This is what Jesus commands us. Do not try and solve it on your own (Proverbs 3:5). Do not bring it to other people. Not of this world or even those who may appear to know Me well. What is this mountain that you face today beloved? What is preventing you from living the victorious abundant life Christ promised you? What is the mountain you keep circling? Jesus is saying to you today "bring it to me." Let's see what happens when your problems meet Jesus:
So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. Mark 9: 20 (NLT)
Your problems too will fall to the ground, writhing in convulsions before a holy God. Jesus asks how long this has been happening and the father shares that since the boy was but a child. This has been a long suffering situation. So too can our battles in this flesh. We too can be struggling and battling for many years with problems that prevent the victorious Christian life. Bound by the things of this world and the lies that it sells. Bound by spiritual warfare we are not winning. Bound by the insecurities of the world instead of the assurances of God. Truth be told, we can often feel like this boy:
The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can." Mark 9: 22 (NLT)
Life can be overwhelming without the comfort of God. It can mount up against us and feel insurmountable without the promises of God. I am sure that this problem with his child had sapped a lot of the strength this father once had. Dealing with the problem for years and years; it must also have sapped his faith and dulled what he believed. We can assume this based on his weak prayer to Christ here in verse 22 "Have mercy on us and helps us if you can" Once again though, we see the master diagnostician at work in the response from Jesus:
"What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes." Mark 9: 23 (NLT)
You can almost here the incredulity in the voice of Jesus "What do you mean, if I can?" Jesus turns the tables back on the father and shows him that what he thought was his problem was merely a symptom. Certainly the fact that his son suffered from demon possession was a real problem but the fact that it could not be resolved hid a deeper problem. Underlying the possession problem was the real problem unbelief. Somewhere along the walk for this father he had lost his faith in the power God possessed. He had lost his belief. He wanted God to heal his son but he stopped believing that he could.
And so it can go for us today as well. We can be struggling with the same mountain year after year. A bad medical report, a troublesome marriage, a personal addiction. Maybe it is a hidden sin lust, pride, greed, or hatred. Maybe it is manifesting in the realm of mental health depression, anxiety, or compulsions. Maybe we have brought it to the experts of the world who have tried to sell us on self help, pharmaceutical help, or therapeutic help only to be left still suffering and still struggling. Maybe we took it to the Disciples like this father first tried. We went to the man or woman of God. We have been prayed over and anointed with oil so many times we begin to wonder what it was all for. It binds us in its despair. It overwhelms us and imprisons us. We are saved by the blood of Jesus but we are crawling into heaven. We are in a spiritual fetal position waiting for Jesus to take us home. Jesus is saying to us today as he said to this father 2000 years ago "bring it to me." Not to the experts of the world, not to my disciples bring it to me. Just be ready for the unpleasant diagnosis.
