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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"Then came His disciples unto Him apart, and asked Him, why they could not themselves cast out the devil." To me they seem to be in anxiety and fear, lest haply they had lost the grace, with which they had been entrusted. For they received power against unclean spirits. Wherefore also they ask, coming to Him apart; not out of shame (for if the fact had gone abroad, and they were convicted, it were superfluous after that to be ashamed of confessing it in words); but it was a secret and great matter they were about to ask Him of. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. But this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
In this chapter the Lord urged us to pray when he said, "Because of your little faith you could not cast out this demon." For urging us to prayer he thus concluded, "This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." If a man prays so that he may throw out someone else's demon, how much more so that he may cast out his own avarice? How much more so that he may cast out his own drunkenness? How much more so that he may cast out his own dissipation? How much more so that he may cast out his own impurity? …
Jerome
If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain: Remove from hence, and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible to you. Some people think that faith compared to a grain of mustard seed is small, because the kingdom of heaven is compared to a grain of mustard seed; when the apostle says: And if I shall have all faith, so that I could remove mountains (I Cor. XV, 2). Therefore, great is the faith that is compared to a grain of mustard seed. …
Thomas Aquinas
Then came the disciples to Jesus secretly, etc. Above, the Lord healed the lunatic; here he satisfies the question of the disciples. And first the question is presented; secondly, the response, at Jesus said to them, etc. Now in order for you to understand the question, you should know that above at 10:8 the Lord had given them power to cast out demons, hence they were in doubt whether they had lost the grace given them on account of some fault. Therefore they came to Jesus, etc. But why secretly? …
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