BACKGROUND MATERIAL

It is rather strange that Mark is the only Evangelist to record this particular miracle of Jesus. It is believed that the other Gospel writers had Mark's writings in hand when they wrote their Gospels. And this was a double miracle, a healing of both deafness and of a speech impediment. All the more wonder that Mark is the only one to relate this action.

Another area of conjecture concerns the man's speech impediment. Although he is often called a deaf-mute, the scriptures refer to his trouble as an impediment. Apparently, he could talk but could not be easily understood. This could have been a result of his deafness, as those who cannot hear their own voice are not able to make some necessary vocal adjustments in order to be clearly understood.

The account of this m…