Believing Jesus

Mark 9:23 "And Jesus said to him, "'If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes."" ESV

 

"This is my beloved Son; listen to Him." And what does the Son say? "All things are possible for one who believes."

 

Now the disciples are sitting around wondering why they were not able to cast out the demon out of this man's son and Jesus response to the Dad was: "If you believe it will happen." I wonder what James and John and Peter were thinking as they observed this? They weren't with the other guys who were not able to cast out the demon. They had been with Jesus and did not see what was going on with the other nine. "Listen to Him." Understand this. Apply this. Use this. "All things are possible for one who believes." I think that they understood that the other guys did not get it…and they may not have either. The fact that they could not cast out the demon had to do with their lack of belief. And the father's doubt as to whether Jesus could do this was answered by this statement…a statement that centered on what Jesus could do. "If you can…".

 

The point: Belief and Jesus are intertwined. Oh, I can believe anything I want to believe, but unless that belief is centered in what is credible, it is just a pipe dream. If I just believe in myself, that is dumb. If I believe in a pastor or a business leader or a politician, that is misplaced. But when belief is centered on what Christ can do then watch stuff happen.

 

My daughter, Elise, taught me a powerful lesson last week. She and her husband just came home from a medical mission's trip to Ecuador a couple of weeks ago. Closely following that trip, someone from her church approached her and said that they needed a nurse on another mission's trip that was going to Northern Africa in just a couple of months. Well, she kind of put it out of her mind because she had just returned from Ecuador, until she was sitting in a class in church and was challenged to take another step of faith. There were all kinds of hurdles that had to be overcome. Her work schedule was one. And raising $3000 in six weeks was another. Short story. Work cleared the way…then on Sunday, while she was here in Cleveland visiting us she got a text from a friend. The text said: "Your trip has been paid in full." Her response after she got done screaming was: "I didn't doubt it for one minute." Why? Because she believed Jesus.

 

"All things are possible for one who believes." Am I listening?