The exorcism of a boy possessed by a demon, or a boy with a mute spirit, is one of the miracles attributed to Jesus reported in the synoptic Gospels, involving the healing of a demonically possessed boy through exorcism. The account appears first in the Mark 9:17-29 [1] and is repeated, slightly amended, in Matthew 17:14-21 [2] and Luke 9:40-44. [3] In the Gospel narratives, this healing takes place following the Transfiguration.
Mark's account describes how Jesus is surrounded by a crowd, one of whom asks for help for his son, who 'has a spirit that makes him unable to speak'. He explains that the spirit makes him foam at the mouth, grind his teeth, and become rigid. He tells Jesus that he had asked the disciples to cure the boy, but they had been unable to do so. Jesus responds by describing the crowd and his followers as a 'faithless generation', and asks 'how much longer must I be among you?'.
When he is brought to Jesus, the boy immediately experiences an epileptic seizure. Jesus asks the boy's father how long this has affected the child; the father replies that this had been since his childhood and asks Jesus to help if he can. Jesus tells him that everything is possible to one who believes, and the man responds, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'.
Jesus then commands the spirit to leave the boy, and it does. Seeing that he looks like a corpse, many in the crowd think he is dead, but Jesus helps him to his feet.
Afterwards, the disciples ask Jesus why they were unable to cure the boy and he explains, 'This kind can come out only through prayer'. Some sources add, 'and through fasting'. [4]
The version in Matthew's gospel is considerably shorter, and drops the reference to a crowd and the need for prayer.
The version in Luke's gospel is also shortened, but mention of the crowd is retained.
The Pulpit Commentary notes that "the graphic description here of St. Mark corresponds exactly to epilepsy". [5]
In Matthew's account it specifies that the boy is "moonstruck" (Greek : σεληνιάζεται, selēniazetai). This is translated as "a lunatic" in the Geneva Bible and in the King James Version ("lunatick") and as "an epileptic" in the New King James Version and the Revised Standard Version. Strong's Concordance states that the condition of epilepsy was "supposedly influenced by the moon". [6]
In Matthew 17:17, Jesus complains, saying, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you?" (ESV) There is some debate as to whom the words were addressed. Origen believes these words were spoken to the nine Apostles who remained below, during the transfiguration, and that their faith was weak. So also Hilary of Poitiers who writes, “Whilst Christ had gone up upon the mountain with three of the Apostles, a kind of torpor of faith crept over the remaining nine, who were left with the people, both because they heard from the father of the lunatic, and saw with their own eyes the magnitude of the evil, and the violence and raging madness of the demon within him.” However Jerome, John Chrysostom, and Theophylact of Ohrid believe these words were spoken to the father, as well as to the Jews and Scribes. This view is supported by Mark 9:24, when the father says, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." But privately Christ rebukes the apostles since they had less faith than was needed for so great a work. [7]
In terms of the words, this kind [of demon], John Chrysostom noted that these demons were of a higher order, and were more "powerful, obstinate and malicious." Thus they could only be driven out by prayer and fasting; since these things "lift men up from the flesh to God." [8]
The miracles of Jesus are miraculous deeds attributed to Jesus in Christian and Islamic texts. The majority are faith healings, exorcisms, resurrections, and control over nature.
Mark 9 is the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It begins with Jesus' prediction that "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power". The chapter then recounts the transfiguration of Jesus, a healing miracle, and Jesus' teaching about the return of Elijah, humility and temptation.
Matthew 17 is the seventeenth chapter in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament section of the Christian Bible. Jesus continues his final journey to Jerusalem ministering through Galilee. William Robertson Nicoll identifies "three impressive tableaux" in this chapter: the transfiguration, the epileptic boy and the temple tribute.
Luke 8 is the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book containing this chapter is anonymous but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke the Evangelist, a companion of Paul the Apostle on his missionary journeys, composed both this Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. This chapter mentions the women who supported Jesus and records some of the great miracles he performed, as well as several parables told by him.
Matthew 11:1 is the first verse in the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
Matthew 9:28 is a verse in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
Matthew 8:10 is the tenth verse of the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse continues the miracle story of healing the centurion's servant, the second of a series of miracles in Matthew.
Matthew 9:18 is the 18th verse in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
Matthew 8:22 is the 22nd verse in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.
Matthew 9:34 is a verse in the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
Matthew 10:14 is the fourteenth verse in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
Matthew 12:22 is the 22nd verse in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
Matthew 15:28 is a verse in the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
In English translations of the Bible, unclean spirit is a common rendering of Greek pneuma akatharton, which in its single occurrence in the Septuagint translates Hebrew ruaḥ tum'ah.
Healing the centurion's servant is one of the miracles performed by Jesus of Nazareth as related in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. The story is not recounted in the Gospels of either John or Mark.
The healing of the mother of Peter's wife is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels, reported in Matthew 8:14–15, Mark 1:29–31, and Luke 4:38–39.
The exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac, frequently known as the Miracle of the (Gadarene) Swine and the exorcism of Legion, is one of the miracles performed by Jesus according to the New Testament. The story shows Jesus exorcising a demon or demons out of a man and into a herd of swine, causing the swine to run down a hill into a lake and drown themselves.
In Christianity, exorcism involves the practice of casting out one or more demons from a person whom they are believed to have possessed. The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is often a member of the Christian Church, or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use prayers and religious material, such as set formulas, gestures, symbols, icons, or amulets. The exorcist often invokes God, Jesus, angels and archangels, and various saints to aid with the exorcism. Christian exorcists most commonly cast out demons in Jesus' name.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Wikipedia articles on the life and influence of Jesus.
There are a number of times in which the canonical gospels describe Jesus Christ praying to God.
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