25
Seeing that the crowd was forming fast, Jesus gave the vile spirit its marching orders: "Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you - Out of him, and stay out!"
26
Screaming, and with much thrashing about, it left. The boy was pale as a corpse, so people started saying, "He's dead."
27
But Jesus, taking his hand, raised him. The boy stood up.
28
After arriving back home, his disciples cornered Jesus and asked, "Why couldn't we throw the demon out?"
29
He answered, "There is no way to get rid of this kind of demon except by prayer."
30
Leaving there, they went through Galilee. He didn't want anyone to know their whereabouts,
31
for he wanted to teach his disciples. He told them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God. They will murder him. Three days after his murder, he will rise, alive."
32
They didn't know what he was talking about, but were afraid to ask him about it.
33
They came to Capernaum. When he was safe at home, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the road?"
34
The silence was deafening - they had been arguing with one another over who among them was greatest.
35
He sat down and summoned the Twelve. "So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all."