We come to a painfully vulnerable scene in the Gospel of Mark. A father calls out to Jesus seeking pity for his suffering son. Intriguingly, Jesus arrives on the scene to find his disciples having failed to heal the boy and now arguing with others. Jesus then says some harsh things about faithlessness, which begins a spiraling conversation about weak faith. It culminates in this father crying out, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" You sense a dad's desperation to see his child no longer suffer. He'd say anything... and yet Jesus still heals his son. However, this passage inevitably invites a conversation about what is required of us. How do I know my faith is strong enough? What if I have doubts? Why do the disciples fail? So let's talk about the challenges of weak faith and the hallmarks of maturing faith. There's good news here: Lord, “Help My Unbelief!” (Mark 9:14-32)
