And long have darkly lain:
So we may know, e’en here below,
Death has no lasting reign.
MAMMA’S SUNDAY TALK.
MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR:
CURE OF A DEAF AND DUMB MAN.
Among the miracles which our Lord next performed was that of giving speech and hearing to a deaf and dumb man. This man was brought by his friends, who placed him before the Saviour, with the earnest request that He would put His hand on him. St. Mark thus describes the miracle:—
“And they brought unto Him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought Him to put His hand upon him. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears, and He spat, and touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, He sighed, and saith unto him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.”
We cannot always determine the reasons that influenced the actions of our Lord; nor indeed is it necessary we should. We cannot doubt, judging by other miracles, but He could have cured the man by a word, or the mere exercise of His will; yet on this occasion He chose to touch the man’s eyes and his tongue, and to sigh a mental prayer to His Father.