LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
A Double Miracle of Love
Chapters 7 and 8 of Mark record two miracles that the Lord Jesus performed: one, on a deaf-mute, and the other on a blind man. Both are unique to Mark, and present very similar traits. In both, the Lord marvelously shows the gentleness of his character, his consideration for the most needy man, his tenderness. Perhaps it is these two miracles that best summarize the marvelous vision of Jesus as the Servant of God that Mark gives us.
In both miracles, the Servant uses rather peculiar methods. Both are performed in a very unobtrusive manner. In both, he uses his own hands. In the case of the deaf and dumb man, Jesus put his fingers in his ears, spit out his finger and touched the diseased tongue (7:31-35). With the blind man, he spit in his eyes and laid his hands on him. Then he puts his hands on his eyes again (8:22-26). In both cases he spits, and puts the saliva on the diseased limb. Only John records a case with such a procedure (9:6-7), but none of the other evangelists.
The Lord could have healed both men by word alone, but the personal attention to each indicates the Lord's extraordinary concern for the man, no matter what his condition. In both miracles he uses his own hands and spittle. What more intimate and close than that? He gave himself for them - the groaning with which he prays for the deaf-mute proclaims it.
In both cases the Servant of God shows the tenderest consideration for the men by taking them aside from the crowd to heal them. People like them are very shy, and would have been troubled in the midst of such a curious crowd. Throughout the miracle, the Servant acted without speaking.
The final expression of Mark 7: "And they marveled greatly, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak" (v. 37), reminds us of the expression used by Moses in Genesis, referring to God, after the conclusion of creation: "And God saw all that he had made, and, behold, it was very good" (1:31). This is not surprising, because it is the same Word of God who performed that perfect work there and here.
The healing of the blind man of Bethsaida has another remarkable feature: the Lord's gesture towards the blind man. Mark says that, taking the blind man by the hand, he led him through the whole village and took him outside to heal him. Jesus felt no misgivings about being a guide to a poor blind man in need. The streets of Jericho witnessed this unforgettable scene. The Servant of God, hand in hand with a weak expression of man. He did not commission others to carry him; he did it himself. God himself incarnate, solicitous for man, walking hand in hand with frailty incarnate, uniting the two most distant extremes of the universe. Simply marvelous! There is no greater love than that which is expressed towards man in his misery and helplessness. There is no greater love than that of Christ!