All Things Well Mark 7:31-37

-Jesus proves through His ministry that He is God’s Messiah

One day the great Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo happened to overhear a group of people admiring his Pieta, a statue of Christ on His mother's knees after His death on the cross. One man attributed the work to another sculptor, much to the chagrin of Michelangelo, who took particular pride in the Pieta. Returning to the sculpture after dark that evening, Michelangelo carved his name on it so that no similar mistake would occur in the future.

I. Jesus Gathers Lost Sheep vv. 31-32

As we continue our look at Mark’s Gospel, Jesus makes His way back to the Decapolis, a return to Galilee

This is part of a pattern:

He was sent “to the lost sheep of the House of Israel” (Matthew 10:6) with the message of the Kingdom

He focuses His message to those who have been scattered; they are away from the major population center and Jewish homeland of Judea and Jerusalem

Instead, He is committed to these Jews at the outskirts of the culture

This search has a general aspect

He goes from place to place around the region proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom

It feels like He is consistently on the move, because He is; He wants to spread the message to as many people and places as possible.

However, this is not at all costs or in just any way; it is consistent with a particular focus on proclamation rather than healing as we will see later

This search has particular applications

We get an episode here with an individual: a deaf mute who is brought to Jesus because he longs to be healed

He is one of the specific people who gets brought into Jesus’s orbit and whose life is forever changed!

Jesus is seeking lost sheep and He wants to save them!

300 Illustrations for Preachers Bus Driver Leaves Passengers to Rescue Fire Victims

While driving his bus in Buffalo, Richard Lucas noticed smoke coming from the back of a house alongside his route. He stopped his bus, left the passengers, ran to the house, and began banging on the door. The people inside the two-family home, all of whom had apparently been asleep, stumbled out just as the house burst into flames. Lucas was a hero, but he didn’t have time for thanks. His passengers in the bus needed to get to work.

If you knew people were in danger of losing their life, you would be a hero to get them to safety. Shouldn’t we be just as concerned, if not more, for those who are in danger of missing out on eternal life? The bus driver left his passengers to save the lives of others. Jesus said the shepherd left the 99 to find the one that was lost.

II. Jesus Frees the Captive vv. 33-35

Mark gives us a detailed account of how Jesus ministers to this lost sheep. What does it look like?

Private- Jesus does not seek to make a spectacle of the situation; he deals with the man in a private way

Personal- Jesus communicates in a language that the man can understand, using touch to make clear what He is doing

Passionate- Jesus sighs, letting out a groan of compassion for the man who is suffering or of frustration with the unbelief of the people

Prayerful- Jesus directs His attention towards heaven, recognizing that it is the power of God demonstrated through

Powerful- Jesus works to free the man’s tongue and open his ears; it is a picture of freedom for the captive

The physical transformation that takes place here is an incredible illustration of the broader work of Jesus in bringing the Kingdom

Jesus works in practical ways to bring healing, restoration, and recreation to people who are bound by physical maladies

However, the greater work that He is doing is the healing, restoration, and recreation of a people to relationship with Him

We must be careful that we avoid a false dichotomy: this is not an either/or proposition but a both/and

In 1846 former president John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke. Although he returned to Congress the following year, his health was clearly failing. Daniel Webster described his last meeting with Adams: "Someone, a friend of his, came in and made particular inquiry of his health. Adams answered, 'I inhabit a weak, frail, decayed tenement; battered by the winds and broken in upon by the storms, and from all I can learn, the landlord does not intend to repair.'"

III. Jesus Amazes the People vv. 36-37

How does Jesus respond to their situation? In a completely counter-cultural way!

One would expect that anyone with a message to proclaim would use those who had seen or experienced His power to be His most fervent spokespeople

Jesus, however, commands them to be silent. Why?

Both the timing and the nature of the proclamation are wrong.

They will focus people’s attention primarily on the healing ministry rather than the Good News of the Kingdom

When this happens, Jesus’s focus will be diverted from the task of delivering the Good News

How will they respond to this?

They become more zealous: His humble character and insistence on their silence on moves them to a weightier affirmation of the things they have seen and heard

They are filled with amazement and wonder: they are astonished at what has taken place and see that He does all things well

They have a dawning recognition: He is the Christ, the one who opens the ears of the deaf

They are clearly amazed, but will they believe?

They are prepared for a conqueror, but how will they respond to a suffering servant?

Will they believe when faith must replace sight? What about when their notions are upended? Will they ever do more than wonder?

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Prayer, Belief And

The story is told of a time when a great Scotch preacher prayed in the morning service for rain. As he went to church in the afternoon his daughter, said, “Here is the umbrella, Papa.”

“What do we need it for?” he asked.

“You prayed for rain this morning. Don’t you expect God to send it?” his daughter replied.

They carried the umbrella, and while they came home they were glad to take shelter under it from the drenching storm. Such should be our faith when we pray, just like that little child’s—with no doubt, and expecting an answer.1021