The demon recognizes that he is about to have to leave and makes one last effort, and the spirit threw him into a convulsion and he fell to the ground and wallowed foaming. In verse 21, Jesus asked the father how long this has been happening and the father responds: from childhood. The demon often attempted to cast him into the fire and water to kill him. Personal need Then notice the expression of personal need at the end of verse 22: but if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us! Faith So he expresses a personal need, take pity on us and help us. But the expression "if you can” is not an expression of faith but one of doubt. And that doubt must be removed before the miracle can be performed. So in verse 23, Jesus says to him: If you can! All things are possible to him who believes. Immediately the father cries out: I do believe; help my unbelief. And this is an exercise of faith. Privacy Notice how verse 25 begins. 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit. Remember that Jesus had the boy and his father removed from the crowd. Now, when He saw the crowd running toward him, and before they arrived, He casts the demon out. Again the miracle is not for the benefit of the masses anymore, so He does the miracle privately on the basis of personal need and faith. Disciples’ dilemma All is settled, but not for the disciples. As we will see, they come to Him privately with a question. Read verses 28 – 29 of Mark’s account. What they want to know is: why could we not drive it out? Remember they have already been able to cast out demons, so why could they not cast him out this time? Jesus gives them two reasons: The wrong method In Mark verse 29, He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Here He says there is only one method to cast out this kind of demon. In other words they used the wrong method.
The demon recognizes that he is about to have to leave and makes one last effort, and the spirit threw him into a convulsion and he fell to the ground and wallowed foaming. In verse 21, Jesus asked the father how long this has been happening and the father responds: from childhood. The demon often attempted to cast him into the fire and water to kill him. Personal need Then notice the expression of personal need at the end of verse 22: but if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us! Faith So he expresses a personal need, take pity on us and help us. But the expression "if you can” is not an expression of faith but one of doubt. And that doubt must be removed before the miracle can be performed. So in verse 23, Jesus says to him: If you can! All things are possible to him who believes. Immediately the father cries out: I do believe; help my unbelief. And this is an exercise of faith. Privacy Notice how verse 25 begins. 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit. Remember that Jesus had the boy and his father removed from the crowd. Now, when He saw the crowd running toward him, and before they arrived, He casts the demon out. Again the miracle is not for the benefit of the masses anymore, so He does the miracle privately on the basis of personal need and faith. Disciples’ dilemma All is settled, but not for the disciples. As we will see, they come to Him privately with a question. Read verses 28 – 29 of Mark’s account. What they want to know is: why could we not drive it out? Remember they have already been able to cast out demons, so why could they not cast him out this time? Jesus gives them two reasons: The wrong method In Mark verse 29, He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Here He says there is only one method to cast out this kind of demon. In other words they used the wrong method.