Matthew 15:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord occasionally approaches the afflicted directly and at other times patiently waits for them to seek Him out, leading the crippled up the mountain. Instead of merely reaching for His robes, they begin to comprehend more profoundly; they fall before Him, demonstrating immense faith. Despite their disabilities, they climb the mountain, desiring nothing more than to prostrate themselves at His feet.

He did not make His permanent home in Judea but instead resided in Galilee, due to the significant unbelief among the Jews, as the people of Galilee were more inclined to believe than their counterparts in Judea.

In the passage where the Latin translator uses the term debiles, the Greek expression is κυλλός, which specifically denotes a particular ailment rather than a general term for the sick. Just as a lame individual (claudus) refers to one who limps on one leg, so the term κυλλός refers to someone who has one affected arm, for which there is no direct equivalent in English.

Jesus departed from that place and arrived at the Sea of Galilee. He climbed a mountain and settled there. At times, He moved among the suffering, healing them out of His compassion, while at other times, He remained seated, awaiting those who sought healing, both to demonstrate His goodness and to test the faith of the weary. Frequently, He ascended the mountain to reflect the majesty of His divine nature, instructing those desiring to approach God to elevate themselves above earthly concerns.

The Gospel does not specify the duration of the Lord's presence by the borders of Tyre and Sidon. According to St. Matthew, "JESUS came by the northern route, avoiding Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis, once more to the SEA OF GALILEE, and after climbing the mountain, He took His seat there." An interpreter remarks that “He frequently ascends the mountain” to reflect the greatness of His Divinity, instructing those who yearn to approach God to elevate themselves from earthly concerns.

Alongside the man who was deaf, mute, and unable to speak clearly, the Lord also brought healing to numerous other afflicted individuals in the city of Tithegrad, including the paralyzed, the sightless, and those unable to speak. The crowds were astounded by these miracles and glorified the God of Israel. However, the Lord instructed those who had received healing not to share what had transpired. Despite His warnings, they shared their experiences even more fervently.

Jesus' journey back to Galilee via the Tetrarchy of Philip is not precisely documented in terms of how long He spent in Phoenicia. The Gospel writer Matthew notes that upon His return from Phoenicia, Jesus arrived at the Sea of Galilee, while Mark further specifies that His path led through the regions of the Decapolis. Historical records from Pliny and Josephus indicate that this federation of ten cities, including Gadara, Hippos, and Pella, predominantly occupied the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, with the single exception of Scythopolis on the western bank of the Jordan. The territory of the Decapolis was once a Jewish land within the scope of the Promised Land. However, during the Assyrian exile, it became populated by Gentiles, remaining largely non-Jewish thereafter.

The duration of the Saviour's stay in these regions and the specific locations of His stops remain unclear. His departure was expedited due to the attention surrounding the miracle, which disrupted the peace He sought. Consequently, He chose to retreat into solitude once more, crossing the lake of Galilee. Along the journey, He performed two significant miracles; one involved healing a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. His hearing was “immediately opened, the bonds of the tongue were loosed, and he began to speak plainly,” in accordance with the Saviour's command: “ephphatha,” meaning “open,” which was enacted through gestures such as placing fingers in the man's ears, spitting, and touching his tongue. The onlookers were filled with wonder, declaring, “He does everything well: He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”

To the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Lake of Gennesaret, likely referring to its northern or northeastern banks. "He went up into the mountain and sat down": see note on Matthew 5:1.

Jesus Christ departed from Tyre and Sidon and made His way to the Sea of Galilee, passing through the region of the Tithegrad. In that place, a deaf and mute man afflicted by a condition beyond human remedy was brought to Him. Those who presented the afflicted individual confidently requested the Lord to lay His hand upon him, fully believing that this singular act would suffice for his healing. They likely had heard of numerous occasions where Jesus had restored the sick through the laying on of hands. However, in this instance, He chose a unique method to address the man's suffering. To deter the people's idle curiosity, He took the man aside.