‘If you can?’ Ha!

February 21, 2022

From today’s reading…

Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ ‘From childhood,’ he said, ‘and it has often thrown him into fire and into water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ retorted Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who has faith.’ At once the father of the boy cried out, ‘I have faith. Help my lack of faith!’” Mark 9:21-24

Back in the day, Damon Wayans had a TV show called “In Living Color” (and Jennifer Lopez was passed over to be a “Fly Girl” in 1990…but she was chosen in 1991, and the rest is history, but I digress).

On the show, Wayans had a character named Homey D. Clown, the performing name of Herman Simpson, another character Wayans created, who was an angry convict who was also bitter because he received “a never-ending community service sentence” (inlivingcolor.fandom.com).

The signature move + tagline of Homey was to smack excited kids over the head with a tennis ball he kept in a sock as he said, “I don’t think so. Homey don’t play that.”

For some reason, I can envision Jesus getting a little upset with the father in today’s reading as He retorts, “If I can?” But instead of saying, “Jesus don’t play that,” and smacking the father in the head, Jesus says, “Hold my beer,” and makes a believer out of the father.

Now the question remains, has He made a believer out of you?

Don’t wait to get smacked over the head with a tennis ball in a sock to get you to…

Stay the course.Keep the faith.Endure.

Now go sell something.