The Healing of the Epileptic Boy (Matthew 17:14–21; Mark 9:14–29; Luke 9:37–43)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 57 (on Matthew 17:10–21) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200157.htm

On the father's weak faith:

This man the Scripture signifies to be exceedingly weak in faith; and this is many ways evident; from Christ's saying, "All things are possible to him that believes;" from the saying of the man himself that approached, "Help my unbelief:" from Christ's commanding the devil to "enter no more into him;" and from the man's saying again to Christ, "If You can."

On why "O faithless and perverse generation" was aimed wider than the father:

But He, acquitting them of the charges before the people, imputes the greater part to him. For, "O faithless and perverse generation," these are His words, "how long shall I be with you?" not aiming at his person only, lest He should confound the man, but also at all the Jews.

On why He allowed the boy to be convulsed before healing him:

And He suffers him to be torn, not for display (accordingly, when a crowd began to gather, He proceeded to rebuke him), but for the father's own sake, that when he should see the evil spirit disturbed at Christ's mere call, so at least, if in no other way, he might be led to believe the coming miracle.

On correcting the father's "If You can":

In this man's case, upon his uttering a speech in no way worthy of His power — "If You can, help me," — see how He corrects it, as not rightly spoken. For what says He? "If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes." What He says is like this: "Such abundance of power is with me, that I can even make others work these miracles. So that if you believe as one ought, even you yourself art able," says He, "to heal both this one, and many others."

On the power of prayer with fasting:

He that fasts is light, and winged, and prays with wakefulness, and quenches his wicked lusts, and propitiates God, and humbles his soul when lifted up. Therefore even the apostles were almost always fasting... Wherefore also such a one is most especially a hater and an enemy to the evil spirits. For nothing is mightier than a man who prays sincerely.

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Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Mark 9, trans. J. H. Newman, 1841. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena2.iii.ix.html

On why He permitted the boy to be convulsed:

He also permits the child to be vexed, that in this way we might know the devil's wickedness, who would have killed him, had he not been assisted by the Lord.

On why He rebuked the spirit only as the crowd gathered:

The reason that He rebuked the foul spirit, when He saw the crowd running together, was that He did not wish to cure him before the multitude, that He might give us a lesson to avoid ostentation.

On prayer joined with fasting:

Both the man to be cured, and he who cures him, should fast; for a real prayer is offered up, when fasting is joined with prayer, when he who prays is sober and not heavy with food.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the perverse who will not abide in their good beginnings:

As if not knowing how to continue in the right beginnings. Now Christ disdains to dwell with those who are thus disposed ... Feeling troubled with their company, because of their evil deeds.

On the gift of power granted through Christ to the Apostles:

The people were astonished at the greatness of God ... because of the gift of Christ, who conferred on the holy Apostles also the power of working divine miracles, and having the mastery over evil spirits.

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Titus of Bostra (d. c. 378)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the father's wise and reverent plea:

It seems indeed to me that this was a wise man. For he said not to the Savior, "Do this or that," but, Look on my son, for this suffices for His salvation ... He adds, for he is my only child. As if to say, There is none other I can expect to be the consolation of my old age.

On why he had first gone to the disciples:

Think not that I have come lightly to You. Marvelous is Your greatness! I did not intrude upon Your presence at once, but went first to Your disciples. Because they failed to work the cure, I am now compelled to approach You.

On why Christ made the sufferings public before healing:

He might indeed have healed him by His simple command, but He makes his sufferings public, bringing, the weak in faith to the sight of things present.

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St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Mark 9, trans. J. H. Newman, 1841. Public domain.

On the mercy beneath the rebuke:

So far, however, is He from being angry with the person, though He reproved the sin, that He immediately added, "Bring him unto Me."

On the answer fitted to the request:

The answer of the Lord was suited to the petition; for the man said, "If thou canst do any thing, help us;" and to this the Lord answered, "If thou canst believe." On the other hand, the leper who cried out, with faith, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean," received an answer according to his faith, "I will, be thou clean."

On faith that begins small and grows:

For no man at once reaches to the highest point, but in holy living a man begins with the least things that he may reach the great; for the beginning of virtue is different from the progress and the perfection of it.

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St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Mark 9, trans. J. H. Newman, 1841. Public domain.

On the boy who seemed dead, read as the soul freed from the enemy:

But he who is freed from the power of the evil spirit is thought to be dead; for whosoever has already subdued earthly desires, puts to death within himself his carnal mode of life, and appears to the world as a dead man, and many look upon him as dead; for they who know not how to live after the Spirit, think that he who does not follow after carnal pleasures is altogether dead.