is my unbelief contagious?

I was walking along
minding my own business
when these two blind men
began to follow me.

Almost sounds like
the lead in to a joke?
I mean how do men who can't see
follow someone?

But that's what happened...
When Jesus departed from there,
two blind men followed Him,
crying out and saying,
“Son of David, have mercy on us!”
And when He had
come into the house,
the blind men came to Him.
And Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe
that I am able to do this?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
Then He touched their eyes,
saying...
“According to your faith
let it be to you.”
And their eyes were opened.
Matthew 9:27-30 NKJV

And after the two men left,
they spread the news
about what Jesus had done
for them... they became witnesses
for the mercy He gave them
in exchange for their faith.

Not only that,
but they brought another man
to Him for healing.
Their faith was contagious.

And while this message
is not a new one to most,
I must challenge the opposite?

Could it be said also,
that if someone does not believe
that this could be contagious?

Because on a different day...
He went out from there
and came to His own country,
and His disciples followed Him.
And when the Sabbath had come,
He began to teach in the synagogue.
​And many hearing Him were astonished...
Mark 6:1-2a

Here was Jesus, returning
to where He had grown up.
And when He opened His mouth
and taught them, now as a man
they were amazed at His teaching.

But then they began to question...
Where did this Man get these things?
And what wisdom is this
which is given to Him,
that such mighty works
are performed by His hands!
Is this not the carpenter,
the Son of Mary...
So they were offended at Him.
Mark 6:2b-3

These people knew Jesus
as a little boy, as a young teen.
They had seen Him grow up
and they knew His family.
They began to question how
He came to this wisdom since
He was trained to work with
His hands rather that studied
or educated under a Rabbi
like all good prophets would be.

And then they dragged
His widowed mother into it.
Most likely implying His
illegitimate birth to demean Him.
So they were offended at Him.

How quickly people can turn
when one from humble beginnings
returns successful and enlightened,
even beyond their grasp.

But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor
except in his own country,
among his own relatives,
and in his own house.”
Now He could do no mighty work there,
except that He laid His hands on
a few sick people and healed them.
And He marveled
because of their unbelief.
Mark 6:4-6

Can you imagine that?
Jesus healing people,
casting out demons,
performing the most amazing
miracles everywhere He went...
except in His home town.
Because they did not believe in Him.

It was more than simply
people without faith.
Because Jesus came across those
in many places He went.
And most of those became believers
by the time He left.

But these people had unbelief.
These people had doubt and offense.
Their belief actually opposed Him.
And it was contagious among them
as they gathered, talked and gossiped.
And He marveled
because of their unbelief.

You know the last time
I recall Jesus marveling...
Was over someone's faith;
A man's belief in just
the authority of His word.
I can only imagine
how He must have shook his head.

How unfortunate to consider
all they missed with Jesus.

But I will say,
that I am somewhat relieved
to learn of this encounter...
this experience Jesus had
with these negative people.

For I have experienced
my own variety of unbelief
and contemplated it's contagion.

You see I've met people who
have placed great faith in God
and been healed in the most
miraculous and astounding way.

And witnessing such has
encouraged me to
stretch my faith to
a bigger and greater capacity,
asking for more than I had before.
Contagious faith!

But I also have known someone
who spoke such negativity,
and walled themselves off
from all help and healing
that they faltered and failed
at every turn.

And no matter how much I prayed,
no matter how badly
I wanted to believe for healing
and encourage them,
I struggled with my faith
that they could get better...
that they would be fully healed.
Because I knew that
their constant mindset of negativity
bound them in unbelief.
Contagious unbelief!

I will admit to you
that I felt condemned often
for not believing enough.
For not having faith enough
to overcome my someone's
lack of faith...
so faith never prevailed.
Victory never came.

So at least in this, I have relief.
Jesus marveled
because of their unbelief.

He too wondered how
they could come to such
a disillusioned end...
how they could live
in such negativity.

Life is too short...
but a wisp, a vapor,
to be lived in unbelief.

And our words and actions
are contagious, like it or not.
Those spoken in faith and those
comitted to unbelief.

Word of God
train me today...
To trust in You with all my heart
and lean not on my own understanding,
in all my ways to acknowledge You,
knowing You will make my paths straight.

To keep in mind that my faith is contagious,
as I live it out before others, that I may
boldly show it courageous and lifted to You.