Luke 11:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Now he is called κωφὸς, as commonly meaning one who does not speak. 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.

Now when the miracle was performed, the multitude extolled Him with loud praises, and the glory which was due to God. As it follows, And the people wondered.

Matthew describes how some of the scribes and Pharisees approached Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we would like to see a sign from you,” concluding with the phrase, “So shall it be with this wicked generation.” Luke recounts a similar episode, albeit with a slightly different sequence. After the miracle involving the mute man possessed by a demon, some sought signs from heaven, yet the Lord did not provide an immediate response concerning Jonah. This answer came later, when a crowd had gathered, and Jesus indicated He was addressing those who had previously requested heavenly signs.

Ions played a dual role for the people of Nineveh. Had they ignored it, they would have descended alive into perdition, much like Jonah; however, if they chose repentance, they would be spared from demise, just as he was. Similarly, our Lord experienced a descent and subsequent ascent (Luke 2:34), which illustrates that humanity either finds salvation through His sacrifice or faces spiritual death. They sought a miraculous sign from Him (Lk 11:16) akin to the thunder requested by Samuel. When they clamored for a voice from above, He presented them with a sign that emerged from the depths. Their anticipation of hearing words from above led them to disbelieve when the message arose from the abyss. After Jonah's emergence from the depths, he became a dire prophecy for the Ninevites because he announced the destruction of their city; likewise, the disciples became a portent after the resurrection of our Lord.

They did this not only at present but also in various situations, as evidenced in other sections of the Gospel of Matthew. Pay particular attention to the latter part of the thirty-third chapter where it states, ‘And the Pharisees and Sadducees came and, tempting Him, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.’ Reflect on their reasoning and you will grasp the nature of their deceitful intentions.

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. Hence it follows, And when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spake.

But that demoniac is related by Matthew to have been not only dumb, but blind. Three miracles then were performed at the same time on one man. The blind see, the dumb speaks, and he that was possessed by a devil is set free. The like is daily accomplished in the conversion of believers, so that the devil being first cast out, they see the light, and then those mouths which were before silent are loosened to speak the praises of God.

Yet there were some who, despite their inability to grasp the magnitude of God's power in this event, had not fallen into complete opposition and hostility. They saw this miracle as insufficient to affirm the title of Messiah following Jesus and sought a sign from above—perhaps a voice from the heavens or a celestial manifestation that would confirm His role as the divine messenger (refer to Matt. 12:38-45).

The miraculous healing of the blind man possessed by a demon had a profound impact on those witnessing it, leading them to ponder, ‘Is he not the Christ who healed him?’ This sentiment was certainly displeasing to Jesus’ adversaries, the scribes and Pharisees, yet the divine nature of the miracle was clear to everyone present. They attempted to distort the significance of this miracle by attributing it to Beelzebub, the leader of the demons, claiming this power resided within Jesus.

Healing of the Demon-Possessed Blind Man: During their journey, a man who was blind and mute due to demon possession was brought before Jesus. Upon healing him, the once-blind man began to see and speak. The crowd was astonished by this remarkable act and sought to understand the identity of the one performing such wonders. The Pharisees' claim that Jesus expelled demons by the authority of Beelzebub should have been addressed by the teachers and leaders among the people, namely the scribes and Pharisees. However, upon hearing the crowd's readiness to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, they quickly resorted to malicious accusations.

Others, when faced with temptation, sought a miraculous sign: this is noted in a distinct narrative in the Gospel of Matthew. In this account, a group of scribes and Pharisees approached the Lord, making this request following His stern rebuke regarding their blasphemy, where He proclaimed that He cast out demons by the authority of Beelzebub (Matt. 12:38ff.). The Gospel of Luke integrates these circumstances and the statements made during these events into a single narrative, smoothly transitioning between the two, while also incorporating elements from Matthew's account into his own. - For 'Signs from heaven,' refer to the commentary on Matthew 16:1.

Upon the Lord's return to Capernaum, the miraculous healing of the man possessed by demons provided the Pharisees and scribes with a pretext to spread their wicked blasphemies against Him among the populace. This afflicted individual was both blind and mute, with the malevolent spirit hindering his paths to faith—through sight, hearing, and speech. However, in His mercy, the Lord liberated him from the unclean spirit, restoring his ability to see, hear, and speak. Witnessing this miracle, the simple and unbiased individuals were astonished and questioned one another: "Is this the Christ, the Son of David?" Meanwhile, Jesus and His disciples sought to enter a house for a meal, but so great was the crowd surrounding Him that they had no opportunity to eat.