All Things Well - Mark 7:31-37

How many of you have heard of the concept of a 5-tool baseball player? Traditionally the skill sets needed to be an excellent baseball player are broken down into 5 broad categories called tools. There is the Speed tool, The Fielding ability tool, the arm strength tool, hitting for a high average tool, and hitting for power tool.

The game of baseball requires you to be really good at at least one of those in order to stick at the big league level. You don’t have to have them all, but as you can imagine it would be really difficult to succeed if you only have one tool, unless you are one of the best at that one thing. Every year there are players traded who have just one tool, but they are the absolute best at the one tool and perhaps the team trading for them are deficient in that particular area.

But you excel at multiple tools, you really begin to increase your value exponentially. And if you are a true 5-tool player, you are player that every team covets. When 5-tool players are traded, the return is massive. When 5-tool players sign new contracts, they invariably set records for most dollars or years.

And that just for hitters. Pitchers tend to be evaluated differently on a different set of criteria. Pitch velocity, control, movement, composure in big moments, and fielding their position. Pitcher that have all those tools are again, the envy of the league.

There is currently a player in MLB who is setting records as being both a top-teir batter and a top-teir pitcher. He can’t rightly be called a 5-tool hitter because he is a designated hitter and doesn’t play the field, but he hits for average and hits for power, and steels bases. He is leading all of baseball in home runs hit this year and is on pace to challenge the American League Single Seasons HR record.

But he is also a pitcher and is having a great year as a pitcher. He has hit the most home runs, and as a pitcher he has allowed the few hits. He could probably be rightly called an 8 or 9 tool player.

Everything he does, he does well, and he is set to get the most lucrative contract of any player in the history of the game, and its not even going to be close. If he stays healthy and continues on the trajectory he is on, he very well may go down as the greatest player to ever play the game.

As we have studied this book of mark, we have continually seen the reaction of the crowds to Jesus. They are amazed at all the things that he is doing. They want to hear more from him, they want to see more from him, they follow him around from place to place, and we find Jesus often seeking solitude from the people because they just keep pressing in upon him.

We’ve seen incredible miracles that demonstrate that this is not a mere mortal being. Everything Jesus does brings amazement and statements like this:

Mark 1:22 (ESV)

22 And they were astonished at his teaching

After Jesus cast out the demon

Mark 1:27 (ESV)

27 And they were all amazed

After Jesus forgave the man’s sin and heal his paralysis

Mark 2:12 (ESV)

12 ...they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

After Jesus calmed the sea

Mark 4:41 (ESV)

41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

After Jesus cast out the legion of demons

Mark 5:20 ESV

20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

After Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead:

Mark 5:42 (ESV)

42 ...they were immediately overcome with amazement.

As Jesus was teaching the people responded this way:

Mark 6:2 (ESV)

2 ...many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?

In this context these are negative questions from doubt, but they are are still amazed at Christ.

Later after Jesus walked on the water to the disciples in the boat:

Mark 6:51 (ESV)

51 And they were utterly astounded

Every time Jesus does something incredible, the people respond with amazement, and rightfully so!

His teaching, his love, his power, his healing, his exorcisms....If the Jews were expecting a 5-tool Messiah, they got more than that. He’s the complete package, and that is going to be demonstrated once again in our passage today with will culminate in the words “He has done all things well”

Let’s read the text:

Mark 7:31–37 ESV

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 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. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

This sermon today might be called a doxological sermon.

Sometimes there are sermons where there are practical applications given about how we should respond to the text. I think of Jim’s excellent sermon last week as he used the headings of faith that Jesus honors. The natural application of that is to consider, is my faith characterized by hunger, humility, and hope?

Sometimes we come to a text, however, and the entire purpose of the text is to get us to gaze upon our great God and Savior and marvel at who He is and what he has done for us.

This is one of those texts. I do want us to see how this passage fits into the overall story of the Gospel of Mark, but there is a doxological theme, that is to say, a theme of offering praise to God for who Jesus is and what he has done. And that is going to be the main thrust for us today, Because Jesus does all things well. That’s the major punctuation mark at the end of the this text. He does all things well.

Jesus Does All Things Well

This is the main singular point today. If nothing else, rest in the glory of your savior today knowing that He does all things well.

From this text we will see three specific areas where he does all things well, but of course Jesus is not limited to doing things well to these three areas, we have already done a survey of the responses of the people to various things that Jesus was doing, and so this phrase “He does all things well” really serves as a capstone to the entirety of his ministry. But there are three specific things from this text that I will highlight today.

Jesus does all things well...

...in how He serves the nations

From our text last week we saw Jesus encounter the Syrophoenician woman, who asked Jesus to cast out the demon from her daughter. This was a gentile woman asking Jesus for help.

This was not the first time that Jesus encounters a gentile in our text. In fact, the demoniac with the demon was almost certainly a gentile man himself.

Jesus seems to refuse to help her at first on account of her being a gentile, but in reality he draws out he faith and he provides her what she sought: freedom for her daughter.

In that encounter Jesus noted that he came to Israel as his primary mission. There would come a day when gentiles would be included in the New Covenant blessings, but he is primarily concerned with Israel at this particular moment.

Nevertheless, in response to her hungry, humble, and hopeful faith, Jesus casts out the woman’s daughter.

Jesus provides a foretaste of the blessings that would eventually come to the Gentiles en masse.

In our text today we find another such foretaste.

Verse 31 says that Jesus was returning from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon and was in the region of the Decapolis. This is still Gentile country.

Many have sought to answer why Jesus was spending so much time in these areas. One commentary I read said that because of the geographical terrain, the journey that is described in this text would have taken Jesus several months to traverse on foot. Months among the gentiles, and if we recall back from verse 24, he could not be hidden. Even if he tried to move about inconspicuously, he was known everywhere he went, even in the gentile lands.

Why is he there? It may be because he is avoiding some places within Israel and Judea because of the threat to his life and it is not his time just yet. He has rejected by the religious leaders, and by the people from his own home town. So he goes out where there is less overt opposition.

Ultimately we are left to speculate on the question because the text simply doesn’t say. Whatever the reason, we find him here in the region of the Decapolis. The Decapolis was a league of 10 Greek cities who banded together in an alliance of sorts. The region consisted of the cities and all the land in between the cities. Jesus was likely out in the countryside which was his practice.

But the people bring him a man who is deaf and the ESV says he has a speech impediment. Literally the man spoke with difficulty.

The text says the people were begging for Jesus to lay his hand on the man, likely asking for healing.

There are many intersting things about the way that Jesus does this particular miracle that is different from the other miracles we find in Mark.

he takes the man aside

he puts his fingers in his ears

he spits

he touches his tongue

he looks up to heaven

he sighs

Because this is so different from the other miracles its worth pondering for a moment. What is happening here.

Some have suggested that Jesus was doing some sign language with a man who could not hear. I rather doubt that is the case, as its difficult to imagine why spitting would need to be part of that.

Here’s how I understand these details:

He takes the man aside to minimize the spectacle…Jesus is going to instruct him to tell no one, a theme we have seen repeatedly throughout Mark.

He touched the man ears and tongue in a similar way that he touches others to provide healing—it is to demonstrate his power over that particular ailment and make it clear that this was not happenstance that these issues cleared up, it was Jesus who did. He has power in Himself.

He looks to heaven and sighs. The word for “sighs” is the same word we find in Rom 8 which talks about the Spirit praying on our behalf with groanings which cannot be uttered. That’s the same word here. I believe Jesus mutters a prayer to the Father. This demonstrated that the power that Jesus has is divine power.

And the result of the miracle is that he ears were opened. He was no long deaf! He could hear once again! Not only that, but the ESV says his tongue was released. The original word there is his tongue was unfettered. It was like his tongue was in chains and shackles causing the impediment, and Jesus loosed the chains from his tongue and he could speak plainly again.

This is an incredible miracle!

And it was done for a gentile man.

Jesus, once again, gives us a foretaste of the reality that though his primary ministry at his first coming was to the people of Isreal, His message and ministry would one day spread to the gentiles as well through His followers. And here we are today as the fruit of their faithfulness to proclaim the Gospel. This man’s miracle was a foretaste of the salvation that would come to you, and one day of the healing that will come to all the nations upon His return.

Can you imagine the astonishment. A Gentile man being healed by a Jew. He couldn’t contain himself. He had to let everyone know!

Jesus has healed me! He does all things well, including serving the gentiles as a foretaste of what is to come.

Jesus does all things well in how he serves the nations.

Jesus does all things well

…in how He fulfills prophecy

For someone reading this Gospel who had familiarity with Isaiah there is a particular passage that would have come to mind.

Isaiah 35:1–6 ESV

1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; 2 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. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 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.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

Jesus has been opening eyes, unstopping ears, loosing tongues, and strengthening legs....these messianic activities, not just because they are miraculous, but because they fulfill the prophecies concerning what was to come when the Messiah was on the scene! Jesus is doing it!

You no longer need be anxious, your savior has come!

Now we might wonder here… Jesus has been doing these things his whole ministry. Why would this text from Isaiah be significant at this particular moment?

The reason for that is verse 1-2:

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad.

Lebanon, Carmel, Sharon....they shall see the glory of the Lord.

The region of Tyre, Sidon and the Decapolis is is the region mentioned in this text. Lebanon shall see the glory of the LORD. Even the gentile lands shall gaze upon the glory of the Lord!

Jesus fulfilling messianic prophecies should be encouraging for us on a number of levels.

It means God is a promise keeping God. He promised he would do this and He did. He is trustworthy.

It give us that confident expectation that because the prophecies of Jesus first coming were fulfilled, so too the promises of his second coming will be fulfilled in the future.

It helps us understand how we read prophecy. There was literal fulfillment to Isaiah’s words. Though there are times when poetic language is used, there is a literal meaning to prophecies.

Though the Gospel first goes to Israel, it was always intended to provide light and life to gentile peoples as well.

Sometimes Dispensationalists get accused of believing that the church is God’s plan B. He tried to do things with Israel, that didn’t work out, so he pivoted to Plan B, the church.

We reject that idea. The concept of the Church Paul called mystery, which means it was something that was previously hidden but then revealed. This doesn’t mean it was a plan B. God always had a plan for the nations to partake in the blessings of the Messiah.

Jesus does all things well, including how he fulfills prophecy.

Finally. Jesus does all things well in how he works the works of God.

…in how He works the works of God

Look at verse 37.

He has done all things well.

Something you need to know is that the Greek word for “to do” and “to make” are the same word and context is the difference. Sometimes this can create a play on words.

In the Septuigiant, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Bible that Jesus and the first century believers would have used, the words in Genesis 1 where it says “God saw what he had made and it was good”

these are the same words used of Jesus “he has done all things well”

Furthermore, In Ecclesiastes when Solomon writes about there is a time for this and a time for that, and then he concludes with these words: He make all things beautiful in their time. Same words again!

The gentile audience who uttered the words may not have understood the connection, but Mark certainly would have as he penned the words, and it those who read would have seen the connection as well.

Jesus does the works of God!

There is no getting around it. Everything Jesus does, he does well, and these are the works of none other than almighty God.

This is an awe-inspiring passage.

The Glory of the Lord extending to gentiles. Fulfillment of Messianic prophecy. Working the very works of almighty God.

Jesus does all things well.

Jesus continues to do all things well. He hasn’t stopped.

The question becomes, how do we respond?

In the coming weeks we are going to see Jesus feeding another multiple of people, and yet the doubt of the Pharisees. We are going to see the power of Christ, and yet the lack of faith found in the disciples, whom Jesus ironically calls blind and deaf, right before he gives sight to a literal blind man.

And all of this is in pursuit of Jesus preparing his disciples to receive the truth of his purpose for coming: to die as a sacrifice for sins.

Jesus does all things well.

At base level, this should be a cause for praise within our hearts. Praise the Lord, he does all things well

This should fill us with hope and trust in our great God and savior. The things happening in my life....Jesus does all things well.

Jesus does all things well.

Let’s pray.