Mark 9:13-36

¹³But I tell you that Elijah has come, and people have treated him just as they pleased, as scripture says of him.”

¹⁴When they came to the other disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some teachers of the Law arguing with them.

¹⁵But, as soon as they saw Jesus, all the people, in great astonishment, ran up and greeted him.

¹⁶“What are you arguing about with them?” Jesus asked.

¹⁷“Teacher,” answered a man in the crowd, “I brought my son to see you, as he has a spirit in him that makes him mute;

¹⁸and, wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they failed.”

¹⁹“Faithless generation!” exclaimed Jesus. “How long must I be with you? How long must I have patience with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰They brought him to Jesus; but no sooner did the boy see him than the spirit threw him into convulsions; and he fell on the ground, and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.

²¹“How long has he been like this?” Jesus asked the boy's father.

²²“From his childhood,” he answered; “and it has often thrown him into fire and into water to put an end to his life; but, if you can possibly do anything, take pity on us, and help us!”

²³“Why say ‘possibly’?” Jesus replied. “Everything is possible for one who has faith.”

²⁴The boy's father immediately cried out, “I have faith; help my want of faith!”

²⁵But, when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly collecting, he rebuked the foul spirit, “Deaf and dumb spirit, it is I who command you. Come out from him and never enter him again.”

²⁶With a loud cry the spirit threw the boy into repeated convulsions, and then came out from him. The boy looked like a corpse, so that most of them said that he was dead.

²⁷But Jesus took his hand, and lifted him; and he stood up.

²⁸When Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn't we drive it out?”

²⁹“A spirit of this kind,” he said, “can be driven out only by prayer.”

³⁰Leaving that place, Jesus and his disciples went on their way through Galilee; but he did not wish anyone to know it,

³¹for he was instructing his disciples, and telling them — “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of his fellow men, and they will put him to death, but, when he has been put to death, he will rise again after three days.”

³²But the disciples did not understand his meaning and were afraid to question him.

³³They came to Capernaum. When Jesus had gone into the house, he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”

³⁴But they were silent; for on the way they had been arguing with one another which was the greatest.

³⁵Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wishes to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all.”

³⁶Then Jesus took a little child, and placed it in the middle of them. Taking it in his arms, he said to them,