Astonished Beyond Measure
And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak (Mark 7:37) Jesus’ reputation as a healer preceded Him wherever He went. Always there came to Him those with physical, mental and emotional afflictions. Often they were brought by friends or relatives who asked for help on their behalf. Such was the case referred to in the above scripture passage. Jesus frequently asked for a declaration of faith before granting a request. Although it is not recorded that He did so in this instance, the fact that they brought to Him one who was deaf and had a speech impediment and begged Him to put His hands on him (Mark 7:32) is indicative of their belief in Jesus’ ability to heal their friend. How ironic, then that they were astonished when He did so. Yet, to my shame I sometimes find myself reacting in much the same way. Having asked God to work out a partic...