THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
All Scripture is divinely inspired and of great value, particularly the holy Gospels. For He who in ancient times revealed the law to the Israelites through angels has now spoken to us directly, taking on our nature as He walked among humanity. As the wise Paul articulated, ‘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.’ Furthermore, one of His holy prophets proclaimed: ‘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 announces good things.’ Behold!
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He rescues us from the grasp of the adversary so that we may serve Him in purity; and by vanquishing ‘the rulers of this darkness,’ that is, the wicked spirits, He prepares us to stand before God the Father unscathed. The fact that we received liberation from unclean spirits through Him reinforces this truth. We witness a man rushing to Him from the crowd, sharing the distressing tale of his son's grave affliction. He reported that an evil spirit was mercilessly tormenting the boy, causing him to have violent convulsions.
This passage illustrates how the Lord has liberated us from the influence of unclean spirits. We read about a man who approached Jesus from the crowd, bringing forth the distressing news of his son's grave affliction. He described how the boy was tormented by an evil spirit and suffered from severe convulsions. His approach was not entirely respectful, as he loudly criticized the apostles, claiming they were unable to expel the demon. It would have been more appropriate for him to honor the Lord by requesting His assistance and seeking His mercy. The Lord bestows gifts upon us when we honor Him and place our trust in Him as the Almighty, whose authority is unconquerable.
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The father of the demon-possessed boy exhibited discourteous behavior. Rather than humbly asking for healing while giving praise to the divine healer, he chose to speak derogatorily about the disciples, attacking the grace they had received. He stated, “I asked your disciples to cast him out; and they could not” (Lk 9:40). This man displayed profound unbelief and moral corruption, deviating from the right path and straying from the intended purpose. Christ distances Himself from those who harbor such thoughts and engage in this manner of wickedness. To express this in human terms, it can be said that Christ grew weary of their attitudes. He communicated this feeling by asking, “How long shall I be with you and bear with you?” (Lk 9:40). The father accused the disciples, empowered by Christ's authority to drive out demons, of being ineffective against the evil spirit. In doing so, he slandered the very grace of God rather than those who were recipients of it. This was a grievous offense because if grace lacks power, then the fault lies not with its bearers but with the grace itself. It is clear for any observer that the grace manifest in them was indeed the grace of Christ.