and wherever it happens, it throws him to the ground. My son foams, grinds his teeth, and then becomes rigid. I told Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”
The father’s description reveals the cruel influence of an evil spirit. It not only torments, but also destroys a person’s life. The boy’s condition was not only physical suffering, but also spiritual captivity. The disciples’ inability had deepened the father’s pain; he had come with hope, but had met human powerlessness. This shows that even those who are close to Christ can do nothing by themselves if God’s power does not work within them. Prolonged suffering brings a person not only pain, but also disappointment. Yet in the boy’s father’s words an important truth is unintentionally revealed: human ability is limited, but the Lord’s power is limitless.