“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
We have here the miraculous cure of a child that was lunatic and vexed with a devil. Observe, I. A melancholy representation of the case of this child, made to Christ by the afflicted father. This was immediately upon his coming down from the mountain where he was transfigured. Note, Christ's glories do not make him unmindful of us and of our wants and miseries.
Commenting on Matthew 17:14-21
Lord, have mercy on my son,.... He addressed him with great marks of honour and respect, not only by gesture, but by words; he craves mercy, pity, and compassion; for the case he had to present, was a miserable one; and his earnestness and importunity he hoped might be excused, since it was for a child of his own.
Verse 15. Lord, have mercy. The word Lord here means Sir, a title of civility, not implying Divinity. My son. This was an only son, (Luke.) He was possessed with a devil. This calamity was attended with the following symptoms:--he was lunatic, ; he was sore vexed, i.e., he suffered greatly, or was greatly afflicted; he fell often suddenly in the manner of persons having...