During my Quiet Time this year I’ve been reading One Perfect Life by John MacArthur. It takes the story of Jesus and puts it in chronological order. So related Scriptures are read together. My reading today was from Matthew 18 and Mark 9. It is, perhaps, one of my favorite passages/stories in the life of Jesus. It is the story of the father with an epileptic son.

The setting is critical. Jesus, Peter, James and John had just come down from the mountaintop experience of the Transfiguration. A spiritual high for sure. They came down to a scene of pure chaos. The disciples were surrounded by a crowd and scribes arguing with them. A man had a son who had epileptic fits and a demon who controlled him. The father had asked for help and healing for his son from the disciples but it wasn’t happening. Jesus came on the scene of chaos, asked a question, and the father told him. About that time, the boy had one of his fits.

• Jesus: How long has this been happening?
• Father: From childhood. “If you can do anything.”
• Jesus: “If I can? All things are possible for one who believes.”
• Father: “I believe. Help my unbelief.”
• Jesus: Mute and deaf spirit come out.

A father’s faith is rewarded. Contrary to what today’s false teachers say, this father’s faith was not all that great. He asked Jesus to make his faith complete. My thought: On a scale of 1-10 the father’s faith was a 2 let’s say.  He asked Jesus to fill in the lack. There are times you and I don’t have “complete” faith. That unanswered prayer is not because of that, in spite of the hucksters who say, “Healing (or whatever) didn’t happen because you had doubt, you didn’t have enough faith.” If so, what do you do with this man’s experience? We take what little faith we have and we bring it to Jesus. If it is His will to answer that request,  He will. Actually, He always answers. Maybe not the way we want, but He does.

And that is where faith comes in! Bring your request; what little faith you may have; and trust Him to answer.

“Father, please give me the faith like a mustard seed-faith like this father- who trusted Jesus to answer. Let me bring what little faith I sometimes have and let you make it complete.”