Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”—Mark 7:31–37

Introduction

I have not been in the pulpit for a couple of weeks now, and I will let you know what happens in my heart over the course of that time. A burden begins to build more and more in my heart—Paul called it his anxiety for his churches. I wonder how you are doing. What is the heartache in your life? Are you discouraged or barely hanging on? Do you feel like you are waiting on the Lord for something and it seems like life has been slowing to a crawl while you wait and you wonder if he is even there—does he even see or hear or know or care? 

One of the most stirring things about reading the Gospel narratives is that we get to see God in ways that are so tangible. Jesus is here in these stories—God in the flesh, God with skin on, and we see how he engages with people in need. Is he stand-off-ish or forgetful or insensitive or emotionally unavailable? The story before us is a revelation to us of the heart of God in the midst of the drama of our need. This drama unfolds before us in three scenes: (1) the need, (2) the healing, and (3) the response.

Outline

1. The Need (Mark 7:31–32)
2. The Healing (Mark 7:33–34)
3. The Response (Mark 7:35–37)

1. The Need (7:31–32)

Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.

Two things seem very odd at first glance about these two verses: (1) the journey Jesus took and (2) a very rare word in verse 32. The first issue is going from Tyre and then 20 miles north through Sidon and then southeast to the Decapolis on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. This was about a 120-mile journey. It was not a direct route but was more of a semi circle (circuitous route). One obvious takeaway is that Jesus is in Gentile territory, but I think it has even more significance, which we will see in a moment.

Second, verse 32 says they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment (μογιλάλos). Why this dual description—deaf and a speech impediment? The word for “speech impediment” is a rare word that tips Mark’s hand to a singular text that he has in mind. That word is only used one other place in the Greek Bible.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
     and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
     and the tongue of the mute (μογιλάλos), sing for joy.— Isaiah 35:5–6

The text says, “then.” We have to say, “when?”

Strengthen the weak hands,
     and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
     “Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
     will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
     He will come and save you.”— Isaiah 35:3–4

When? When God comes. You will say, “Look, there he is. He has come to save!”

Where will this happen? Back up further in the text.

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
     the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
it shall blossom abundantly
     and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
     the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
     the majesty of our God.—Isaiah 35:1–2

The nations will see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of God. Lebanon. Carmel and Sharon. The desert wastelands of Lebanon will blossom and rejoice (Isaiah 35:2). One commentator rightly and clearly makes the connection: “The regions of Tyre and Sidon are, of course, precisely the Lebanon of Isaiah 35” (James Edwards, Mark, p. 224). Dear friends, this is direct fulfillment.

We already have a hint about what he is going to do with this deaf and mute man: “… and the tongue of the mute (μογιλάλos), sing for joy.” But how does it happen? The narrative moves from background to foreground, and time seems to stand still as Mark gives us a detailed account of the healing.

2. The Healing (7:33–34)

And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

We move from the background to a private viewing area. This man was not going to be a sideshow. Jesus takes him aside from the crowd privately (v. 33). Jesus had that ability to make someone feel like they were the only person on the planet—so personal.

Now we see something else that is intensely personal, but also perplexing. Why did Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears? Why did Jesus spit on his fingers and then touch the man’s tongue? Jesus can just say the word! In fact, he can just think the thought, and in a previous account, the demon leaves a little girl before the mom even gets home. He can heal a Roman centurion’s servant and does not even have to darken the door of his house. Why didn’t Jesus just say, “‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened’” (v. 34)?

Here is the glorious, wonderful answer. He is a wonderful, merciful, Savior. This is sign language. Do you see it? It wouldn’t work very well if I came up to a deaf person and tried to explain with loud words what I was about to do. It does not matter how loud you yell—he won’t understand. This is tender, symbolic, sign language. Jesus gives a pictorial road map for what he is going to do: touch his ears (hearing) and his tongue (speaking).

Behold, the tender mercy of the Almighty. Healing would have been mercy enough. But he stoops down to minister to the special needs of this man. He sees the need, yes, but he also sees the man. He does not see a disability— a problem—he sees a person.

He looked up to heaven (v. 34). Jesus doesn’t do anything independently of his Father—he is the Son always seeing the Father and always doing what the Father would have him do. Now before he speaks, he does one other thing: he sighs (v. 34). Why does he sigh before he speaks? He identified with the pain of this man. All the sorrow and the struggle that came from a life of not being able to hear or speak. This is the power of identification. This man is not alone. God Almighty stands before him knowing everything about him, including his pain. He is not indifferent or unfeeling. He sighs and feels the pain before bringing the healing and the joy. Here is power, love, and tender attention to detail and communication.

3. The Response (7:35–37)

And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

His ears were opened (v. 35). Have you ever seen a video of someone who went from not hearing anything to suddenly hearing everything? It is awe-inspiring. It is like sensory overload. He didn’t just begin to hear. His tongue was also released. He spoke plainly and clearly (v. 36). There is another link to the Exodus story here. Literally, the verse says that “the chain of his tongue was broken.” The chain that kept him in the bondage of silence was broken. Jesus came to break every chain—liberty for all the captives. Like the song says,

There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. 

Now, Jesus responds to the healing. He gives a charge to not spread this story. The theme of silence is also somewhat perplexing. Why didn’t Jesus want the report of the miracle to be shared? Often people point out that Jesus commands silence in Jewish regions because they did not understand Jesus’ mission and would try to make him King. But this story takes place among the Gentiles. The lesson here is more straightforward than we sometimes make it. Jesus is addressing the inevitable misunderstanding of the people. They are still blind to who he is. They will share the report of the miracle and spread the wrong conclusions. They will not be telling the full truth—it is only a half-truth at this point. It is setting us up for Mark 8–10 where we see that people in the story—including the disciples—still struggle with partial blindness.

But now the crowd responds to Jesus with disobedience. They could not contain their joy and amazement and astonishment. It could not be stuffed. It just kept bubbling up and flowing forth. Mark says there was astonishment “beyond measure” (v. 37). The amount of astonishment could not be quantified—it defied description and measurement. The crowd summarizes what they observe about Jesus: “He has done all things well” (v. 37). His resume continues to grow. What can’t this person do? What hasn’t he done? He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak (v. 37).

The people are really saying more than they know. The form of “he has done all things well” is closely linked to the Greek text of Genesis 1:31, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” In other words, Jesus is shattering all their categories and expectations. Put what is happening into perspective: God created the world and it was very good. The Bible reminds us that the Son of God created all things.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.—John 1:1­–3

But sin entered into the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Sin and death and decay. There was no deafness and muteness and cancer before the Fall. But now the Creator has stepped onto the stage of the world he created. And he is bringing a new creation. Wherever he goes, he is undoing the effects of the Fall. He does all things well because he is God. And wherever he goes, he is making all things new because he is God. 

Therefore, even though they were “astonished beyond measure” (v. 37), the astonishment of the crowd did not go far enough—it was too limited. It was the astonishment of unbelief, not the awe of faith that confesses the God-ness of Jesus. That is what they are missing. Astonishment says, “This exceeds my wildest expectations.” But that merely raises the question of identity. “Who is this? Why does he exceed expectations? Why does he do all things well? How is it that he can make all things new?” Because the Creator has stepped onto the stage of the world he has made and he is bringing a new creation.

Main Point: That is the point of this story. Jesus is the One promised in Isaiah 35—the God who has come on the stage of a fallen world to heal and save and bring a new creation and a second exodus. When you put all of this (especially the Genesis 1 and Isaiah 35 background) into the picture, here is the point: Jesus does all things well because he is God.

Application Part 1: Come to Jesus

I have two points of application: (1) Come to Jesus, and (2) Become like Jesus.

We really need them to come in that order. You don’t become like Jesus in order to come to Jesus. That is moralism—it is a false gospel. I am pleading with you to come to Jesus. Whatever you are facing, whatever your struggle is, bring it to Jesus. I have tried in a sense to be the unnamed people of verse 32 who brought this man to Jesus: “And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.”

This text shows us who Jesus is. The question is, do you see how much you need him? Whatever you are facing, whatever the struggle is, bring it to him. Will you really sit there in a stuck position with your arms crossed in a posture of pride that refuses to come? Don’t believe the lie of unbelief that says, “He doesn’t know or he doesn’t see me.” This whole story dismantles that lie bit by bit. He knows. He sees. Will you really say, “He doesn’t care; he doesn’t know how I feel”?

Have you not been paying attention? This story takes that lie with two hands and pulls it up from the roots. Jesus sees and before he says anything—he groans, he sighs deeply, he identifies with the suffering and heartache and hardship of this deaf and mute man. Life has been such a constant struggle for him. And Jesus feels it. Do you think he cannot sympathize with your weakness and your temptations? Jesus was tempted in every way as we are and yet without sin. He knows; he feels. And as the God of love, he has come with the power of the new creation.

Let me speak directly to people who have not yet come to Jesus for salvation—those who have not given your lives to Christ. You may be asking yourself, “Are you telling me that if I come to Christ with my need for money or my need for a job or my need for a spouse or a house or a car, he will give it to me? How exactly does this new creation stuff work anyway?”

He did not come to take the physical structures of this fallen world and change them all. He did not come in his first coming to topple the unjust Roman government. He did not empty all the hospitals. He did not banish all sickness and disability. He did not empty all the graveyards and banish death. He did not take the world’s financial wealth (like the wealth of Rome in all of its taxation) and redistribute it.

He came first to address the greatest singular problem in the universe—sin and eternal death that is the wages of sin. Our greatest problem is not what we will face in the next few decades but in the next few millennia. Don’t think only of the next 50 years, but the next 500 billion years. All sickness, disease, and death came into the world because of sin. He did not come to address all the symptoms first, but the root cause: Sin.

That is exactly what the apostle Paul says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This work of new creation is a work of redemption—sin requires judgment and payment.

Mark knows what he is doing when he draws our attention to Isaiah 35 with the healing of the mute man. He knows what he wants us to see. Do we see? The nations will be part of the redeemed—the ransomed of the Lord who respond with joy at coming of God to save.

Isaiah 35 brings us to a theme that Mark highlights again and again and again. Jesus is coming as the deliverer like Moses who will bring a second exodus—he will deliver his people, free them from bondage (the chain of his tongue was broken), and lead them on a journey home.

And a highway shall be there,
     and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it. …

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
     and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
     they shall obtain gladness and joy,
     and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.—Isaiah 35:8, 10

The joy of healing in Mark 7 prepares the way for the ransom announcement of Mark 10:45 …

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

 In the same way, Isaiah 35 gives way to Isaiah 53.

Surely he has borne our griefs
     and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
     smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
     he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
     and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
     we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
     the iniquity of us all.— Isaiah 53:4–6

Behold the love of God in the cross of Christ. His blood is enough to turn the enemies of God deserving eternal wrath and punishment into the everlasting sons and daughters of God dwelling with God forever and entering the joy of seeing God face to face where he wipes away every tear from their eyes. We see the purchase price paid with the precious blood of Jesus in Mark 15. The nations, like even the hated centurion (the ultimate outsider) is brought near by the blood of Christ, because in the death of Christ he finally sees: This One is the Son of God.

Application 2: Become Like Jesus

Disciples don’t just come to Jesus, they become like Jesus. They don’t just receive his mercy and become a lake of mercy, but a river of mercy. And his new creation grace creates disciples who become like Christ. They have his heart for justice and mercy. They cannot remain indifferent and soak in prosperous ease as they see people in need all around them—especially the vulnerable and the oppressed.

We have been speaking of how invisible people from minority culture can feel within majority culture. Think not only of ethnic minorities, but think also for a moment of those who feel like the minority because of a physical disability. Think for a moment about how the church of Jesus should respond to disability in our midst and all around us. The church must have a different response than the world—indeed we need the response of our Savior. The world despises weakness and idolizes physical beauty and strength. Have you ever seen a glamor or beauty magazine that put someone overweight on the cover? You will especially never see anyone ever put a person with a severe physical disability on the cover of anything as a picture of something good and beautiful. The world has decreed that disability is ugly and uncomfortable to see.

I wish I could say that the church has disagreed with that decree. I read one author this week who has a daughter with a severe disability. They took care of her for more than 22 years and experienced both the blessing and the burden of disability. Then they were humbled to discover that she could receive better care among a community of disabled adults. The only question the parents had was whether or not the facility caretakers would be able to take her to the parents’ church every so often. The director’s response was striking. “We would be glad to take her, along with a few of her fellow residents,” then she paused and slowly continued, “if your church will allow us to come back.” What do you mean, “allow you to come back?” She reluctantly said, “Too many churches we visit ask us nicely not to come back.” When we pressed more, she explained that the wheelchairs, personal appearances, occasional noises, or drooling—all things very normal for these disabled adults—made too many people uncomfortable in too many churches” (Michael S. Beates, Disability and the Gospel, pp. 59–60).

Why do disabilities make people even in the church uncomfortable? Because we think we cannot relate. We stare in surprise or shock at how different they are than us. Too many people put the disabled in the “them” category rather than the “us” category. The first priority would be that we actually see them and do not look away in shock or surprise or even worst: disgust or a despising of their weakness.

The world despises the disabled, but the church prizes them. The world thinks disability is a death sentence—they even talk about killing them as if it is merciful. The world thinks that they are a drain on society, not a gift to society. What contribution can they possibly make to society? Survival of the fittest means discard them. Cut your losses. Doctors today put incredible pressure on parents to abort unborn children who have chromosomal abnormalities or Down Syndrome or the like. On the other end of the spectrum, the world is increasingly favoring physician-assisted suicide or mercy killings. If someone becomes elderly and becomes more disabled, they are viewed as less valuable. What can they possibly contribute to society now? They have chronic needs. We don’t need them; we just take care of them. Condescending care. Aren’t they lucky they have us? That is the attitude of the world.

The church looks deeper. The first thing we say is that disabilities are not an accident. God makes disabilities. He is not embarrassed about them at all.

Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?—Exodus 4:11

They are a gift. We don’t despise them as different, we look at them with solidarity. They are a gift because they are a parable. They are not just people who need us to serve them—we need them to serve us. How? Their very presence ministers to us. They give us the gift of sight. They are a physical mirror in which we should see our spiritual reflection. Their disabilities are externally obvious. But we like to hide our spiritual disabilities. We dress them up and cover them up in all kinds of sophisticated ways. But the Bible will not let us sit back with this kind of condescending attitude. Paul paints a picture of self-discovery for all of us:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.—2 Corinthians 12:9

Paul despised his weakness and asked Christ to take it away. But Christ said you don’t know how much you need that weakness. God doesn’t need our strength—he has plenty of that. He needs our weakness as the canvas to display his strength. By calling attention to our weakness (rather than hiding it), we call attention to his strength.

The word that Paul uses for “weakness” is almost always used in Greek classical literature as well as in the NT for illness or more generically as “powerlessness.” Think about it: Paul uses a word to describe himself that was a stock reference to people with physical sickness or bodily weakness. Listen to Mark 6:56 …

And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Jesus made the point about disabilities being a parable very, very plain when he healed the man born blind. It was a parable. Listen to John 9:39–40 …  

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”  Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”

What a question! God was standing there in the flesh right in front of them—and they didn’t recognize him. The worst kind of blind is when you are so blind that you don’t know you are blind. 

Do you see? Do you see who Christ is? Do you see who you are in your neediness? Yes, disabled people need a lot of help a lot of the time. But don’t you see? You need more help, more of the time. Pause to consider what you would be apart from grace. God constantly serves us—we need life and breath (physically) and spiritual strength. Some have a disability, but you have something much worse—you have complete inability to save yourself and do anything of lasting eternal good. In fact, doing anything to earn your salvation is an impossibility.

So rather than stare at people with disabilities like the world does (stare with shock or surprise), let us look at them the way Jesus did: with love and attentiveness and identifying with their weakness and struggle.

Conclusion: The New Creation Grace of the Second Coming

But let us also look at them and ourselves with hope. I especially love to think about the blessed hope of Christ’s second coming and what glory will look like there for those who have suffered much here. The mute will sing. The deaf will hear. The blind will see. The lame will run. The frail will be strong. Jesus came in his first coming and did some of these miracles in order to heighten our longings and show us the signs of what God’s complete reign will look like on a small scale. What will glory look like on a full scale, friends? Is your heart yearning for the glory? Don’t scoff at this mercy—let’s sing of this mercy.

Sermon Discussion Questions

Outline

1. The Need (Mark 7:31–32)
2. The Healing (Mark 7:33–34)
3. The Response (Mark 7:35–37)

Main Point: Jesus does all things well because he is God.

Discussion Questions

• In verse 31, why does Mark make such a strange point about the geographical semi-circle route that Jesus took? In verse 32, why does Mark use such a rare word for the mute man? In other words, does Isaiah have something to say about these things?
• What stands out about the way Jesus interacts with the deaf and mute man immediately prior to his healing?
• In verse 37, what is the significance of the crowd saying, “He has done all things well”? Why are they saying more than they know? What is the full significance of this saying?

Application Questions

• How are you currently living a drama of need? Do you see your need to bring all your needs to Jesus? What would doing that look like today?
• Do you hear the call to become like Jesus as his disciple? If you were to become more like what you see of Jesus in this story, what would that look like? Give some practical steps for the outworking of this obedience.

Prayer Focus
Pray for a grace to bring your need to Jesus and a grace to become like Jesus, who is a fountain of mercy and love.