Tag: unbelief

“I believe; help me in my unbelief.”

Luke 1 and John 1:1-14

If you have been reading with us from the beginning of the year – welcome to the New Testament!

Devotion by Telva Elwell (SC)

Malachi had last spoken 400 years ago and had promised that the Messenger would come.  “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.”  Surely Zechariah, as a priest, knew this well. But to put it mildly, God caught him off guard one day.

Zechariah was busy in the Holy Place offering incense, a duty Zechariah was permitted to do only once in his lifetime, when suddenly out of nowhere, the angel Gabriel stood by the altar. Of course, Gabriel had to calm Zechariah, because he was focused upon his task and not expecting Gabriel’s visit.  “Fear not,” he said. Not only did Gabriel’s presence startle Zechariah, but the news he brought was also startling.

Gabriel told him that Zechariah and Elizabeth, his wife, were going to have a son!  One would expect this to be good news for Zechariah because Elizabeth and Zechariah had been praying for a child for many years. Zechariah did not believe such a thing possible because he was an old man, and his wife was advanced in years as well. (Luke 1:18) This story was reminiscent of Abraham and Sarah, for God had also said that He would give them a son in their old age.  “Abraham fell on his face and laughed.” (Gen 17:17) 

Before he could even grasp the idea of having a son in his old age, Gabriel told him to name his son John, and that John would grow up to be God’s prophet to show Israel God’s son.  “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (vs16-17) (Mal 4:5) I understand that this was a lot to take in. But none of it was new to him. He was well acquainted with the promises of God as told by Malachi and other Old Testament prophets. This was the day, the time, that Zechariah, the priest, was looking forward to.   What a blessing and privilege to be the father of the much-anticipated Messenger who would turn the children of Israel to God. But something got in the way of that for Zechariah.

Instead of rejoicing, Zechariah demanded proof that this was even possible.  Even though an angel, who stands in the presence of God, came to deliver this good news, Zechariah believed this was all nonsense.  He wanted proof—not just a proclamation of an angel of the Lord.  “How can I be SURE of this?” he asked. (vs18) Gabriel gave him proof in the form of punishment. “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words…” (vs19,20) Zechariah was struck dumb, (v20) and quite possibly deaf. (v62)    

When Zechariah finished his priestly duties, he walked home to his faithful wife, and in time, she conceived. For nine months his words did not come, and his world was silent.  Every waking moment of every day, Zechariah was reminded of his unbelief.

I would be remiss in not mentioning Mary. Gabriel also brought her unexpected news. Although young, a virgin, and unmarried, she was also going to have a son—God’s Son, the Messiah. Her response was unlike Zechariah’s.  Instead of demanding proof that this could happen, she humbly submitted to God’s plan as His servant. “Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (v38) While Zechariah sat silently with his thoughts running rampant in his head, Mary rejoiced in prayer and song. (vs.46-55)

 In time, Elizabeth gave birth to a son.  Relatives and neighbors and friends heard the good news and rejoiced with her. Then something truly miraculous happened.

By custom Jewish boys were circumcised eight days after birth, at which time a name was given to the child. The expectation was that this child would be named Zechariah, after his father, but Elizabeth said his name would be called John, just as Gabriel had told Zechariah. It was unusual not to name the son after his father or another family member, so Zechariah was asked what he wanted the child to be called.  Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote the words, “His name is John.” (v63) That name, John, means God is gracious. When Zechariah penned the baby’s name, “John” on his tablet, he was declaring his belief in God’s faithfulness and grace, and affirming Gabriel’s message to him concerning his son, John. A simple thing, yet profound. Because God is gracious, Zechariah’s tongue was immediately loosed. (v64) Because God is gracious, He did not forget or abandon Zechariah, even when he did not believe.  That does not mean that it is okay to not believe.  We need to believe God. But when we struggle, God is there.   

Belief and unbelief are often at war with one another in our lives.  Sometimes we struggle to believe, much like Zechariah, and then other times we simply believe without doubt or question, much like Mary.  When we struggle, sometimes it is the small things that awaken our faith and cause us to believe—like a new baby named John

That same small baby, named John, awakened the faith of the children of Israel years later when as a man he “came as a witness, to bear witness about the light that all might believe through Him.”  (John 1:7)

Reflection Questions

Question One:  Why do you think God chose to make Zechariah a mute as punishment for his unbelief?

Question Two:  Why do you believe Zechariah struggled to believe God?  Are there times when you struggle to believe God?  Why? When?

Question Three: Right now, where are you in your belief?  More like Zechariah, the high priest, or more like Mary, the young virgin? 

Question Four:  In Mark 9:24, a man came to Jesus and said: “I believe; help me in my unbelief.” How can someone say, I believe, and at the same time ask for help in overcoming unbelief? Do you believe this was the situation with Zechariah?  Is this your situation on occasion?

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Belief vs Unbelief

Romans 1 8

Romans 1

As we start to look at Paul’s letter to Rome, it is obvious Paul is writing to the church.  However, in the first chapter we see a message about the believers, and a message about the unbelievers.  Let’s look at both of these.

The beginning of chapter 1 begins similar to other letters Paul has written, with a greeting to the church.  Following that in verse 8 we read:

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.”

The faith of the church in Rome is being proclaimed around the world.   That is an impressive statement about the church in Rome, and must have been very encouraging to hear that their faith was making an impression to people around the world.  Paul continues with this encouragement in verses 11 and 12:

“For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

I love that while Paul wants to see them to impart some spiritual gift to the church and to encourage the church, he also wants to spend time with them to be encouraged himself.  As we know, Paul was spreading the gospel to as many people in as many places as possible. It probably felt like an impossible task, but hearing of the faith of the church of Rome from around the world, it had to be an encouragement to Paul to know that the message would be spread even when he was unable to do it himself.

Paul concludes his message about the church in verses 16 and 17:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith.’ “

This is an example of how the church should act, both then and now.  We need to live by faith and never be ashamed of the gospel.  We should share it everywhere we go, to everyone we meet.

Then Paul turns his letter to speaking about the unbeliever.  Obviously, there were unbelievers in Rome, as there are unbelievers all around us today.   Paul tells us that there is no excuse for not believing in verses 19 and 20:

“because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

God is evident in the world around us, so unbelief must be a choice. The choice of unbelief is when we don’t honor God or give Him thanks.  Instead we rely on our own knowledge and understanding.  So, even if we admit God is real and in control, if we do not honor him and rely on him, it is still unbelief.  Paul continues to say that those who did not believe were turned over to their degrading passions and depraved minds.  In verse 32, Paul points out that this is all worthy of death.

We are shown two very different lives.  The first is one of faithfulness, and the second is one of unbelief.  The first is one of encouragement and spreading the gospel.  The second is one of sin and death.  We need to each examine our own lives.  Although we probably all belief in God, are we honoring Him, giving thanks to Him, encouraging and uplifting others, and preaching the Gospel?

-Andrew Hamilton

What to Do with Doubt

Mark 9:14-32 (Monday)

Mark 9 24

None of Scripture was intended to be read.  Although that may seem strange to us today, the ability to read was incredibly rare.  For today, it’d be like having a doctorate.  There are a number of professor’s out there, but you don’t run into them every day.  Reading just wasn’t something most people needed to be able to do to get through their day.  The agricultural and craftsman lifestyles didn’t need to keep many notes themselves.  As a result, the writings, when they were used, were usually read aloud in a collective setting – and this is key.  Because Scripture is meant to be heard – not read!  All those with EARS, let them HEAR.

Because of this, there weren’t any of the nifty little headings that we find in our Bibles today.  It was just one long story without breaks or chapters.  So, the nice breaks that we often get around stories didn’t exist except for the past few hundred years.  For today’s reading, both of these things are really important.

These two vignettes in Mark 9:14-32 (the healing of the child and the misunderstanding of the disciples) come back to back and would have been heard that way by Mark’s original audience.  So, what I’d like you to do is try it.  Take just a second to read these verses out loud. If you’re somewhere public, just try whispering if you want.  But read it out loud and see what sticks out to you.  I’ll wait here and I’ll do it too…

[waiting]

So, how was it?  Awkward? Weird?  Probably a little.  But when I did it something new really stood out to me about this passage.  In the first story, a man comes to Jesus asking for healing for his son. Jesus responds ‘oh you faithless people…how much longer do I have to put up with you.  Bring me the boy.’  The father, distraught over Jesus’ seemingly kinda cruel response, cries out – ‘I want to believe! Please help my unbelief!’  He wants to save his son and will do whatever it takes to save him.

The next story is between Jesus and his disciples.  He’s teaching them about what’s going to happen to him when he reaches Jerusalem.  But they don’t get it.  They don’t have belief/faith, just like the dad in the previous story.  However, instead of putting aside their pride and asking for Jesus to help their unbelief (lack of understanding), they stay silent.

Here, in these few verses, a man from “this faithless generation” reaches out, pleads, and finds Jesus meeting him in his unbelief while the ones who are part of Jesus’ own inner-circle remain unmoved in their faithlessness.  And this at a time when Jesus’s time with them was literally drawing short.

The problem with this is never unbelief.  The problem is how we respond to it.  We won’t have all the answers.  We will doubt and question.  Jesus doesn’t lament our struggle – it is one that he himself walked through (for he shared in all things but without sin).  Embrace the places where you are unsure.  Lean into the spots where the struggle is the most real and you are shaken like the son in the story.  Push forward and call out for a help, a grace that will fill us in our uncertainty and bring healing.

-Graysen Pack