"And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, 'What are you discussing with them?' Then one of the crowd answered and said, 'Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.' He answered him and said, 'O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.' THEN THEY BROUGHT HIM (a son) TO HIM (the Son). And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, 'How long has this been happening to him?' And he said, 'From childhood. And often he has thrown both him into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us'.
"Jesus said to him, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!' When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: 'Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you to come out of him and enter him no more!' Then the spirit cried out, convulsing him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, 'He is dead.' But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, 'Why could we not cast it out?' So He said to them, 'This kind comes out by nothing but prayer and fasting.'
The disciples could not cast out the spirit within the boy because, at the time, they did not recognize the root of the matter - the father's unbelief. In the presence of the Son of God, the father's approach to Jesus went from "Teacher" to "Lord". There are many teachers, but only one Lord! He was quick to evaluate Jesus' disciples' inability to help, and he was accurate. But, not so fast! Jesus started to inquire of the father. The father's last faithless request was met with the Lord's admonishment: 'If you can believe (Another version writes (If you can!), all things are possible to him who believes.' The father received the admonishment. His response: 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!'
Why hadn't Jesus dealt with the boy's ability to believe?
When the disciples inquired of Jesus as to why they could not cast out the unclean spirit, He instructed that a disciple's faithlessness comes out by nothing but prayer and fasting. The prayer (of faith in Christ Jesus) reminds the saint what it means to be a "fellow servant, and of the brethren who have the testimony of Jesus".(Revelation 19:10) Fasting is the process where, after one receives the revelation of His calling, the fruit of the "true vine" in each willing branch produces more, even much, fruit of it. Good news for the fasters: You don't call it and you don't end it. But, you will know when you are in it! Jesus Christ is Lord over it! Glory to the Father!
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