Mark 9:21 (LSB)

Passage

And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.

Nearby Context

Mark 9:19 And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”

Mark 9:20 And they brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around, foaming at the mouth.

Mark 9:21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.

Mark 9:22 And it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”

Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "asked", "father", "long", "been", "happening", "said", and "childhood". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "asked" and "father", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And they brought the boy to Him..." into verse 22's "And it has often thrown him both...", so "asked" and "father" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "asked" and "father" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.