21 “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father.
“From childhood,” he said.
22 “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.”24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out,
“I do believe; help my unbelief!”
When have you felt most desperate?
Encourage the group to put themselves in the father’s place and discuss why he might have felt desperate.
Acknowledge the tension that believers often feel between doubt and faith.
Remind the group that this tension is a normal part of maturing spiritually and becoming more like Jesus.
Call attention to the father’s confession in verses 21-24.
In one sense, it seems like a contradiction,
but most of us can relate to what he was saying.
While a part of us wants to trust God, another part is always holding out on Him.
Thankfully, God understands that, as well.
He wants to use our honesty in those moments to teach us more about Him and to deepen our faith in Him.