"I believe, Help my unbelief!"

“I believe. Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) This is the honest cry of a father who longs so desperately for his son to be healed. This is a man who believes Jesus can cast out the demon that has been tormenting his son. Yet, this is also a man filled with questions, doubts, and skepticism. Both are true at the same time. 

But Jesus doesn’t wait for this guy to get his life together and make up his mind. Jesus doesn’t wait until the father is absolutely certain. Instead, Jesus heals the boy anyway.

Why? Because Jesus’ power and compassion aren’t just reserved for those who have it all together. If that was true, we would never experience God’s grace. Instead, Jesus’ power and compassion come to those who don’t have it all figured out. Jesus’ power and compassion come to those of us who are stuck in sin and manage to set ourselves free.

This is the essence of grace: We’re a mess, but God heals anyway (Hey, that’s the Gospel in Seven Words!)

As St. Paul writes in Romans 7:24-25, “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”