Jesus Heals a Boy after the Mountain Visit

The next day, when Jesus came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. Scribes were questioning the disciples. A man from the crowd came to Jesus, kneeling and begging for mercy for his son. He said he had brought the boy to the disciples, but they had not been able to cure him or drive out the spirit.

The father said his son suffered badly. A spirit seized him, threw him down, and he would cry out and foam. The father said this had been happening since childhood, and that the boy had often fallen into fire or water. Jesus spoke about the unbelief of that generation and told them to bring the boy to him.

As the boy was coming, the spirit threw him down again and convulsed him. Jesus answered the father's plea by calling him to believe. The father cried out with tears that he did believe, and asked for help for his unbelief. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and commanded it to come out and not enter again.

The spirit cried out, shook the boy badly, and came out. Many said, 'He is dead,' because the boy lay still like one dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him up, and he stood. The boy was healed from that hour, and Jesus gave him back to his father.

Later, when Jesus was in the house, the disciples asked him privately why they could not cast it out. Jesus said it was because of their unbelief. He taught them that even faith as small as a mustard seed matters. Mark also records that this kind comes out only by prayer and fasting.