Numerous cases are narrated in which Jesus, by simply touching the person of the afflicted, effected instantaneous cures. Such were those of the leper (Matt. viii, 2-3; Mark i, 40-42; Luke v, 12-13); the curing of Peter's mother-in-law of a fever (Matt. viii, 14-15; Mark i, 30-31; Luke iv, 38-39), although in the Luke version he "rebuked" the fever; and the opening of the eyes of two blind men (Matt. ix, 27-30). Another method seems to have been by allowing the ill to touch him or his garments (Matt. ix, 20-22; xiv, 36; Mark iii, 10; v, 25-34; Luke vi, 19; viii, 43-48). At other times he simply told the patient, or the agent of the patient, that faith had effected the cure, as with the centurion's servant (Matt. viii, 5-13; Luke vii, 2-10) and the daughter of the Canaanite (Matt. xv, 22-28; Mark vii, 25-30); or told the stricken to hold forth a withered arm or pick up his bed and walk, by which command the cure was completed (Matt. ix, 2-7; xii, 10-13; Mark ii, 3-12; Luke v, 18-25).
Among all primitive peoples, the principal cause of disease was supposed to lie in the displeasure of some deity toward the afflicted person, who was punished by this deity for some offense or neglect (Psalms xxxviii, 3). One of the favorite methods of the gods in afflicting was sending evil and tormenting spirits into the body of the victim. After more was learned of disease, this theory gradually diminished in strength as regarded some troubles, but for centuries it was the universal theory that mental derangements and nervous afflictions were solely due to demoniacal possession, and all priests and medicine-men resorted to various exorcisms, from the primitive banging of gongs and tooting of trumpets to scare away the spirit, to the prayers and sprinkling of holy water of the mediæval church to rid the patient of the unwelcome inhabitant of his body.
That Jesus believed in this demoniacal possession is undoubted, and he effected his cures by ordering or calling out the devil from the body of the possessed. For example, there is a story of Jesus driving devils into an innocent herd of swine (Matt. viii, 28-33; Mark v, 2-14; Luke viii, 26-34). We also find him casting out and rebuking devils in various instances (Matt. ix, 32-34; xii, 22-24; xvii, 14-18; Mark i, 23-24, 34; iii, 11; Luke iv, 33-36, 41; ix, 37-42).