[Speaking of Jesus, …] 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)
Humans, created in God’s image and likeness, are meant to communicate with one another as well as with God. Being able to communicate means both being able to speak (express oneself) as well as to hear (receive what others are communicating). Christ’s healing the deaf and mute is Christ making these folk more fully human – which means more godlike! Additionally, Christ’s ability to give speech and hearing to people reveal Him as our Creator, since only God can give such gifts to humans.
God Himself is praised for His ability to hear and to see:
He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? (Psalm 94:9)
In contrast with God are the pagan idols:
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them. (Psalm 115:4-8)
Not only do idols not see or hear or speak, but those who make such idols become like them – unable to communicate or comprehend. Humans are created in God’s image and likeness and meant to be like God. Idol worshippers become like their deaf and dumb idols. When Christ heals the blind, deaf and mute, He both makes them more fully human AND is deifying them – giving them the godlike characteristics which God intended humans to have.
Thinking about the importance of being able to communicate, we might call to mind Moses famously begging God not to choose him to be God’s mouthpiece.
But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either heretofore or since thou hast spoken to thy servant; but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person.” Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well; and behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart. And you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. He shall speak for you to the people; and he shall be a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. And you shall take in your hand this rod, with which you shall do the signs.” (Exodus 4:10-17)
Moses humbly wants to beg off being a spokesman for God saying he is not an eloquent speaker. God reminds Moses that God as the creator gave us mouths and ears and He can help us use these organs for godly purposes. God is telling Moses, you are not deaf and mute like idols. You are gifted by God, and though you may not be an eloquent speaker because you stutter, I will be with you and will use you to communicate with Pharoah. [Pharoah of course saw himself as a god. I think God choosing Moses, a stutterer, to communicate with Pharoah is God’s way of telling Pharoah, you are not my equal, you are a mere mortal. I have to communicate to you through this man, and he doesn’t speak all that well, but he speaks to you at your level of understanding which is purely human because you are not divine.]
Fraternized 