouraged to believe God first, then ask the confusing and mountainous questions next.

In the midst of this confusion, Jesus asked the dad a question that seemed to add to the impossibility of the situation. He asked how long the boy had been suffering this captivity. The father declared that the boy had been like that since childhood.  He said, “It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” (Mark 9:22).

“…if You can do anything…” Jesus quickly and confidently responds to the hurting father. “’If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”

In this statement Jesus corrects the unbelief of the dad and the disciple’s hearts by boldly repeating, “If You can?”

It is easy to look at giant obstacles and think about the possibility of failure or lack. But God is not calling us toward the easy; He is calling us to those faith-stretching and faith-building events. After all, when we get to Heaven it will not be our resources and our arguments that will matter. It will be the use of our faith that held to the possibilities of God in the face of impossibilities.

On top of the correction, Jesus declared to the dad a truth that we must allow to anchor our hearts. “All things are possible to him who believes.“

Ceasing to believe in the possibilities of God is not an option. The world has caught on to Jesus’ statement when it declares, “What we believe; we can achieve!” It is in the place of continuous belief in our God, that there is always the possibility and probability for victory and life.

In 2004, our church believed we had received a word from the Lord that we were to purchase an old newspaper building. However, at the time the building was listed at $1.2 million and we were a small congregation with approximately $4,000 in the bank. I went from bank to bank seeking financing just to hear them lecture me and tell me why we could not undertake this project. In the eyes of the world this was impossible.  But, our God is the God of possibilities!

The Lord empowered us to overcome many obstacles and today our church meets in that building. We purchased the building because there was a small group of people who believed that with God all things are possible. When I look at that building today I can easily see and hear the testimony that all things are possible to those who believe.

Response:

–Are you having trouble believing in the possibilities of God because there is too much chaos and confusion around you?  How are you contributing to the confusion? What can you do today to focus on the Lord?

–Have you been guilty of ignoring the need God put before you in favor of arguments about theological things?  If so, ask His forgiveness, forgive yourself and do what you can to meet the need.

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