Luke 9:38
And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This father's desperate plea, "look upon my son," uses a word that implies not just a glance, but a look of pitying regard, even like a doctor examining a patient. He emphasizes he's his "only child," a detail Luke alone includes, highlighting the profound personal stake that fuels this father's urgent, faith-filled request for compassion.
As Jesus and his disciples descend from the Mount of Transfiguration, they are met by a large crowd, and immediately a man rushes forward with an urgent plea. This father begs Jesus, whom he addresses as "Teacher," to look upon his son, emphasizing that the boy is his only child, highlighting the depth of his desperation and love. The need is so great that he appeals to Jesus after his disciples were unable to help the afflicted child.
This father's cry is raw, urgent, and deeply personal. What does his specific word choice reveal about his hope in Jesus?
The father addresses Jesus as 'Teacher' (didaskale), a common and respectful title. But his plea, 'look upon my son,' uses a Greek word (epiblepsai) that means more than a casual glance. It implies looking with a specific, compassionate intention – like a doctor examining a patient's condition. This father isn't just asking for attention; he's begging for a focused, pitying regard from Jesus, hoping for healing.
The father emphasizes he has 'only one' son. Why is this detail so significant, and what does it tell us about his desperation?
Luke, the physician-evangelist, highlights that this boy is his 'only child.' This isn't just a sentimental detail; it underscores the immense value and vulnerability of this one son to his father. In a time when children were vital for support and legacy, losing an only son would be devastating. This unique status intensifies the father's plea, showing Jesus the extreme stakes involved and the depth of his personal agony.
Understand the original words
didaskale · Greek Noun
The title used for Jesus Christ, indicating his authority and role as a conveyor of divine truth and instruction. It acknowledges his divine wisdom and prophetic status.
The father's plea, emphasizing his 'only child,' highlights the desperation and the deep personal stakes involved in seeking Jesus' miraculous intervention, especially after the disciples' failure.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
Jesus was traveling and teaching throughout the region of Galilee, performing miracles and gathering a growing following. His fame spread, attracting large crowds and intense scrutiny from religious leaders.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Disciples attempt to heal a boy
Jesus' disciples attempted to cast out a spirit from a boy but were unable to heal him. This event occurred shortly after Jesus' transfiguration and upon his descent from the mountain.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit
Jesus rebuked the spirit, commanding it to leave the boy. The spirit violently thrashed the boy before finally departing, and Jesus healed him, restoring him to his father.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Second Prediction of his Death
Following the healing, Jesus predicted his coming suffering, death, and resurrection for the third time, though the disciples still struggled to grasp its meaning.
This passage also highlights the preciousness of a child to a parent, as the official pleads for his only son, just as the father of Jairus' daughter, who was also an only child, pleaded with Jesus.
Matthew 17:14-18This parallel account emphasizes the severity of the child's affliction and the desperation of the father, who explicitly asks Jesus to 'have mercy on my son,' underscoring the plea for divine intervention.
Mark 9:17-27This fuller account reveals the child's condition as being seized by an unclean spirit and details the interaction with Jesus, including the father's confession of struggling faith, which adds depth to the father's cry in Luke.
John 4:47This instance of a nobleman begging Jesus to heal his son shows a similar desperate plea from a parent, highlighting the urgency and hope placed in Jesus' ability to help from afar.
vincentLuke 9:38: "And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child."
Master (διδάσκαλε)Teacher.Look upon (ἐπίβλεψαι)Only here and James 2:3. To look with pitying regard; and by medical writers of examining the condition of a patient.
calvinLuke 9:37-43: "And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him."
- And when they were come to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling before him, 15. And saying, Lord, have compassion on my son, for he is lunatic, and is grievously distressed; for frequently he falleth into the fire, and frequently into the water. 16. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17. And Jesus answering said, O unbelieving and perver…
This father's desperate plea, "look upon my son," uses a word that implies not just a glance, but a look of pitying regard, even like a doctor examining a patient. He emphasizes he's his "only child," a detail Luke alone includes, highlighting the profound personal stake that fuels this father's urgent, faith-filled request for compassion.
As Jesus and his disciples descend from the Mount of Transfiguration, they are met by a large crowd, and immediately a man rushes forward with an urgent plea. This father begs Jesus, whom he addresses as "Teacher," to look upon his son, emphasizing that the boy is his only child, highlighting the depth of his desperation and love. The need is so great that he appeals to Jesus after his disciples were unable to help the afflicted child.
As Jesus and his disciples descend from the Mount of Transfiguration, they are met by a large crowd, and immediately a man rushes forward with an urgent plea. This father begs Jesus, whom he addresses as "Teacher," to look upon his son, emphasizing that the boy is his only child, highlighting the depth of his desperation and love. The need is so great that he appeals to Jesus after his disciples were unable to help the afflicted child.
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"And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child." — This father's desperate plea, "look upon my son," uses a word that implies not just a glance, but a look of pitying regard, even like a doctor examining a patient. He emphasizes he's his "only child,…
