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On the next day when they had come down from the mountain, a great multitude met around him… and scribes questioning them. Immediately all the multitude (when they saw him) were greatly amazed and running to him – greeted him. He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”
A man from the crowd came to him kneeling down, called out, “Teacher… Lord… I beg you to look at… have mercy on my son… for he is my only child. I brought to you my son who has a mute spirit. He is epileptic and suffers grievously. Wherever it takes him, he suddenly cries out and it convulses him and throws him down. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and wastes away. It hardly departs from him, bruising him severely. So, I brought him and begged your disciples to cast it out… and they could not cure him.”
Jesus answered him, “Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring your son here to me.” They brought him to him, and when he saw him (while he was still coming), immediately the spirit convulsed him violently, and he fell on the ground (wallowing and foaming at the mouth).
He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?” He said, “From childhood. Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But, if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him, “If you can?!? Believe! All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him… and never enter him again!” Having cried out, and convulsed greatly, it came out of him.
The boy became like one dead. So much that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up – and he arose. The demon went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour. He gave him back to his father. They were all astonished at the majesty of God.
Then when he had come into the house, his disciples came to Jesus privately and asked him, “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”
He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move… and nothing will be impossible for you. But this kind can come out by nothing except by prayer and fasting.”
Source Text Prioritization:
- Matthew 17:14-21
- Mark 9:14-29
- Luke 9:37-43a