And when Jesus came to the disciples, to the nine who had not gone up to the mountain with him, he found them in a contest with the Pharisees. For in the absence of Jesus, the Pharisees, having approached His disciples, tried to win them over to their side. Meanwhile, the people, as soon as they saw Him, immediately greeted Him. The people looked at Him and greeted Him, as if He had returned from afar. And according to some, His very appearance, having become more beautiful from the light of the Transfiguration, attracted people to Him with greetings. "One of the people answered and said": This man was weak in faith, as the Lord testifies, saying, "O unfaithful generation," and again, "all things are possible to him that believeth"; And he himself says: "Help my unbelief." He also stipulates the disciples (Jesus) as if they were all unbelievers. And he was not to accuse them in front of everyone, but in private.

Answering him, Jesus said, "O unfaithful generation! How long will I be with you? How long shall I endure you? Bring him to Me. And they brought him to Him. As soon as the demoniac saw Him, the spirit shook him; He fell to the ground and lay there, foaming. And Jesus asked his father, How long ago was this done to him? He said, "From childhood; and many times the spirit threw him into fire and water to destroy him; but if you can, have pity on us and help us. Jesus said to him, "If you can believe a little, all things are possible to him who believes." And immediately the father of the lad cried out with tears: "I believe, O Lord! help my unbelief. Jesus, seeing that the people were running together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, "Dumb and deaf spirit! I command you, come out of it and enter it no more. And he cried out and shook him violently, and went out; and he was made as dead, so that many said that he was dead. But Jesus, taking him by the hand, lifted him up; And he got up.

So the man, when he came to Jesus, blamed the disciples for not being able to heal his son; but Christ turns the accusation on himself and says, as it were: you have no faith, and therefore you yourself are guilty of not being healed by your son. However, Jesus' words do not refer only to this man, but He says this about all Jews in general, reproaching them for their unbelief. For many of those who were present could be tempted by this incident. And when Jesus says, "As long as I am with you," he is expressing that death was desired for Him, that is, as if He were saying, "It is a sorrow for Me to dwell with you who do not believe. However, He does not stop only at reproach, but also gives healing, revealing in the healing of the lad not arrogance, but much more humility. For note that it is not to His own power, but to the faith of that man that He attributes healing, saying: "All things are possible to him that believeth." Moreover, He rebuked the spirit when He saw the people gathering to Him; again because He did not want to heal before the multitude of people, to show His power and for His glory. And by the prohibition and the words: "Come out of it, and enter it no more" makes it clear that because of the unbelief of a person, the demon could again enter into him, if we were not forbidden by His prohibition. But He allowed the demon to break the lad, so that everyone would understand the demonic temptation and that the demon could have killed a person, if the hand of God had not protected them. Figuratively speaking, the demon plunges people into the fire of anger and lust and into the turbulent waves of worldly affairs. This demon is dumb and deaf — deaf, like one who does not want to hear the words of God; As one who is unable to teach others anything useful to the soul. But when Jesus, that is, the Word of the Gospel, takes a man by the hand, that is, directs his active powers, then he is freed from the demon. Notice also that God is willing to help us, but we ourselves refuse to do good works. For it is said: "Jesus lifted him up" — this is God's help, "and he arose," that is, in man himself there was aroused diligence for good works.

And when Jesus entered into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could we not cast him out? And he said to them, "This kind cannot come out except by prayer and fasting."

The disciples feared that they might not have lost the grace given to them by the Lord, and perhaps for this reason they could not cast out the demon. Notice also their reverence in the fact that they approach Jesus alone. "This kind." What? The race of those who are possessed in each new moon, or in general the entire generation of demons, which is not cast out except by prayer and fasting. Both those who suffer from them and those who want to heal should fast; both need it, and it is especially required of the sufferer himself; and not only should we fast, but also pray, and not only pray, but also fast. For thus true prayer is performed when it is combined with fasting; when the worshipper is not burdened with food, praying is easy and without difficulty.

Coming out of thence, they passed through Galilee; and He did not want anyone to know. For He taught His disciples, and told them that the Son of Man would be delivered into the hands of men, and they would kill Him, and after He had been killed, He would rise again on the third day.

Everywhere Jesus connected the word of His suffering with miracles, so that they would not think that He suffered through weakness. And now, having said the sorrowful word that "they will kill Him," he also adds the joyful one, that "on the third day He will rise again," so that we may know that sorrows will always be followed by joy, and therefore that we may not lose our spirits in vain in sorrows, but hope to receive something joyful.