17 Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak.
18 Whenever it seizes him,
it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”
19 He replied to them,
“You unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.”
20 So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Emphasize that not all physical illnesses are the result of demons.
identify Jesus’s reaction to the father’s dilemma.
Note that the disciples had already demonstrated the ability to exorcise demons and heal diseases (Mark 6:13).
The disciples’ lack of faith kept them from healing the boy.
They may have been going through the motions of ritual or depending on their own abilities.
Whatever the case, the demon could tell the difference between the power exercised by the disciples and the power of Christ’s presence.
Invite a volunteer to read James 2:19 and talk about how it applies to this passage.
19 You believe that God is one You do well;
the demons also believe, and shudder.
Encourage adults to consider how they rely on their own strength—and how that affects their ministry.