After Jesus, Peter, James, and John come down off of the mount of transfiguration, they find the rest of the disciples in an argument with a large crowd (Mark 9:14-29). Jesus walks up and asks, “What are you arguing about?” A man tells him that his son is possessed by a spirit and the disciples were trying, unsuccessfully, to cast it out. The man then says to Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“If I can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Then comes my favorite part. The man replies, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.”
How often is this my response? A lot. I choose to believe in spite of the lingering doubts swirling around in my mind. And I am confident that this is okay. That this is normal. The word in Mark 9:23 and 24 translated as “believe” is pistis: a Greek word most often translated faith. Too often we think of faith as merely believing in something, but a better understanding would be to think of it as “a vow to faithful relationship.” You see, faith is not just a mental practice, but a lifestyle. Faith is about commitment and loyalty.
If faith is “a vow to faithful relationship,” the man in our story is saying to Jesus, “I am committing myself to you. To follow you, to listen to you, and to do what you say. Even when it is hard, Lord, help me to overcome my desire to put my trust in anything else.”
In Luke 17:5, the disciples ask for faith (pistis). They ask for big faith. But Jesus tells them that they don’t need big faith—they need consistent faith. The consistent faith of a servant to his master (Luke:17:7-10). The consistent faith of the persistent widow (Luke 18:2-8).
In this season of Advent, we don’t need big faith. We need consistent faith. Consistent faith to hold fast to Jesus and his ways in the midst of a dark, corrupt world. Consistent faith to persevere in action and in prayer, to bring about the kingdom now as it is in heaven. Consistent faith to bear witness of Jesus as we await his return to set all things right again.