“Now Jesus did not do many mighty works there (in His home town) because of their UNBELIEF.” (Matt. 13:58)
Jesus came to His disciples, who failed to cast a demon out of a boy, the father asked Jesus to cast him out, “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things ARE POSSIBLE to him who BELIEVES.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; HELP MY UNBELIEF! Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more! Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and CAME OUT OF HIM.” (Mark 9:23-26)
The disciples asked, “Why could we not cast it out? So Jesus said to them, “This KIND can come out by nothing but PRAYER and FASTING.” (Mark 9:28-29) Confusion comes when we fail to realize the moral of the story. At first glance it may appear that the demon is, but a closer look will reveal that the real adversary in this story is not the demon but the SPIRIT OF UNBELIEF. Remember Jesus said, “If you can BELIEVE, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE…” (Mark 9:23) We have a problem with unbelief today, how do I know? “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do HE (who believes) WILL DO ALSO; and GREATER WORKS than these HE WILL DO, because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12)
-Bill Stockham