I DO BELIEVE, HELP THOU MY UNBELIEF (MARK 9:21-27)

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St. Augustine thought the Gospel of Mark was an abridgment of the Gospel of Matthew (De consensu evangelistarum 1.2.4). Actually the reverse is true. Even though Matthew is much longer than Mark, he abridges what Mark has incident by incident (as does Luke). A good example of this is seen in the story of Jesus's healing of the epileptic boy, where, paralleling the 116 words used in Mark 9:20b-26 to tell the story, he has only 11 words (Mt 17:18=Mk 9:25-26) and Luke only 8 (9:42b = Mk 25).

Reading Mark this morning I was particularly glad that we have the fuller version of the story in which Mark alone preserves the conversation between Jesus and the boy's father, which has served as a wonderful encouragement to Christians down the centuries:

Mark 9:21-27 "Jesus asked the father, 'How long has this been happening to him?'

And he said, 'From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.'

Jesus said to him, 'If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'

When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!”

After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, 'He is dead.'

But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand."

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