The Power of Faith over a Demon

¹⁴ When they reached the crowd,^(A) a man approached and knelt down before Him. ¹⁵ “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures^[a] and suffers severely. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”^(B)

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious^[b] generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”^{(C) 18} Then Jesus rebuked the demon,^[c] and it^[d] came out of him,^(D) and from that moment^[e] the boy was healed.

¹⁹ Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰ “Because of your little faith,” He^[f] told them. “For I assure you: If you have faith the size of^[g] a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.^(E) Nothing will be impossible for you.^(F) [²¹ However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.]”^[h]

The Power of Faith over a Demon

³⁷ The next day,^(A) when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. ³⁸ Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he’s my only child.^{(B) 39} Often a spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth;^[a] wounding^[b] him, it hardly ever leaves him. ⁴⁰ I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”^(C)

⁴¹ Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious^[c] generation!^(D) How long will I be with you and put up with you?^(E) Bring your son here.”

⁴² As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, cured the boy,^(F) and gave him back to his father.^(G)