The healing of the blind and mute demoniac (Matt 12:22–23; Luke 11:14)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 40 (on Matthew 12:22–23) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.XL.html

On the demon that had shut up both the eyes and the ears by which the man might have come to believe:

O wickedness of the evil spirit! he had barred up both entrances, whereby that person should have believed, as well sight as hearing; nevertheless, both did Christ open.

On the Pharisees, whom the miracle only stung to envy, while the demon itself yielded in silence:

not even this did they endure: to such a degree ... are they ever stung by the good works done to their neighbors, and nothing grieves them so much as the salvation of men. ... the evil spirit was not so indignant as they. For he indeed departed from the body, and gave place and fled away, uttering no sound; but these were endeavoring now to slay, now to defame Him.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon 80 (on Luke 11:14) Source: trans. R. Payne Smith, 1859. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_luke_07_sermons_66_80.htm

On the peculiar stubbornness of a dumb spirit, and the ease with which Christ casts it out:

Now dumb devils are, so to speak, difficult for any one whatsoever of the saints to rebuke; and are more obstinate than any other kind, and excessively audacious. But there was nothing difficult to the all-powerful will of Christ, the Saviour of us all.

On the crowd’s praise and the Pharisees’ contrary response:

For we say that he is called dumb in this passage as being without tongue, that is, without speech. And upon the accomplishment of this wonderful act, the multitude extolled Him with praises, and hastened to crown the worker of the miracle with godlike honour.

But certain of them, it says, being Scribes and Pharisees, with hearts intoxicated with pride and envy, found in the miracle fuel for their malady; and not only did they not praise Him, but betook themselves to the very opposite.

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Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

Explanation of the Gospel of Luke (on Luke 11:14) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On what it means that the spirit was “dumb” — the man shut off from speech because he was first shut off from hearing:

It is also used for one who does not hear, but more properly who neither hears nor speaks. But he who has not heard from his birth necessarily cannot speak. For we speak those things which we are taught to speak by hearing. If however one has lost his hearing from a disease that has come upon him, there is nothing to hinder him from speaking. But He who was brought before the Lord was both dumb in speech, and deaf in hearing.

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Titus of Bostra (d. c. 378)

Commentary on Luke (on Luke 11:14) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the demon that stops the soul’s hearing of God’s word, and the Christ who comes that we might hear it:

Now He calls the devil deaf or dumb, as being the cause of this calamity, that the Divine word should not be heard. For the devil, by taking away the quickness of human feeling, blunts the hearing of our soul. Christ therefore comes that He might cast out the devil, and that we might hear the word of truth. For He healed one that He might create a universal foretaste of man’s salvation.

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Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

The Harmony of the Gospels, Book II.37 (on Matthew 12:22–23; Luke 11:14) Source: trans. S. D. F. Salmond, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 6. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf106.vi.v.xxxviii.html

On why Luke, who calls the man only dumb, and Matthew, who calls him blind and dumb, speak of one and the same person:

Luke introduces this narrative, not in the same order, but after a number of other matters. He also speaks of the man only as dumb, and not as blind in addition. But it is not to be inferred, from the mere circumstance of his silence as to some portion or other of the account, that he speaks of an entirely different person.

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St. Jerome (c. 347–420)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 12:22–23) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xii.html

On the three cures wrought at once, and how they are renewed daily in those who come to faith:

Three miracles were wrought in one and the same person at the same time; the blind sees, the dumb speaks, the possessed is delivered from the daemon. This was at that time done in the flesh, but is now daily being fulfilled in the conversion of them that believe; the daemon is cast out when they first behold the light of the faith, and then their mouths which had before been stopped are opened to utter the praises of God.

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St. Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310–367)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 12:22–23) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xii.html

On this single afflicted man as a figure of the Gentiles, made fit to receive God:

Not without reason, after having mentioned that all the multitude was healed together, does he bring in the cure of this man separately who was demoniac, blind and dumb. For after the man of the withered hand had been brought before Him, and been healed in the Synagogue, it behoved that the salvation of the Gentiles should be represented in the person of some other afflicted man; he who had been the habitation of a daemon, and blind and dumb, should be made meet to receive God, should contain God in Christ, and by confession of God should give praise to the works of Christ.