Mark 7:31-37
31 Again He left the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis.
32 And they *brought to Him one who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they *begged Him to lay His hand on him.
33 And Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers in his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva;
34 and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He *said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
35 And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.
36 And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.
37 And they were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even those who are deaf hear, and those who are unable to talk, speak.”
The Healing of the Deaf Man
The blessing reserved for the Gentiles
Jesus withdrew to the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee, to the region of Decapolis (v. 31). This was the land of the Gentiles, belonging to the territory of Herod Philip. Following the places where Jesus visited, it becomes evident how carefully he avoided the territory of Herod Antipas. In the previous passage, despite being a Gentile, the Canaanite woman received Jesus’ grace. In today’s passage, blessings continue to be extended to the Gentiles. A crowd gathered around Jesus, and while there might have been some Jews present, the majority were Gentiles. In Mark 5:1-20, there is an account of the man possessed by Legion being set free. It seems that he had a great impact on the people of his hometown. Here, the Gentiles experience two blessings: the first being the miracle of healing, and the next is the miracle of feeding the 4,000 (we will explore the latter miracle next time). These miracles foreshadow that the blessings of Jesus as the Messiah will eventually be extended to the Gentiles.
Ephphata
The people brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, pleading with Jesus to heal him. (1) The only reason behind this plea was their desire to witness the miracles performed by Jesus. (2) However, Jesus did not perform the miracle in front of the crowd. Instead, he took the man aside from the crowd and healed him privately. This healing was not done as a sign that Jesus was the Messiah; rather, it was done out of His compassion for this man. (3) Let’s focus on the fact that the healing occurs in the order of the healing process. Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva. Lastly, He said, “Ephphatha” (Be opened). Instantly, the man’s ears were opened, and his tongue was loosened, allowing him to speak clearly. (4) Jesus strictly ordered them not to tell anyone about this miracle, but the more He ordered them, the more the people spread the news about Him. The Gentiles who witnessed this miraculous healing began to worship the God of Israel. For what reasons do you worship Jesus?
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, by Your grace, You included even the Gentiles, who once were strangers to the covenants with Israel, into salvation. I praise Your name with all my heart and worship You. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.