THE DEMONIAC
WHO THE DISCIPLES COULD NOT HEAL
ON the next day after the transfiguration, Jesus and the three disciples that were with him came down from the mountain.
On coming near, they found that a great multitude had gathered about the other disciples.
The scribes were questioning the disciples, and there seemed to be great excitement.
When the people saw Jesus coming, some of them ran to meet him, and saluted him.
When Jesus came up to the scribes, he said, "What question ye with them?" The scribes made no reply, but one of the multitude said, "Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not."
Then Jesus told the distressed father to bring forward his son, but as soon as the unfortunate young man came into the presence of Jesus, the evil spirit began to rage within him, and he fell to the ground, "and wallowed foaming."
Then Jesus asked the father how long his son had been afflicted in this way, and the man said that the boy had been so since he was a child, and that the evil spirit had often cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him; and added, "If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us."
Then said Jesus unto him, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."
Immediately the father burst into tears, and said, "Lord, I believe;
help thou my unbelief."
Great excitement now prevailed among the people; they came running together from every way; and when Jesus saw it, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him."
The unclean spirit was very unwilling to quit his hold upon the young man, and when compelled to leave him, put the poor sufferer into such torture that he cried out in agony, and then appeared like one dead.
Many thought that he was really dead, but Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up, and he revived.
Afterward, when Jesus was alone with his disciples in a house, they asked him why it was that they could not cast out this demon; and he said, “This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting."
When Jesus departed from the place where this miracle had been wrought, he went through Galilee with his disciples, but went as privately as possible, because he did not want it known.
As they were journeying, he told his disciples that he was to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, who would kill him; but that he would rise again the third day.
The disciples could not understand what he meant by this, but were afraid to ask him to explain it.