Near a little village in Caesarea Philippi, a few miles from Mount Hermon, Ezra was plowing his wheat fields. Occasionally he paused to look up for a moment toward the small home which nestled in a well- kept oak grove near the highway.

In the one-room cottage the wife moved quietly at her household tasks, glancing frequently toward a rough cot on the cooler side of the room, where lay the son in restless sleep. The father would return soon, and the noon meal must be prepared.

Esther was terribly grieved. Eli, her epileptic son, had been having convulsions all morning. She felt exceedingly sorry for him, and was sure that if Ezra, his father, would only take him to the Master he could be healed. "I can't believe in such miracles as we hear are being performed by this Nazarene," Ezra had already told her.

For three days now there had been no change in the condition of their son. Each day the anxious father continued his field work in sight of the home, for heavy Roman taxes must be paid, and the little family must be fed.

Esther paused at the window and gazed out toward the field where Ezra was plowing. Should she call her husband to come? A signal would bring him at once. But why call him when there was so much land to be broken up, and so little he could do here for the boy?

As her eyes lingered on the fields, it seemed as if she heard again her son's groaning. She sighed, and then came the sound anew. Yes, it was Eli. Esther instinctively turned and hurriedly spread a white cloth over the window. Ezra saw the signal, and turning loose his plow, came running.

The mother's wide blue eyes filled with sudden tears. She caught her son's hands and clung tenaciously. Another convulsion was tossing his lean and wasted body toward the heated hearth.

The door opened and Ezra entered to relieve his wife. He looked down at his son with tears dropping from his misty dark eyes. His strong arms then placed the youth back on the pallet, and for a long moment there was silence and a quiet that seemed almost ominous in the room. Then he looked up at Esther; and after smoothing his black hair back, asked, "What did Dr. Matthew say about him this morning?"

"He said there was nothing else he could do for him. He left some of the same kind of medicine that Dr. Amos gave him last year when he was so sick. But it didn't do him any good," Esther concluded.

"He's growing weaker day by day. There must be someone who can help him," the father pointed out.

"Who do you think it is?" Esther's cautious voice inquired, as she met her husband's eyes frankly. Ezra glanced at her sharply and then said furiously, "Not that faith Healer of whom you keep talking. I've firmly told you, Esther, I have no confidence in that hocus pocus cult Leader. I'm not the fanatical type, dear. We're Pharisees, you must remember."

Esther bit her lips to keep from crying, and then stooped over the pallet and pressed her hands against the pale cheeks of their tortured son and declared softly, "Ezra, if you only had faith and would take to Eli to this great Healer, he would be cured I'm sure."

"No! Not me," muttered Ezra, frowning at the mere thought as he squared his shoulders, and walked over toward the front door. "I just can't believe in such things," he continued; and, at the same time, wishing he could change his wife's views concerning this Man of Galilee, of whose miraculous hearings they were constantly hearing. There seemed, however. only one way to avoid discussing Him, and that was' to walk away.

"There you go again," Esther gently admonished, "and I've been praying all morning that you would change your mind and take Eli to Bethsaida. They say the Healer is there again. Why they are even bringing Him more sick folks than they did before, cousin Mary says."

Incredulous and suspicious, Ezra stared at her, and then - "Hush, Esther," was his only answer, as he turned to grab the boy, who was again convulsing and grinding his teeth.

Ezra gazed into the lad's face, and in that instant he knew his son could not go on living in this condition. Something had to be done-and done soon-he knew. But what? After breathing heavily for a few minutes he finally managed to say, "Esther, if you can help me to have faith, I'll try. Eli's dying."

"You'll never forgive yourself if you don't try," replied Esther, breathing a deep sigh of relief. For a moment he didn't answer her. For a moment he just stood there, gazing out the window. Then looking back at her, he said gravely, "You're right, but I hardly know how to start."

"You'll believe when you see others being healed, Ezra," said Esther with great confidence. Ezra stared at her; then slowly nodded, "All right. It's not far; we'll take him as soon as he gets up."

Esther walked ahead of them nearly all the way that afternoon to Bethsaida, praying as she went. And when they reached the foot of the mountain near the city, the place where the Healer was supposed to be, they learned from the multitude that was present that He had taken three of His disciples, Peter, James and John, and had gone upon the mountain to pray.

"His other disciples are still here, and they will pray for your son," someone in the crowd immediately asserted.

"Wonderful!" replied Esther, giving her long blonde hair a toss, as she cried out to a group of scribes to make room for her husband to pass, holding Eli by the arm.

Ezra pushed through and placed the boy at the feet of the disciples, who at once commanded the youth to be made whole, but nothing happened. They commanded again, but still nothing hap-p-ened-nothing but a bitter reaction from the crowd, which seemingly had been disappointed.

Then Esther's strength began to leave her. And Ezra put out his hand to steady her. She looked suddenly as if she might be going to fall.

After they had found a place to sit down and had rested for a few minutes, Ezra looked over at his wife, his face wrinkled in disgust, and asked accusingly, "Esther, why did you get me into this? I couldn't believe it was true when you were telling me all about this healing."

Esther met her husband's glance and sighed, but gave no answer. Her lips moved in silent prayer. And then suddenly the crowd began rushing forward, and someone nearby yelled, "There He comes! The Master is coming!"

Esther, without delay, leaped to her feet and shouted, "Come on Ezra! Bring the boy, for I know the Master can heal him!"

One had only to look at Ezra's face to know he had little faith to make another attempt. Nevertheless, at Esther's request he nodded solemnly and moved forward, with the boy holding his hand.

Strange but true! when Ezra's eyes fell on the Master Healer, he cried aloud, "Master, I have brought unto Thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not."

When the Master heard this, He answered him by saying, "O faithless generation. how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me."

And they brought the boy unto Him; and when He saw the boy, straightway the spirit tore the lad, and he fell to the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. Then the Master asked the boy's father, "How long is it ago since this came unto him?"

And the father answered, "Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the f ire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us."

The Master quickly replied, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief."

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him."

And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

"How lovely everything seems!" said Ezra that late afternoon as they began their journey back home, Both Eli and Esther smiled and heartily agreed.

Dear reader, can't you see that Christ is the only remedy for this sinful and sick world? Can you not place yourself in the position as Ezra or young Eli? Can't you realize the deep sense of gratitude that swept over their hearts when they heard the eternal Word and were delivered? My, how important it is to be faithful and unwavering (as Esther was) with this message of healing and salvation that the Lord has committed to us! For all eternity there will be thanksgiving if we fail not.

Certainly, sick one, you can be healed and delivered right now, for there is healing for both soul and body in the atonement of Christ. We read, "He was wounded for our transgressions and with His stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53.5).