My God and My Country

The Gospel According to Mark

Chapter 9:19, 23-24

19 Then he answered him, and said, O faithless generation, how long now shall I be with you! how long now shall I suffer you! Bring him unto me.
23 And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe it, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child crying with tears, said, Lord, I believe: help my unbelief.

Brethren:

We are herein reminded of Matthew 19:26, in that Christ states without doubt that with God ALL things are possible. (See also Matthew 8:13, 9:22; Luke 8:50, 18:22)

Verse 24

“Not [in a]forward [manner], but out of the way: he found in himself some small degree of faith in the power of Christ, but it was mixed with much unbelief, through the greatness of the child's disorder; and therefore desires it might be removed from him, and he might be helped against it: he saw it was not in his own power to believe; nor had he strength of himself to oppose his unbelief; but that both faith must be given him, and power against unbelief. The Syriac version renders it, "help the defect of my faith": till up that which is lacking in it, it is very deficient, Lord, increase it; and the Arabic and Ethiopic translate thus, "help the weakness of my faith". He found his faith very weak, he desires it might be strengthened, that he might be strong in faith, and give glory to God; and in this way belief is helped, or men helped against it: every believer, more or less, at one time or another, finds himself in this man's case; and also that it is necessary to make use of the same petition; for faith is but imperfect in this life, and often very weak and defective in its exercise.” - John Gill – Theologian

“Although my faith be so small, that it might rather be termed unbelief, yet help me”

John Wesley