17. A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, because he has an evil spirit in him and cannot talk.
18. Whenever the spirit attacks him, it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grits his teeth, and becomes stiff all over. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they could not.”
19. Jesus said to them, “How unbelieving you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me!”
20. They brought him to Jesus.As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit, so that he fell on the ground and rolled round, foaming at the mouth.
21. “How long has he been like this?” Jesus asked the father.“Ever since he was a child,” he replied.
22. “Many times the evil spirit has tried to kill him by throwing him in the fire and into water. Have pity on us and help us, if you possibly can!”
23. “Yes,” said Jesus, “if you yourself can! Everything is possible for the person who has faith.”
24. The father at once cried out, “I do have faith, but not enough. Help me to have more!”
25. Jesus noticed that the crowd was closing in on them, so he gave a command to the evil spirit. “Deaf and dumb spirit,” he said, “I order you to come out of the boy and never go into him again!”
26. The spirit screamed, threw the boy into a bad fit, and came out. The boy looked like a corpse, and everyone said, “He is dead!”
27. But Jesus took the boy by the hand and helped him to rise, and he stood up.
28. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn't we drive the spirit out?”
29. “Only prayer can drive this kind out,” answered Jesus; “nothing else can.”
30. Jesus and his disciples left that place and went on through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was,
31. because he was teaching his disciples: “The Son of Man will be handed over to those who will kill him. Three days later, however, he will rise to life.”
32. But they did not understand what this teaching meant, and they were afraid to ask him.
33. They came to Capernaum, and after going indoors Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
34. But they would not answer him, because on the road they had been arguing among themselves about who was the greatest.
35. Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all.”
36. Then he took a child and made him stand in front of them. He put his arms round him and said to them,
37. “Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not only me but also the one who sent me.”