When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to him and greeted him. He asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" Someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so." He said to them in reply, "O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me." They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then he questioned his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" He replied, "Since childhood. It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, " 'If you can!' Everything is possible to one who has faith." Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!" Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!" Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, "He is dead!" But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, "Why could we not drive it out?" He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer." (Mk 9:14-29)
This story presents that there were different grades of demons. Some are simple and easy to drive them out. For some Jesus had to use harsh words to drive them out. There were some which even the disciples could cast them out. The present one was a difficult one and it needed prayer to cast it out. Since Jesus had just come down from mount of transfiguration probably he had prayed there.
The story also presents the disciples inability to deal with the problem and the crowd’s impatience with them. Walking beside Jesus demands more courage and more spiritual energy. Jesus himself, in wonder, exclaims about this faithless generation.
The father of the boy, who was tormented by demon, was in despair. The father said in doubt ‘if you can do something’. Jesus challenges his doubt (if you can) with faith. Jesus seemed to say, “just believe and it will happen”. The reply of the man expresses the real situation in which he is. He is in a situation of mixture of faith and despair. ("I do believe, help my unbelief!")
