The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 164 -
An Evil Spirit Is Dispossessed
FROM THIS TIME onward it was very quiet in Joseph's house and nothing miraculous took place.
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This quiet state lasted for a full year, at which time the little Child could already walk by Himself and talk and play with the other eight children.
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During this time a Negro family with a very sick child came into Joseph's house.
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For this family had heard in the city that a miracle doctor was present in this house who healed all sicknesses.
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The sick child was a boy of ten and was tormented most pitifully by an evil spirit.
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The spirit gave the boy no rest night and day, threw him about, made his stomach swell up and thereby caused him unendurable pain.
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At times he drove him into the water and at times into the fire.
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But when this spirit found itself to be in Joseph's house, it was quiet and did not stir.
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Joseph asked the boy's father, who understood Greek, about the particular circumstances of the boy,
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and the father faithfully told Joseph all that had ever taken place with the boy from the beginning.
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Thereupon Joseph called James, who as a sixteen-year-old youth was busying himself with the little Child as usual, and told him of the distress of this Negro family.
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Hereat James turned to the little Child and caressed Him and talked to Him in his heart.
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At this the little Child stated quite loudly in the Hebrew language:
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'My brother! My time will not come for quite a while - but you go over to the sick boy whose race carries the sign of Cain,
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touch him in the breast cavity with the index Finger of the left hand, and the evil spirit will promptly depart out of the boy forever!'
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James quickly went over and did as the little Child had told him.
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Here the evil spirit rent the boy for the last time and screamed:
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'What do you terrible one want with me? Where shall I go now, since you drive me from my home ahead of time?'
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And James declared: 'The Lord wills it! The sea is not far away - there, where it is deepest, you shall dwell at the bottom, and the slime shall be your dwelling place henceforth, Amen!'
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Here the spirit left the boy who instantly became well.
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Thereupon the family wanted to reward Joseph, but Joseph accepted nothing and let them depart in peace and praised God for the wondrous healing of this boy.