And behold a man among the crowd cried out, saying: Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, because he is my only one.
και ιδου ανηρ απο του οχλου ανεβοησεν λεγων διδασκαλε δεομαι σου επιβλεψαι επιβλεψον επι τον υιον μου οτι μονογενης εστιν μοι
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 8 commentaries
This individual in question displayed a significant lack of faith. As a result, the demon remained within his son, for his skepticism surpassed the authority of the apostles. His disbelief and boldness were clearly seen when he publicly confronted the disciples with accusations.
All Scripture is inspired by God and serves a purpose; this is particularly evident in the sacred Gospels. The One who in ancient times revealed the law to the Israelites through angels now speaks directly to us, having taken on our nature, coming to dwell among humanity. As the wise Paul noted, "Whereas in former times God spoke to the fathers through the prophets in manifold and various ways, in these last days He speaks to us through the Son." One of His holy prophets declared, “I, who speak, am as near as the light on the mountains, as the feet of him who proclaims the tidings of peace, as he who proclaims good things.” For behold!
He rescues us from the oppression of the adversary, enabling us to follow Him in holiness; and having subdued "the rulers of this darkness," including the malevolent spirits, He presents us unscathed to God the Father. The fact that it is through Him we have received liberation from the grip of unclean spirits underscores this truth. We have heard of a man who rushed to Him from the crowd, reporting his son's unbearable suffering, stating that a malevolent spirit was violently afflicting him, resulting in severe convulsions.
Gifts This passage demonstrates that the Lord has freed us from the grasp of unclean spirits. We learn that a man emerged from the crowd to bring attention to the severe affliction of his son, who was being viciously tormented by an unclean spirit and was suffering from violent seizures. His approach was flawed, as he loudly criticized the holy apostles, declaring their inability to cast out demons. Rather than dishonoring the Lord with such accusations, he should have respected Jesus by humbly seeking His assistance and asking for His mercy. The Lord is willing to grant our requests when we revere Him and place our trust in Him as the Almighty, whose might is invincible.
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and rudeness The father of the demon-possessed boy displayed rudeness and disrespect. Instead of simply requesting healing for his child while honoring the healer, he spoke derogatorily about the disciples, challenging the grace that had been conferred upon them. He stated, "I asked your disciples to cast him out; and they could not" (Lk 9:40). This man exhibited profound disbelief and moral corruption, choosing to forsake the straight path and deviating from the right way. Christ does not desire to associate with those who harbor such thoughts and fall into this folly. In human terms, it can be said that Christ was wearied by them. He expresses this sentiment by asking, "How long shall I be with you and bear with you?" (Lk 9:40). The father claimed that the disciples, empowered by Christ’s authority to expel demons, were incapable of casting out the evil spirit. In doing so, he blasphemed against the very grace that they possessed, rather than against the disciples themselves. This was indeed a grave blasphemy, for if grace were deemed powerless, the blame would not lie with those who were bearers of it, but rather with the grace itself. Anyone who is willing can discern that the grace exhibited in the disciples was the grace of Christ.
Matthew described a young man who was afflicted during the new moon in the thirty-fifth chapter, and it conveys the complete account.
As the Lord approached, he directed his question not to his disciples but to the scribes, inquiring, “What are you disputing with them?” However, they appeared to be without a ready answer. The father of the man afflicted by the demon stepped forward to speak on their behalf.
In this moment, Jesus arrives, and the crowd rushes to welcome Him. However, the father of the boy afflicted by demons first implores Him from a distance to pay attention to his troubled son. Then, approaching closer and kneeling before Him, he elaborates on the boy's anguish, pleading for compassion and mentioning that Jesus' disciples were unable to heal him.
During that time, a distressed father made his way through the throng of people and knelt before the Lord, voicing his calamity with great urgency. He explained that his son was tormented by severe demonic possession, was entirely unable to hear or speak, and experienced suicidal impulses, having already attempted to take his life by throwing himself into fire and water on several occasions. The father sought help from the disciples, yet they were unable to expel the unclean spirit, leading to mockery from the scribes as a result of their impotence.
"Behold my Son," signifies a gaze of compassion and assistance, or to restore him (cf. Luke 1:48; Sirach 33:1; Tobit 3:3, 15; Judith 13:4). - "I have him by himself," a detail noted exclusively by the Gospel writer Luke.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 20 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS