Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Proper 19
September 16, 2012 - Pastor Adam Moline
Isaiah
50:4-10 James
3:1-12 Mark
9:14-29
Grace, mercy and
peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text today comes from the Gospel lesson just read, especially these
words, “I believe, help my unbelief.”
Thus far our text.
Dear friends in
Christ. A man’s son is sick – demon
possessed. You see, demons are real, and
this boy had one living in his body. This
demon prevented him from talking, and caused him to fall over and foam at the
mouth. The boy had fallen into fires, he
had almost drowned, he had dealt with this demon for years, much to the chagrin
of his parents. No matter what they
tried, the boy was still possessed. No
matter how they prayed, no matter what they did, this malady would not go away. Years of facing this made them doubt that it
would ever be taken care of, that it would ever disappear. They believed it would always be a problem
they would face.
You can imagine
the questions these parents asked? What
happens when we’re gone? Who will care
for our son then? Who will provide for
him? Who will pull him from the fire or
water? Who will watch over our
child? They took him to doctors, to
priests, hoping for a cure that seemingly was never found. The parents began to believe there would be
no cure. He would always be
possessed.
But there is one
last long shot. One last possible savior,
even as their doubts grown and their hope fades. This preacher man, maybe he can cure
him. Maybe he will drive away the demons
that haunt this family. And he’s only up
in the next town. Maybe, beyond all
hope, he can help. And if not, we’re no
worse off than we were before.
When they arrive,
only the disciples of the preacher are there.
“Can you heal our child? I mean
its ok if you can’t, we understand, but do you want to give it a try?” The Pharisees are there, arguing and mocking
the disciples as they try, as they put on a great big show, and nothing
happens. The boy is still sick, still
demon possessed. The Pharisees
laugh. The disciples try harder. And through it all, the parents of this boy
lose hope as realization hits home. No
one will be able to help their child, he will always be possessed, he will
always be sick. There’s no way around
it.
And then the
preacher arrives. The crowds run up to
him. “What are you arguing about?” He
asks. What’s going on? The parents tell him. “We wanted our son to be demon possessed, but
no one can help. It’s a hopeless
cause. Your disciples couldn’t do
it. Its ok, we didn’t mean to make a
scene.” And the preacher – Jesus –
responds. “You faithless
generation.” He’s talking about the
Pharisees. He’s talking about the
disciples. He’s talking about the
parents, and yes, he’s talking about you and me. “Bring the child to me.” Jesus says.
The parents bring
the boy to Jesus, “IF you can heal him, that’s great Jesus,” they say, “but IF
not, we understand, no one else can either.”
You see, they are no different 2000 years ago than we are today. “IF Jesus can save me. If Jesus can help me. If Jesus can do this, or do that. If Jesus can really be present in bread and
wine. If Jesus can really connect Word
to Water, that’s great! But if not, I
understand. If not, its ok. If, if, if IF! IF?
Dear friends, all
things are possible for those who believe.
For those who have received the free gift of faith. Who trust in God, in His Word, in His
promises, and who have received his gifts.
But how much belief? How much
faith? What is necessary for us to
believe? Dear friends, hear the words of
the parents in our text, as they finally have a hope. Lord, we believe, help our unbelief. Lord, there is a spark of faith within me
through your work, and grant lord that I may have more, that I may increase in
faith, that my trust might every grow.
Lord, I believe, help me in those times where the circumstances of the
world try to convince me otherwise. Help
me to trust your Word and promise, for in that alone do we have hope.
Its not always
easy. We see that in our text today. These parents are hopeless, their faith is
swallowed up by the circumstances that they face, and yet, Jesus comes. Lord we believe, but help our unbelief. Jesus comes to the boy, who convulses at the
moment he sees his creator and the righteous judge of sin, and with his
powerful word, Jesus cries out, “Come out of him!” and the demon finally leaves
the boy. At first the boy seems dead,
laying on the ground, but he is not, for Jesus takes him by the hand and he
raises.
The same thing has
happened to you! In baptism, demons were
exorcised from you. Really! Truly!
Lord we believe, help our unbelief.
You were born in sin, under the power of death and the devil, sinful
beyond belief. And Jesus came, with
water, not just plain water, but the water combined with Jesus’ Word and
included in God’s command. He cried out
through the lips of a pastor, “Come out of them! IN the name of the Father, and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit! Amen!” And they did.
They left you forever! For in that water, you drowned. In that water, you died. In that water, the death of Jesus on the
cross became your death, as you were crucified with Jesus. Jesus’ three days in the tomb became yours,
and then Jesus’ glorious resurrection also became yours. Blood has cast out our demons. Blood has made us well. We are given life now, in Christ forever.
For you see, we
still seem dead. We still seem
sick. WE still feebly struggle. We have had our loved ones taken from us. But the truth is it is not forever. The truth is that we live, and have the hope
of eternal life in the resurrection of Jesus.
The truth is that even should we die in this world, that on the last
day, Jesus will bend over our grave, take us by the hand and raise us! Lord we believe, help our unbelief in
this!
I know that at
times, this life seems to get the best of us.
It seems to conquer us. It seems
to be more than we can deal with. But
the truth is there. Jesus is your
master, not death or satan. Jesus is
your Lord, the one who redeemed you. Who
set you free forever. In him you need
not lose hope, but continue in the prayer from our text. “Lord we believe, help us with our unbelief,
every day of our lives.
