Feeling rattled? Going through anxiety and dis-ease?
Our whole society is on edge and arguing with each other about how best to deal with the coronavirus. So much of our anxiety is because we are rightly feeling out of control. We are clamping down to try to get a handle on this virus and limits its damage. Which we will given enough time.
Yet this whole episode exposes us to the truth that life is always beyond our manipulation.
After Jesus comes down from the Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-3) he encounters a crowd arguing about how to bring healing to a boy who is sick and tormented by an out of control spirit. A spirit that is working on killing the boy. The boy’s father begs Jesus to do something.
We are frantic. We are crying out to anybody and everybody to do something to bring life back to normal, including God. Jesus responds to the boy’s father and to us.
“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” (Mk 9:19)
In our fear and frantic anxiety, we do not trust God. Jesus confronts the father for his lack of trust, for his unbelief. You and I are confronted right now by our circumstances for being fine with motoring along in unbelief. Now that our world is not being tossed to the ground and thrown about we are crying out to God.
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24)
The Good News is that Jesus knows exactly what we are like. He knows we are unbelieving. Which is why faith does not depend upon us. Faith does not depend upon how much we believe we believe. Like the father, we cry out for help with our unbelief.
Jesus doesn’t wait for us. He simply acts in our lives. He rebukes the sin and darkness, the death and the devil in our lives to raise us up.
When we wonder why we cannot drive out these wicked powers on our own? When we wonder why we cannot manipulate our situations so we would not need Christ Jesus, he replies:
“This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mk 9:29)
So frantically rely on God. Even in your unbelief, trust Jesus who goes to the cross and is resurrected for you.
REMINDER: Our Sunday worship will be live on Facebook or our website (https://concordiakingsburg.org/) Sunday @ 9:30 am (Pacific time)
You can find the worship liturgy at https://outofthekiddiepool.com/sunday-morning-worship/
Out of the Kiddie Pool 
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