A Father’s Plight
Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Mark 9:23
Desperation drove the man through the crowd toward Jesus. Before anyone could prevent him or push him aside, he shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child” (Luke 9:38).
Matthew records that the despairing father knelt before Jesus (17:4). The man’s son was “possessed by a spirit that [had] robbed him of his speech” (Mark 9:17). “It scarcely ever leaves him,” the father explained, “and is destroying him” (Luke 9:39).
What agony the man had experienced, watching the torment his son had endured since childhood (Mark 9:21). How
many doctors, rabbis, and healers had he consulted? Imagine his devastation when he brought his son to some of Jesus’ disciples, yet they were unable to help him (Luke 9:40).
But Jesus was fully able to help. He commanded, “Bring your son here” (Luke 9:41). Can you imagine the hope that swelled in the father’s heart when Jesus spoke those four words?
Jesus had heard his cry. Jesus—the only one who can dissolve despair, the only one who can heal the hopeless, the only one who can transform desperation into celebration. Jesus then “healed the boy and gave him back to his father” (Luke 9:42). And what was the result? “They were all amazed at the greatness of God” (v. 43).
Are you feeling desperate today? Has an illness, a fractured relationship, or some other seemingly hopeless situation brought you to your knees before God, crying, “I beg You”?
Follow this father’s example. Let your despair drive you to Jesus. “Bring your ____ here,” He says. You may not receive instantaneous results as the father did; nevertheless, the Source of life, the Source of goodness, and the Source of hope has blessings in store for you too.
Disregard the crowd that obstructs your approach and the doubt that sticks in your throat. Call out to Jesus. He will hear your cry and come to your aid. And then, like this father, your desperation will turn to amazement, and you’ll proclaim the “greatness of God.”
DIG DEEPER:
According to the accounts in Matthew 17:14-20 and Mark 9:14-29, why couldn’t the disciples cast out the evil spirit? Why do you think Jesus reacts differently to the disciples’ lack of faith and the father’s lack of faith?
Read Psalm 28. What helped David move from desperation to rejoicing in this psalm? What similarities do you see between his call to God for help and the father’s call to Jesus? What’s different about the way each man’s plea was answered?
Read Isaiah 40:27-31. Do you feel as though God has disregarded your cause? What does this passage advise us to do when we feel that way?
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of a series, Unnamed Heroes.