Autumn, 781-782 [A.D. 28-29]
Returning homeward from the house of Jairus He is followed by two blind men, saying, “Son of David, have nercy on us.” They enter His house and are healed, and He charges them that they should not speak of what He had done; but they going forth, everywhere proclaim it. As they, departed, a dumb possessed was brought to Him, whom He healed, to the astonishment of the multitude. This gave the Pharisees new occasion to say that He cast out devils through Satan.* [Note:Matthew 9:27-31;Matthew 9:32-34]
These cases of healing are mentioned only by Matthew, and by him in immediate connection with the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus. We assume that he here narrates in chronological order. [Note: Robinson, Greswell, Lichtenstein, Lange, Ebrard. Alford, however, observes that “παρʼεκειθενis too vague to be taken as a fixed note of sequence; forεκείθεν, ‘thence,’ may mean the house of Jairus, or the town itself, or even that part of the country, asMatthew 9:26has generalized the locality, and implied some pause of time.”] Some [Note: Krafft, Tischendorf.] identify Matthew 9:32-34 with Luke 11:14-15; and as the healing of the possessed was immediately after that of the blind, place all these miracles at a much later period, and after the sending of the Seventy. By these blind men was Jesus for the first time addressed as “the Son of David.” This shows that His descent from that royal house was known and recognized. Already the people had asked of Him, (Matthew 12:23,) “Is this the Son of David?” and the use of the title by the blind men shows their disposition to honor Him whose help they sought. [Note: Compare (Matthew 20:30) the healing of the two blind men at Jericho, when the same title was used; as also by the woman of Canaan, (Matthew 15:22.)] The impression which the miracle of healing the dumb possessed made upon the multitude, was very great, and explains why the Pharisees should repeat the charge that He cast out devils through the prince of the devils.
