And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Comment: I think we can all imagine and sympathize with this father. He loved his suffering child; he’d heard about Jesus and His magnificent ministry. After only finding Jesus disciples, who could do many things in Jesus’ Name, the father found the disciples unable to help. But Jesus, coming down from the mountain, reached the gathered crowd. The father sees the man whom he had come to see, and falling at Jesus’ feet, pours out his story. Today’s passage ends with the son writhing at Jesus feet and Jesus taking a ‘clinical history’.
Jesus words, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?…..”, seem to imply that His disciples should have been able to do something. As the story unfolds I wonder if they will ask Him what He meant by that?
Prayer: Help me to seek Your face, when life bamboozles me, O God.
As I read it! 
Thank you Barry for your comments on this passage. The words which Jesus spoke to the disciples were strong yet not pointing the finger at them and denouncing them as useless, or worthless. Jesus says to the disciples, ” O you faithless generation!” He points out their lack of faith in being unable to heal the boy. Perhaps we would have had the same problem and been unable to heal the boy. Perhaps we lack faith. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Tim. 2:13. God bless you.
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