Luke 9:37Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Gifts This passage demonstrates that the Lord has freed us from the dominion of unclean spirits. We read of a man who approached Him from among the crowd, sharing the distressing situation of his son who suffered greatly due to a malevolent spirit, enduring severe convulsions. His approach, however, was flawed; he cried out against the holy apostles, claiming that they were unable to drive out the adversary. It would have been more appropriate for him to reverently seek Jesus's assistance and invoke His grace. When we honor Him and place our trust in His Almighty power, He provides for our needs at our request.

Matthew recounts that as they approached the crowd, a man approached Jesus and, kneeling, pleaded, “Lord, have mercy on my son; he is afflicted by evil spirits at the new moons and endures much suffering.” This account continues until Jesus states, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.” Both Mark and Luke share a similar narrative in the same order, without presenting any contentious details.

Matthew recounts the account of a youth who was convulsing during the new moon in chapter thirty-five, and it captures the essence entirely.

Matthew 17:14-16

Beneath the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples encountered an entirely different situation. A large crowd had gathered, and among them were the other apostles, who had been embroiled in a dispute with the scribes. The contention appeared to arise from the apostles' inability to heal a man possessed by an unclean spirit, who had reportedly been brought to them. They sought to operate solely through the authority of Jesus’ name; however, this time their lack of faith rendered their efforts ineffective. They ought to have taken more appropriate steps—specifically, they should have engaged in prayer and fasting to ensure that the power of Jesus' name would be fully manifested through them. Unfortunately, they neglected to do so.

Jesus descended from the mountain and encountered His disciples, including the other nine apostles, amidst a crowd and the scribes. A disagreement had arisen between the disciples and the scribes. The subsequent narrative reveals that while Jesus was away, a man possessed by a demon was presented to His disciples, yet they were unable to cure him. The scribes ridiculed Jesus' disciples and, naturally, also disparaged Jesus Himself; the disciples felt humiliated by their inability to help.

Upon the Saviour's return to His disciples, He discovered them in a state of confusion and distress. A crowd had assembled, and among them was a boy afflicted by a demon. His father implored the disciples to heal him, yet they were unable to do so, leading to scorn from the angry Jewish observers and the learned scribes. Amidst this dispute, Christ arrived, His face still radiant with the glory of His transfiguration, which captivated the onlookers even more. He addressed the scribes with a firm question, "What are you arguing with them about?" However, the scribes felt ashamed by His unexpected presence and were at a loss for words.

Luke presents a more concise version of the healing of the boy who was afflicted by a demon, making his account brief in comparison to both Mark's detailed narration and Matthew's description. Nonetheless, Luke's version shares many similarities with those of Mark and Matthew. Refer to Matthew 17:14-21 and Mark 9:14-29 for further details.