Jesus Heals an Epileptic Youth 

On an evening in January of 28 CE, Jesus performed one of his greatest miracles when hundreds of people were healed of their afflictions in an instant of time. But earlier on that same day, Jesus had occasion to minister to a young man who suffered from epilepsy.

It happened at the synagogue in Capernaum, where Jesus spoke at the afternoon service. As he finished his talk, a young man who had been listening to Jesus was suddenly afflicted with a violent epileptic attack. This young man had been told that he was possessed by a demon that was causing his affliction; he lived his whole life in that belief, as did all of the people of that day. When he was being afflicted by the seizure, he began talking as if in a dream. Jesus took the young man by the hand and said to him: “Come out of it,” and the young man responded by awakening from his epileptic fit. When the people saw this, they assumed that Jesus had cast the unclean spirit from the boy. But the boy was not cured of his affliction at that time. It was only later that day, after sundown in Zebedee’s front yard, that the boy was healed – not of an unclean spirit, but of epilepsy.

The news of this event spread like wildfire throughout Capernaum that Jesus had cast a demon out of a young man and had miraculously healed him. Because it was the Sabbath, this news spread very quickly to all of the smaller towns and villages; many people believed it, prompting scores of people to seek Jesus out that same day.

One afternoon in January of 28 CE, Jesus spoke at a Sabbath service in the Capernaum synagogue. Later that day, he would astound the community with an amazing display of healing power. However, something happened in the synagogue that afternoon that the people thought was a healing miracle, even though no miracle occurred at the time. It was only later in the day, during the healing at sundown in Zebedee’s front yard, that the true miracle occurred.

In his Sabbath talk, Jesus spoke of religion as a personal experience and making religion a matter of the heart. He spoke with authority and the people of Capernaum were astonished by what he said.

Among the congregation was a young man who became increasingly agitated while Jesus spoke. Once Jesus had concluded his talk, the young man suffered an epileptic fit; he began speaking as if in a dream, saying: “You are the holy one of God; have you come to destroy us?” Jesus waited until the congregation had quieted down, and then he took the boy by the hand, saying, “Come out of it.” And the boy immediately woke up and came to his senses.

People of that time believed that all such afflictions were the result of spirit possession by demons or other unclean spirits. The boy himself had been taught that this was true, and he was accustomed to viewing his seizures in that way. So, when Jesus said, “Come out of it,” the boy and everyone else believed that Jesus had cast an evil spirit out of the young man.

Jesus ministered to the young man there in the synagogue by bringing him out of his epileptic fit and restoring him to full consciousness. But it was not until later that day that the young man was truly cured – not of demon possession, but of epilepsy. And at that time, his cure from epilepsy was total and complete.

This event in the synagogue galvanized the congregation, and the news of Jesus casting an evil demon from the boy spread quickly throughout the town. Since it was the Sabbath, the news spread to the surrounding villages, and many believed. By late that afternoon, scores of sick and afflicted people were preparing to go to Zebedee’s home, where Jesus was having dinner. Because of what had happened to the young man, all were hoping for healing for themselves or their loved ones.