So Turn into a Dinosaur

By Harrison Goodman

I wasn’t raised Christian. I was baptized when I was 19 years old, and began playing catch-up with all the born-andraised Lutherans who already knew how to sing table prayers and recite Sunday School stories. To this day, every kid I’ve ever confirmed has been a Christian longer than I have. People have tried to encourage me in my “spiritual growth” by giving me lots of little helps. One of them was a little ribbon bookmark covered in Bible verses for different situations in life.

I remember one particularly terrible day. I was slumped against my dresser, and after rubbing my eyes raw, I gazed upon my very own Bible that had its very own bookmark. I saw the “Inspirational” section on it almost right away. I took it as a sign. Mark 9:23: “And Jesus said to him, ‘If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.’” All things are possible for one who believes. Beautiful. Until you finally realize you can’t do all things. I hate those little bookmarks.

I couldn’t find the words until years and seminary educations later, but the reason that verse sounded so beautiful is because I thought it promised the path forward. If I really believed, I would never fail. The reason it didn’t actually work is because that’s all law and no gospel. The reason I lit that little bookmark on fire in the kitchen sink was because the law can’t save me.

All things are possible for one who believes. So…turn into a dinosaur! If you can. If it’s law, it’s on you. Do it right now, or admit one of three things: 1) there is no God, 2) even worse, you don’t really believe in Him, or 3) maybe you don’t quite understand the verse.

If you want to make the Bible about yourself instead of Jesus, then when you fail, not only is it your fault, but there’s no help. That’s not inspirational. That’s a death sentence.

In Mark 9, Jesus’ words crushed the man hearing them. His son was demon possessed, and he just couldn’t help him. He tried, but he couldn’t do all things. So, after hearing Jesus, “...immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:24)

That’s what I can relate to. I want to succeed. I want to believe enough to make all things possible. I just can’t. That isn’t proof that God’s not real. It just means I’m a sinner.

The inspirational part actually comes next. Jesus helps sinners and failures. Jesus helps us.

“And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’ And 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 arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ And he said to them, ‘This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer’“ (Mark 9:25-29).

Jesus meant what He said to this man. All things really are possible for one who believes. But the Bible is not about you, the Bible is about Jesus FOR you. All things are possible FOR you. God gives them for you to receive. He even gave His Son to die upon a cross. He even gives forgiveness and help to sinners and failures. He even gives this for you.

The disciples, burdened by their own failure, made Jesus spell things out. They tried and failed to cast out this demon. He said, “this kind of demon cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Prayer is not your work, but finding comfort in God’s promise. Our Small Catechism, the book that actually helped me when that evil little bookmark failed, says “Our Father who art in heaven. What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.”

We don’t pray because we can do anything by believing hard enough. We pray because God can do anything, and we trust Him to help us. And this God who can do anything actually loves you. He loves you like this: He sends His Son to redeem you, and name you His own child in your baptism. Cross yourself and know He already has done things for you, as a dear father does them for his dear child. Maybe He won’t turn you into a dinosaur. Maybe He won’t let you pass your test. Maybe He won’t let you avoid pain. Fine. But He has already borne you through it. Christ was crucified and raised for you. You are baptized into that. Even when the world watches you cry your last and thinks you’re dead, He takes you by the hand, lifts you up, and raises you even from death.

All things are possible for you who believe. You don’t have to work this out on your own. Jesus has already given them to you. He has even given everlasting life. This is for you who believe.

Rev. Harrison Goodman serves as pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Carroll, Nebraska.