Healing the Boy with Double Affliction 

On Monday, August 15, 29 CE, while Jesus and three of his apostles were away on the Mount of Transfiguration, a man with an epileptic child found the camp where the other nine apostles were and asked for Jesus, wanting him to cure the boy. The apostles thought they could cure him, but they tried and failed. They were humiliated by the failure and, not knowing what else to do, they asked the man to wait until Jesus returned. The next morning, Jesus came down from the mountain, took the child by the hand, and commanded a rebel spirit to leave and not return. He also asked God to cure the boy’s epilepsy. Later, Jesus explained to his apostles why he could banish the spirit and cure the disease and why they could not.

James was a minor official in the court of Herod Antipas, the regional governor of Judea. He came from Safed, a town just north of the Sea of Galilee. His only child, a fourteen-year-old boy, had been afflicted with epilepsy since early childhood. The convulsions had almost cost the boy his life more than once, and when James heard about healings that Jesus had done, he went in search of the Master. It took him two weeks to find where Jesus and his apostles were camped.

When James finally arrived with his afflicted son, he approached the apostles and asked if Jesus would cure the boy. He was told Jesus was not there, but two of his apostles declared they had the power to act in the Master’s place. But they utterly failed. Another apostle, Andrew, came forward and tried but also failed. Andrew thought perhaps the child was demon-possessed and asked the father to wait until Jesus returned, saying: “Perhaps this sort goes not out except by the Master’s personal command.”

The apostles had a sleepless night, they were confused and could not understand what caused their failure. Some of Jesus’ enemies at the camp witnessed their failure to cure the boy and mocked them. Their confusion and disappointment were compounded by the sting of this humiliation. They were a dejected and chastened group and longed to see Jesus. James and his son stayed the night, he refused to give up even though he had no idea when Jesus might return.

The next morning, Jesus and his three attending apostles returned to the camp. When Jesus approached, the nine other apostles were debating and blaming each other. They were greatly relieved to see the Master, and after they greeted him, Jesus asked, “What were you disputing about as we drew near?”

But before the disconcerted and humiliated apostles could reply to the Master’s question, the anxious father of the afflicted lad stepped forward and, kneeling at Jesus’ feet, said: “Master, I have a son, an only child, who is possessed by an evil spirit. Not only does he cry out in terror, foam at the mouth, and fall like a dead person at the time of seizure, but oftentimes this evil spirit which possesses him rends him in convulsions and sometimes has cast him into the water and even into the fire. With much grinding of teeth and as a result of many bruises, my child wastes away. His life is worse than death; his mother and I are of a sad heart and a broken spirit. About noon yesterday, seeking for you, I caught up with your apostles, and they sought to cast out this demon, but they could not do it. And now, Master, will you do this for us, will you heal my son?”

When Jesus had listened to this recital, he touched the kneeling father and told him to rise while he gave the nearby apostles a searching look. Jesus then said, “Bring your son here.” And when James had brought the lad before Jesus, he asked, “How long has the boy been afflicted in this way?” The father answered, “Since he was a very young child.” And as they talked, the youth was seized with a violent attack and fell in their midst, gnashing his teeth and foaming at the mouth.

After a succession of violent convulsions, he lay there before them as one dead. Now did the father again kneel at Jesus’ feet while he implored the Master, saying: “If you can cure him, I beseech you to have compassion on us and deliver us from this affliction.” And when Jesus heard these words, he looked down into the father’s anxious face, saying: “Question not my Father’s power of love, only the sincerity and reach of your faith. All things are possible to him who really believes.” And then James of Safed spoke those long-to-be-remembered words of mixed faith and doubt, “Lord, I believe. I pray you help my unbelief.”

When Jesus heard these words, he stepped forward and, taking the lad by the hand, said: “I will do this in accordance with my Father’s will and in honor of living faith. My son, arise! Come out of him, disobedient spirit, and go not back into him.” And placing the hand of the lad in the hand of the father, Jesus said: “Go your way. The Father has granted the desire of your soul.” And all who were present, even the enemies of Jesus, were astonished at what they saw.

This was a true healing of a double affliction, a physical ailment and a spirit malady. And the lad was permanently cured from that hour. Certain rebel spirits were on earth at that time, having been drawn into a “war in heaven” many years before. Because of this rebellion and the defection of some invisible and mischievous beings permanently stationed on earth, spirit possession was possible before and while Jesus lived. Having the power to do so, Jesus stopped and prevented spirit possession from ever happening again after he ascended from our world and bestowed the Spirit of Truth.

That evening, after they had eaten and rested, the apostles gathered around Jesus, and Thomas asked why they failed to cure the boy when Jesus succeeded.

Jesus answered Thomas, saying, in part: “What you attempted, in which you so completely failed, your purpose was not pure. Your motive was not divine. Your ideal was not spiritual. Your ambition was not altruistic. Your procedure was not based on love, and your goal of attainment was not the will of the Father in heaven.

“How long will it take you to learn that you cannot time-shorten the course of established natural phenomena except when such things are in accordance with the Father’s will? Nor can you do spiritual work in the absence of spiritual power. And you can do neither of these, even when their potential is present, without the existence of that third and essential human factor, the personal experience of the possession of living faith.”

The apostles retired for the night, sorrowful. They were bewildered; they could not comprehend Jesus’ words. And while they were afraid to ask about what he had said, they did recall it after his resurrection.

Before Jesus’ mission ended, his disciples reported cases of being able to cast out rebel spirits and cure disease without his personal presence. They told Jesus about this after returning from one of their teaching tours. On hearing their reports, Jesus said to them: “It is not strange that these disobedient minor spirits should be subject to you, seeing that I beheld Satan falling as lightning from heaven. But rejoice not so much over this, for I declare to you that, as soon as I return to my Father, we will send forth our spirits into the very minds of men so that no more can these few lost spirits enter the minds of unfortunate mortals. I rejoice with you that you have power with men, but be not lifted up because of this experience, rather rejoice that your names are written on the rolls of heaven, and that you are thus to go forward in an endless career of spiritual conquest.”