Principle:
God’s glory through personal faith, humility and prayer.
Commentary:
The father of the demon-possessed boy had just asked Jesus, “But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” (v. 22). Jesus’ reply was meant to teach this man that the issue was not Jesus’ ability to provide healing power, but the man’s willingness to receive the power of God through personal faith.
God works through individual faith in order to put His glory on display. If a person has no faith in God, he will sin by not giving God the glory when God displays His power. If a person is proud and puts some of his faith in himself or anything else instead of putting his full faith in God, then he will sin by misplacing some of the credit when God works. Therefore, a lack of faith or misplaced faith puts a constraint on the working of God’s power. When Jesus was in His hometown of Nazareth, He could do no miracles because of the unbelief of the people (Mark 6:5-6). On the other hand, God’s power is unlimited when He receives a person’s full, 100% faith. In this case, the person will give all the glory to God. Jesus said that faith as minute as a mustard seed is enough to move mountains, and that ‘nothing shall be impossible’ to the person who puts his full faith in God (Matthew 17:20).
In Mark 9:23-34, the father was weak in faith in the sense that he admittedly needed help for his unbelief (v. 24). And yet, this man was a believer in that he knew that he needed more faith in Christ, was honest and humble enough to admit that he did not have it, and believed enough in Jesus, the only Man Who could help him, to ask Jesus to supply His need. Jesus honored this man’s faith and supplied both his physical and spiritual need. Jesus performed a miracle, and not only restored this man’s son but increased this man’s faith as he had asked. Jesus worked through this man’s faith for the glory of God.