The hard part is our busy society keeps us churning and distracted. Letting go of our personal agenda is very difficult. 

When we think that maybe it was easier in earlier times perhaps we should consider the demands on Jesus during his ministry. Once he started healing others, preaching powerful wisdom, being available to all he met, word got around and he was constantly besieged with crowds.

This morning I was reading, reflecting and praying over a Gospel reading from Mark (Mk. 9:14-29). Jesus has just come down from the mountain following the amazing Transfiguration experience. He had with him three of his disciples - Peter, James and John. They come upon the other disciples, some teachers of the Law and a crowd. Everyone is animated. A boy "possessed by a spirit" is the center of the attention. The father of the boy desires healing. The boy has always been mute because of his condition and frequently has seizures that cause him to foam at the mouth and roll around on the ground. It must be a frightening and disconcerting sight. It sounds very much like epilepsy.

In those days I'm sure many such conditions were attributed to possession by a demon. And maybe the boy really was possessed by something evil. Regardless, it was troubling and the father must have heard about Jesus and his followers and was desperate for a healing. Unfortunately, the disciples couldn't cast out the demon.

When Jesus is confronted by the situation he is distressed, complaining about this "unbelieving generation" and "how long will I be with you?" Sounds a bit odd, eh? But remember, Jesus keeps telling people to have faith, to be loving and kind, to help others. And people instead usually want someone else to solve their problems. That doesn't sound too different from today.

The father asks Jesus to have pity on them and, if he can, to help them. Jesus replies, "if you can?" (emphasis mine). 

Here again we see that Jesus is telling us that God is available and working in, with and through us - if only we have faith. Believe it!

How does the father respond? "I do believe, help my unbelief!"

Oh, that resonates with me. Yes, Lord, I believe. But so often I struggle. Help me have faith. Help my unbelief.

Jesus commands the spirit to come out of the boy and it does. The child lays on the ground, very still. Some of the crowd murmurs. He's dead, they think. But Jesus takes him by the hand and lifts him to his feet. What a metaphor for us! Jesus has his hand extended to us here in our life. Take it!

At the end of this dramatic story the disciples come to Jesus in private and want to know why they could not cast out the demon. This kind only responds to prayer is the Master's reply.

Prayer. And what is prayer? That's a big subject. But it merely starts with becoming quiet and setting aside our agenda, our worries, our busyness, and letting God speak to us. Our prayer life is a relationship that must be cultivated and we must live it. I am grateful that God spoke to me through this Gospel reading today. I do believe. But I need help in my unbelief. Jesus is telling me that the help is with me, in me and readily available. Thank God for that!