Sunday, 1 March 2026
“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. Matthew 17:15
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“Lord, You compassionated my son, for he moon-strikes and he suffers badly, for frequently he falls into the fire and frequently into the water.” (CG).
In the previous verse, Jesus and the disciples came down from the mountain, and a man came to Him, kneeling before Him to petition Him. Matthew records his words, saying, “Lord, You compassionated my son.”
Luke’s gospel notes that the man said, “he is my only child.” It is an additional mark of desperation that certainly touched Jesus’ emotions. Having begun his plea, the father continues, saying, “for he moon-strikes.”
It is a new word, seléniazomai, to be moonstruck. It is derived from seléné, brilliancy. That, in turn, is used to describe the moon. That, along with the word haireó, to take for oneself or choose. Together, they give the sense of being moonstruck.
The exact meaning is debated. Some say it refers to epilepsy, others to being a lunatic (which is derived from the Latin lunaticus, referring to the luna, moon), or being demon-possessed. The symptoms are recorded in Mark and Luke –
“Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.” Mark 9:17, 18
“And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.” Luke 9:39
The idea of being moonstruck is probably that he had cycles of symptoms that corresponded with the cycles of the moon. Because of his malady, Matthew continues, “and he suffers badly.”
Imagine the distress of the father having a child who was in such a state. It would be a frustration fraught existence with no hope of release. And the situation would be exacerbated with wounds or trauma because, as he says, “for frequently he falls into the fire and frequently into the water.”
Another new word is seen, pollakis, many times, and thus frequently. When an attack would come upon the boy, at any given moment, apparently, he may fall into a bonfire or fireplace, having been captivated by the flames. Or he may fall into a pond or some other body of water, having been captivated by the reflections.
For the father, this would have been a miserable plight and a tedious existence.
Life application: I know a man who has a son who is totally disabled. The son is confined to a wheelchair, cannot speak, but rather makes grunting noises, and his body is always twisted and contorted.
The father is infinitely patient with his son. He constantly speaks to him with soothing words, no matter how difficult the situation. He has to personally attend to him in the bathroom or for any other regular life function. And yet, he bears with the trial as if he were ordering a burger at McDonald’s.
Many times, I have thought, “I could not handle the difficulty that this person so caringly and patiently tends to for even a day.” And yet, he has been tending to his son for over forty years. God gives us what we can handle, and He allows afflictions into our lives for purposes that may be known only to Him.
In having a responsibility like one of these afflicted children, all we can do is throw ourselves at the mercy of God and beg for daily strength. And He is gracious to provide it. In the case of the father in Luke 17, Jesus will do something wonderful for him in the verses ahead.
In our case, He has promised to provide a life ahead without such trials and frustrations. Our faith will not go unrewarded. God is carefully attentive to all things that His children need. Be confident of this, and don’t lose hope when the days seem overwhelming. Lean on the Lord. He will get you through each one.
Lord God, each of us has our own burdens to carry. And You have given us the ability to do so when we put our confidence in You. The strength will come because You are a gracious and caring Father. May we confidently trust this as each day unfolds with its trials and difficulties. Amen.