“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” Mark 9:23 NLT
This statement Jesus made has been the basis for much controversy over the years. Is Jesus talking about the strength or quality of our faith? If we have enough faith, can we make anything happen?
No. Context is everything. Jesus taught often about faith, and the setting and situation were always core. That means I don’t take a singular sentence and declare it to mean something without considering other details. In this particular situation a distraught father had come to Jesus seeking healing for his son. He told Jesus he had taken the boy to Jesus’ disciples and they were unable to help him.
He then directly asks Jesus to, “Help us, if you can!”
Jesus immediately corrected him. “What do you mean, ‘If I can’? Anything is possible if a person believes.” The man understood. Jesus was not talking about generic faith, no matter how strong it was. Jesus was saying, “Anyone thing is possible if a person believes in ME.” The man’s faith in healing from the disciples got him nowhere. Jesus instructed him that the power of faith is NOT in the faith. It is in the OBJECT of our faith.
The father immediately understood and responded, recognizing Jesus was the power and object of true belief. He cried, “Lord, I believe, and help my unbelief!” In essence, “I do believe and trust in You! But help me where I am deficient.” Faith in faith is always deficient. Jesus went on to say that believing prayer alone is critical because the Person with the Power to do this is God Himself.
When we misunderstand Jesus’ statement, we set ourselves up for disappointment and disillusionment. He did not promise that we can do and get whatever we want if we have sufficiently pumped-up faith. He made it clear that the one who believes only has power due to the object of that one’s faith – Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Our King. The power is always God’s, and we access it through faith, humility, and prayer, according to His will (1 John 5:14). Our power always comes from the object of our faith. As we live for Jesus, let us focus on the object of our belief (Hebrews 12:2), the Author and Finisher of our faith.
- My faith is only as good as the Object of my faith.