And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He has done all things well: he makes both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
If however He, as one Who knew the present and the future wills of men, knew that they would proclaim Him the more in proportion as He forbade them, why did He give them this command? If it were not that He wished to prove to men who are idle, how much more joyfully, with how much greater obedience, they whom He commands to proclaim Him should preach, when they who were forbidden could not hold their peace.
In Marc., 2, 31: Decapolis is aregion of ten cities, across the Jordan, to the east, over against Galilee When therefore it is said that the Lord came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis, it does not mean that He entered the confines of Decapolis themselves; for He is not said to have crossed the sea, but rather to have cometo the borders of the sea, and to have reached quite up to the place, which was opposite to the midst of the coasts of Decapolis, which were situated at adistance across the sea. It goes on, “And they bring Him one that was deaf and dumb, and they besought Him to lay hands upon him. "There follows, “And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears.”.
He looked up to heaven, that Hemight teach us that thence is to be procured speech for the dumb, hearing forthe deaf, health for all who are sick. And He sighed, not that it was necessary for Him to be any thing from His Father with groaning, for He, together w...
He hath done all things well: Gr. καλω̃ς, i.e, beautifully, becomingly, harmoniously. Christ did nothing which the Pharisees or such like fault-finders could justly blame. Again, the Heb. for well is heteb, i.e, beneficently, because He gave hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb. Indeed, Christ"s whole life was one continuous beneficence. (Top)
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From the preaching however of those who were healed by Christ, the wonder of the multitude, and their praise of the benefits of Christ, increased. Wherefore it goes on, “And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.”
A city, however, placed on a hill cannot be hid, and lowliness always comes before glory. Wherefore it goes on, “but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it.”
Mystically, Tyre is interpreted, narrowness, and signifies Judaea, to which the Lord said, “For the bed is grown too narrow,” and from which He turns Himself to the Gentiles. Sidon means, hunting, for our race is like an untamed beast, and "sea”, which means a wavering inconstancy. Again, the Saviour comes to save the Gentiles in the midst of the coasts of Decapolis, which may be interpreted, as the commands of the Decalogue.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. He takes the deaf and dumb man who was brought to Him apart from the crowd, that He might not do His divine miracles openly; teaching us to cast away vainglory and swelling of heart, for no one can work miracles as he can, who loves humility and is lowly in his conduct. But He puts His fingers into his ears, when He might have cured him with a word, to show that His body, being united to Deity, was consecrated by Divine virtue, with all that He did. For since on account of the transgression of Adam, human nature had incurred much suffering and hurtin its members and senses, Christ coming into the world showed the perfection of human nature in Himself, and on this account opened ears, with His fingers, and gave the power of speech by His spittle. Wherefore it goes on, “And spit, and touched his tongue.”.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. He at the same time also groaned, as taking our cause upon Himself and pitying human nature, seeing the misery into which it had fa...
The soul of each of us also, when he falls into sin, becomes a woman; and this soul has a daughter who is sick, that is, evil actions; this daughter again has a devil, for evil actions arise from devils. Again, sinners are called dogs, being filled with uncleanness. For which reason we are not worthy to receive the bread of God, orto be made partakers of the immaculate mysteries of God; if however in humility, knowing ourselves to be dogs, we confess our sins, then the daughter, that is, our evil life, shall be healed.
The Lord did not wish to stayin the parts of the Gentiles, lest He should give the Jews occasion to say, that they esteemed Him a transgressor of the law, because He held communion with the Gentiles, and therefore He immediately returns. Wherefore it is said, “And again departing from the coasts of Tyre, He came through Sidon, to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis.”.
That He might show that allthe members of His sacred body are divine and h...
