Mark 7:31-37
And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” – Mark 7:37
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Jesus continues His ministry of teaching and healing, ministering to the remnant people of Israel who had resettled in the Greek-speaking regions of Tyre, Sidon, and the Decapolis. In our passage today, some people bring to Him a man who is deaf and can hardly speak. They beg Jesus to lay His hands on him, in other words, to heal him. But Jesus chooses to minister to the man in His own way.
Up to this point in the Gospel of Mark, we often see Jesus inviting people to place their trust in Him or to act in faith as part of their healing. To the man with the withered hand, Jesus invited him to exercise faith by telling him, “Stretch out your hand”. To the paralytic man, Jesus said, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home”.
In this encounter, Jesus also invites this man, who was deaf, to trust in Him. There was no way for the deaf man to hear Jesus, but he could feel Jesus putting his fingers into his ears, and he could see Jesus spitting and afterwards touching his tongue. Jesus was clearly doing something to address his very condition. But can He truly heal? This was an invitation for the deaf man to trust Jesus.
Then Jesus looks up to heaven and lets out a deep sigh, a visible expression of prayer and reliance on the Father. And Jesus turns to face him and speaks a single word. Though the man cannot hear the sound, he sees Jesus’ lips forming the word in his own Aramaic dialect, “Ephphatha” (meaning “be opened”). At once, the silence is shattered. His ears are opened, his tongue loosened, and he begins to speak plainly.
Today, Jesus is also inviting us to place our faith in Him. There is no one-size-fits-all method by which He addresses our needs, because each one of us is unique. But He knows us deeply, and He meets us right where we are. Will you turn to Jesus in faith today, trusting that He is Good and He can deliver you? As Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Have faith, and be prepared to be astonished beyond measure, as you see the hand of God at work in your life today.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father God, Thank you that You care for us deeply and You know our every need before we even begin to ask You. Help us to cast all our anxieties on You, trusting that You are Good and You will meet us in our need in Your way. I have faith that as I draw near to Your throne of grace, I may receive mercy and find grace to help in my time of need. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
Click to read
Jesus continues His ministry of teaching and healing, ministering to the remnant people of Israel who had resettled in the Greek-speaking regions of Tyre, Sidon, and the Decapolis. In our passage today, some people bring to Him a man who is deaf and can hardly speak. They beg Jesus to lay His hands on him, in other words, to heal him. But Jesus chooses to minister to the man in His own way.
Up to this point in the Gospel of Mark, we often see Jesus inviting people to place their trust in Him or to act in faith as part of their healing. To the man with the withered hand, Jesus invited him to exercise faith by telling him, “Stretch out your hand”. To the paralytic man, Jesus said, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home”.
In this encounter, Jesus also invites this man, who was deaf, to trust in Him. There was no way for the deaf man to hear Jesus, but he could feel Jesus putting his fingers into his ears, and he could see Jesus spitting and afterwards touching his tongue. Jesus was clearly doing something to address his very condition. But can He truly heal? This was an invitation for the deaf man to trust Jesus.
Then Jesus looks up to heaven and lets out a deep sigh, a visible expression of prayer and reliance on the Father. And Jesus turns to face him and speaks a single word. Though the man cannot hear the sound, he sees Jesus’ lips forming the word in his own Aramaic dialect, “Ephphatha” (meaning “be opened”). At once, the silence is shattered. His ears are opened, his tongue loosened, and he begins to speak plainly.
Today, Jesus is also inviting us to place our faith in Him. There is no one-size-fits-all method by which He addresses our needs, because each one of us is unique. But He knows us deeply, and He meets us right where we are. Will you turn to Jesus in faith today, trusting that He is Good and He can deliver you? As Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Have faith, and be prepared to be astonished beyond measure, as you see the hand of God at work in your life today.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father God, Thank you that You care for us deeply and You know our every need before we even begin to ask You. Help us to cast all our anxieties on You, trusting that You are Good and You will meet us in our need in Your way. I have faith that as I draw near to Your throne of grace, I may receive mercy and find grace to help in my time of need. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.