When Jesus went into a house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we force the spirit out of the boy?”
The disciples asked him, “Why do you use stories as illustrations when you speak to people?”
When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means.”
Peter said to him, “Explain this illustration to us.”
Several days later Jesus came back to Capernaum. The report went out that he was home.
Then Jesus went home. Another crowd gathered so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat.
When he was alone with his followers and the twelve apostles, they asked him about the stories.
He did not speak to them without using an illustration. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.
When he had left the people and gone home, his disciples asked him about this illustration.
Jesus took his hand and helped him to stand up.
He told them, “This kind of spirit can be forced out only by prayer.”