On Unbelief

"Unbelief is the shield of every sin."

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:23, 24).

The context of these words come when the disciples were unable to expel the demon from the son of this man here presented. Context is king, remember! And, it seems also that the father of this child had some doubt concerning Jesus' power to help.

So Jesus saith unto the father, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth" (vv. 23).

And Mark, as his custom to hurry the narrative (by use of 'immediately/straightway' in his Gospel) records for us the father's response, "I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (vv. 24).

Behold a prayer of faith and doubt! Who thought that unbelief and belief will share a stage in one sentence? Our blessed Lord Christ Jesus casts not the man away because of his response but compassionately hears his desperate cry and thence heals his son.

Note, the strength of this father lieth not on his 'strong' faith, however big. But he has rested his faith, however small, to the power of Christ Jesus.

Let the writer make a comment or two concerning unbelief. Unbelief, like pride, is the mother of all sin. Twin-Mother. "It is common," wrote blessed, S. Rutherford, "for men to make doubts when they have the mind to desert the truth."

But also, lest the Christian be discouraged in their condition; let them recall that God calls the mature in the faith as well as the weak to His throne. And the latter may truthfully pray,

"Lord, I believe; help my unbelief."

"And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose" (Mark 9:22, 23; 25, 27).