in Yancey County woodlands.
"Numbers, which records the tragic story of Israel's unbelief, should serve as a dramatic lesson for all of God's people" (Life Application Study Bible). We will soon begin to see what constitutes "unbelief" as we continue the book of Numbers. Jesus admonished the father of a sick child in Mark 9, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes" (verse 23). "Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe, help my unbelief" (verse24). The father did not want to stand in the way of his son's healing, yet he realized he had doubts that things would ever change for his son. However, he recognized that his son's life was at risk and he was at the point of desperation.
Why did Jesus ask the father "how long" his son had been having seizures? Surely Jesus was aware of the time frame of the son's illness even as He was able to see Nathaniel under the fig tree (John 1:45-50). Where was He taking the father with this line of thinking?
Was Jesus helping this father transition from focusing on his son's illness to seeing that here was someone who cared about what he and his son had been through? The father's doubt is revealed in his statement to Jesus when he said, "But if You can do anything". The father was desperate for help and was at the point of tears. He had had to deal with his son's seizures for many years and now, not even Jesus' disciples were able to help him. Jesus told him, "If you can believe". Was He telling the man that if he could see past the hopelessness of a long, drawn out situation, he would finally see the One who really cares?
The disciples had not been able to cast out the demon. Jesus said, "Bring him to me". If we could only grasp Jesus' willingness and power to help us. Prayer and fasting serves to open our eyes to our weaknesses and to God's greatness. We, too, need Jesus to lead us away from the bondage of what we've experienced and lead us to the One who cares and is able to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). May we recognize the dangers of unbelief and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). May we come to see that our desperation is fueled, not only by what we have experienced, but by our innate desire for a relationship with our Father, the very Creator of the Universe.
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