And many times the spirit has thrown him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if You can do anything, Lord, have mercy and help us.”
In the father’s words, both the depth of pain and the weakness of faith are evident. He describes how the evil spirit tries not only to torment but also to destroy the boy. Fire and water here become instruments of death. The aim of evil is destruction, because from the beginning he is a murderer. Yet in the father’s request there is a weakened expression: “if you can.” This is not an open doubt toward Christ’s power, but a hesitation born from human despair. He has suffered for so long and has been disappointed so many times that even as he asks for help, his faith is mixed with doubt. But what matters is that even in this condition he comes to Christ and does not turn away from Him.