******MARK 7:31-37 FROM A MESS TO A MIRACLE

Mark 7:31–37 (NRSV)

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

We come to the next miracle of the Lord Jesus and we learn today that Jesus encounters a man who could neither hear nor speak.

Mark is the only writer who records this specific miracle. We learn from Matthew’s account that many others were brought to Jesus with various illnesses and He healed them.

Matthew 15:29–31 says, “Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. 31So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.”

The Lord Jesus did an extensive work of ministry at this place. Today we will look intently at one case as Mark records the healing of the deaf and mute man.

Mark declared the condition of the man, the cure by the Master, and the celebration by the multitudes. The Lord’s mercy and might is shown to those in need. I want to challenge the people to believe on the Lord Jesus, bring people to the Lord Jesus, and rely on the Lord Jesus. Do we rely on the Lord Jesus? Do you trust in His grace, mercy, power and might? No one is too far gone that the Lord cannot save, forgive, heal, restore, and make whole. This passage shows us some specifics about the Lord’s healing of this deaf and mute man.

I. The ministry of the Master. (vs. 31)

“Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.”

Mark reports about the travel of the Lord Jesus as He left one place of ministry and went around the north east part of the Sea of Galilee. The Bible says He came through the midst of Decapolis. Decapolis was the place of Ten cities. Decapolis was a district of Syria and was the Ten city region. As I have tried to instill in you through this series I say again that the Master was about ministry.

→ The Lord was always serving, encouraging, teaching, preaching, working, and ministering.

The Lord traveled through the midst of Decapolis on purpose. Thank God He is always ministering. He came to where the needy were and did what only He could do. As we study the word of God and read through the gospels we learn about the heart of God through the service and ministry of the Lord Jesus. We notice the ministry of the Master, next, we see:

II. The mess of the man. (vs. 32)

A. Their care was evident. (vs. 32)

1. They brought him. (32a)

“Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.”

We learn that some of the crowd brought a helpless man to the Holy Master. The peoples care for the man was evident as they sought out the Lord to bring the deaf and mute man to Jesus. This teaches me that we ought to care about the needy around us and seek to bring them to Jesus.

→ If we do not care about the lost, hurting, helpless around us who will?

We can and should have confidence in the Lord Jesus to bring others to Him. Many of us have confidence in a doctor and will proudly and boldly recommend someone to our doctor, but we rarely if ever brag on Jesus and bring people to Jesus. God help us to learn from these folks to care enough to bring others to Jesus. They had compassion on the man because of his problems. Without compassion for those in need we will never bring others to Jesus. We learn that they brought him. We also learn:

2. They begged Him. (vs. 32b)

“Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.”

Their care was evident as they brought the man and they begged the Master. They cared about the condition of this man. They had wisdom enough to bring the man and they had wisdom enough to beseech the Master. We are not only to bring other to Jesus, but we are to petition the Lord on their behalf. We are to talk to God for them and ask the Lord to meet their need.

Begged: (KJV: Beseech) parakaleo, par-ak-al-eh’-o; to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation):—beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), entreat, pray.

God help us to begin to bring people to the Master and to have enough concern for others to beseech the Lord on their behalf. We are to earnestly pray for those in need. The people requested that Jesus would lay His hand on the man. This was a way of asking the Lord to heal the man. They requested that the Lord do only what the Lord could do. The man was in a mess but he had friends that cared about him. We learn that their care was evident, we also learn:

B. His condition was extensive. (vs. 32c)

“Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.”

This man was in a mess. He could not hear at all and he could not speak plainly. We learn that this man’s condition was extensive. The Bible says that he was deaf and he had a speech problem. This man had major problems. This man could not hear:

• the sounds of the birds singing,

• the music playing,

• or his neighbors speaking,

• children playing,

• a choir singing,

• the preacher preaching, He was deaf!

His ears could not receive the sounds or process the sounds. He was closed off to the world of sound. He missed out on so much because he was deaf. Today there is so much helps for deaf people. There is sign language to help those who cannot hear the words spoken. This was not available in the 1st century.

It is difficult today to communicate with those who are deaf, but it was all the more difficult in the first century. It’s hard to get things done when others can’t hear you.

I remember years ago working for Mr. Casey plumbing mobile homes. Mr. Casey worked hard and did much for an elderly man. He was hard of hearing and it made it difficult to communicate while plumbing the homes. I would be under the trailer and I could hear him call to me, “Jack, can you hear me son? Talk to me son!” I could hear him and I was trying to talk to him, but he couldn’t hear me. There were many times I had to climb out from underneath the trailer and let him know where I was and to let him know what was going on. We had a hard time communicating because he couldn’t hear me from underneath.

It can and is frustrating to communicate with deaf people and it is frustrating for deaf people to communicate with us. This man couldn’t hear anything and he had a tough time in life. This man not only couldn’t hear, but he couldn’t speak clearly. He had a speech impediment. Impediment: mogilalos, mog-il-al’-os; hardly talking, i.e. dumb (tongue-tied) having an impediment in his speech. This word does not mean that the man could not make any sounds, but he couldn’t make any sensible sounds. This man’s condition was extensive. His condition is a perfect picture of the spiritual condition of those in the world that do not know Jesus. People today are spiritually deaf to the word of God and are spiritually dumb. They are dead, deaf, and dumb in their sins and they desperately need someone to bring them to the Lord Jesus.

Herbert Lockyer gave some great insight, he said, “What a picture is here presented of the sinner’s moral and spiritual condition as the fruit of the Fall! God lost man’s ear in the garden, and since that fatal day he will listen to anyone else rather than God. The tongue of the unsaved person is as estranged from God as his ear. Even the most cultured and educated sinner betrays an impediment in his speech as soon as spiritual truths are introduced.”

This man was in a mess and his physical condition was the result of the spiritual fall. FACTS: People get sick, blind, deaf, mute, lame, hurt all because of sin. These are the results of the fall of mankind into sin.

I am reminded every day of the results of man’s fall into sin. Elijah is deaf, not because God messed up in making him, but because we messed up as humans we have rebelled against God and sinned and because of sin came sickness and death. I have a son that is deaf and has a speech impediment. This miracle is close to my heart—because Elijah is in a mess and only Jesus can heal him. Man has invited implants, devices, and gadgets to help improve or infuse hearing into individuals, but the best that man can do is never good enough. Elijah will need a touch from the Master!

• The curse of the fall is evident around us every day.

• That is why we should hate sin and yet so many of us love it, practice it, and will fight you to have the right to sin.

Mankind is in a mess because of sin. We’ve noticed the ministry of the Master, the mess of the man, next we notice:

III. The method of His mercy. (vs. 33–34)

A. He took the man. (vs. 33a)

“And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.”

Mark tells us of the method of the Lord’s mercy. The Lord Jesus was not ever tied to doing ministry in one way. He used various methods of healing, restoring, helping, and raising.

J. C. Ryle wrote, “Christ was not tied to the use of any one means in doing His works among men. Sometimes He thought fit to work in one way, sometimes in another … We see the same thing going on still in the Church of Christ. We see continual proof that the Lord is not tied to the use of any one means exclusively in conveying grace to the soul. Sometimes He is pleased to work by the word preached publicly, sometimes by the word read privately. Sometimes He awakens people by sickness and affliction, sometimes by the rebukes or counsel of friends.”

We notice that when the people brought the man to Jesus that He took him aside. The Lord had a purpose for all that He did so He came aside with the man to minister one on one to the man. The Lord never did miracles for a show.

A. B Simpson said, “Christ never performed miracles as spectacles for the gaping crowd, nor does He do it yet. The men that want to parade divine healing as a spectacular attraction belong to another world than that of the lowly Nazarene.”

Thank God when we bring others to Jesus that He can minister one on one with the individual. In the midst of the multitude the Master showed His mercy. He took the man aside! Aside: (kata) the word speaks of privacy. The Lord took the man aside for a purpose. Has the Lord ever taken you aside? He took the man, next we learn:

B. He touched the man. (vs. 33b)

“And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.”

Mark reveals the method of the Master’s mercy. He took the man aside and then He touched the man. It is never vain to bring someone to Jesus. The Lord will minister to those we bring to Him.

The Lord’s methods of healing vary greatly. At times He healed from a distance and at times He healed up close. At times He spoke a word and at times He touched the person.

Here we learn that the Lord put His fingers in the man’s ears and He spat and touched the man’s tongue. Put: (ballo) this is a strong word that literally means ‘to thrust.’ He jammed His fingers in the man’s ears and then He spit and touched the man’s tongue. The man couldn’t hear Jesus explain what He was going to do, but from the Lord’s actions the man would have concluded that the Lord was going to heal him. No one knows how the Lord does it or how the Lord will do it, but we must understand that when we bring the needy to Jesus He will touch them. Those that are spiritually deaf and dumb need to be brought to the Savior. The Lord received the man just as He was!

• The man didn’t have to clean himself up,

• go through various testing by other doctors,

• or work to earn the Lord’s touch.

He had friends that cared about him that brought him to Jesus and the Lord took the man and the Lord touched the man. We also learn here that:

C. He talked to the man. (vs. 34)

“Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

The first words the man heard was the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are looking at the method of the Lord’s mercy. We’ve noticed that He took the man aside, He touched the man’s ears and tongue, and now He talks to the man. Before He talks to the man the Lord does something very interesting. While His fingers are in the man’s ears, He has the man’s full attention, He looks up to heaven.

• The Lord looked up to heaven,

• He was in constant communication with the Father,

• and He taught the deaf man a lesson of where the power and healing came from.

The man would have seen the Lord look up and immediately his mind would have thought about God. The Lord Jesus did the Father’s will and because He was about the Father’s business He was sensitive of the needs of those around Him.

Jerry Vines said, “The closer we get to God the more aware we are of the needs of people. The secret of compassion is communion with God.”

After the Lord looked up to heaven the Bible says that He sighed. The man would not have been able to hear the sigh, but Mark did.

→ Someone well said that, “Mark was not only an eyewitness, but also an ear witness.”

The Holy Spirit led Mark to put this sigh in there for a reason. This sigh speaks volumes! Sighed: stenazo, sten-ad’-zo; to make (be) in straits, i.e. (by implication) to sigh, murmur, pray inaudibly, with grief, groan, grudge, sigh.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “The ‘sigh’ was an inward groan, our Lord’s compassionate response to the pain and sorrow sin has brought into the world.”

The Lord is full of mercy and compassion. Are we compassionate about the hurt, the pain, the suffering, and the sin sick souls around us? When we get full of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus we can sigh at the condition of others. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”

I have a friend that is hurting—his marriage is crumbling, he’s under severe attacks from Satan, and my heart breaks for him. My pastor friend is ready to step down out of ministry, he’s in counseling with his wife, but there is no change—his wife is unresponsive and unrepentant. Our hearts ought to break for the needy around us. We ought to show the love and compassion of the Lord to the lost and helpless. We need to learn from the Lord’s method of mercy.

A little boy came home from school one day looking down. His mother said, “Was everything alright at school today?” The little boy said, “Billy told us that his daddy died. They buried him yesterday. Billy was crying—he was so sad about his dad dying.” The mother said, “Son, what did you do?” He said, “Mama, I put my head down on my desk and cried with him.”

The Lord not only sighed at the man’s condition, but He did something about the man’s condition. The Bible says,

“Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” The Lord spoke to the deaf man! Amen! He can do that because He is Lord.

→ When the Lord speaks the deaf hear and the dumb speak!

The Lord used an Aramaic word which Mark tells us means to be opened. This tells us that the man’s ears had been shut up and his tongue had been bound up! No problem is too great for our Lord and no case is too extensive for this Doctor! When the Lord talked the man listened!

James Smith said, “He spake, and it was done. His word shall not return void. His word was with power.”

He said “Be opened.” To the spiritually deaf and dumb He is calling to you today and saying, “Be open!” If you are lost today—the Lord is here—He calls for you to turn to Him from your sins and trust in Him! Hear the word of the Lord! We’ve noticed the ministry of the Master, the mess of the man, the method of His mercy, and next we see:

IV. The marks of the miracle. (vs. 35)

“Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.”

This man didn’t have to wait around he was immediately healed. He heard the words of the Lord Jesus and rejoiced as he gave evidence that he had been touched by the Lord. By the way, when we are touched by the Lord we will give evidence in the world that He saved us, changed us, forgiven us, cleansed us, and given us eternal life. This man’s ears were immediately opened up! The speed of the healing showed the power of the Healer!

With our modern day computers it seems that when you buy a computer before too long it is old, obsolete, and out of date. They are constantly updating, improving, making new and better models. With computers the more power that they have the faster they are. The trouble is that some company is always coming out with more powerful models, with more gadgets, and with more speed. Thank the Lord that when we bring the needy to Jesus they can go nowhere else or to no one else with more power of speed. His power is seen in His speed.

The Bible teaches us that the man’s ears were opened up and his words were let out. The man heard clearly and spoke plainly. Impediment: (KJV: string) (desmon) the word means a band or bond. This tells us that his tongue was bound up. When Jesus spoke the man was healed. The man’s tongue was unshackled and his imprisoned tongue was set free.

Mark tells us that he spoke plainly. The man spoke rightly. He could hear and he could speak. He could communicate. The Lord had performed the miracle and the man gave evidence of the miracle. There were some marks in the man’s life that he had been touched by the Master. Isaiah tells us that the Messiah would be able to do these things for those in need.

Isaiah 35:6 says, “Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.”

The man’s ears were able to hear and the man’s tongue was able to speak, shout, and sing. We’ve notice the ministry of the Master, the mess of the man, the method of His mercy, the marks of the miracle, and lastly we see:

V. The mandate to the multitudes. (vs. 36–37)

A. The command about the miracle. (vs. 36a)

“Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.”

After the miracle the Master gave a mandate to the multitudes. He commanded them not to tell anyone about the miracle. Commanded: (KJV: Charged) diastellomai, dee-as-tel’-lom-ahee; the word means “to command or straightly charge.”

Kenneth Wuest wrote, “It is in the middle voice, showing the charge was given with the personal interest of Jesus in view. It was for His sake and the future welfare of His ministry, that the command was given.”

I believe the Lord did this because He didn’t want the added pressure from the people to try to crown Him King and try to detour Him from the mission the Father had Him on. His mandate from the Father was Calvary and the suffering, bleeding, and dying for the sins of the whole world. His mandate to the people was to keep to themselves what they had seen and heard. This command was for His benefit! We noticed the command about the miracle, next we see:

B. The communication of the miracle. (vs. 36b–37)

1. The way they communicated. (vs. 36b)

“Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.”

I want you to notice the persistent way the multitude made known the miracle. They did exactly the opposite of what the Lord Jesus told them to do. The more He commanded and charged them the more they went and did the opposite.

The Bible says that they proclaimed it more widely. They spread the news everywhere they went. This was the main topic of discussion with the multitude. They couldn’t keep quiet about it. They disobeyed the Lord’s command and they did it in a big way. May be preachers should use some reverse psychology on the people today and tell them keep quiet about the gospel. “Don’t tell anyone at any time that Jesus loves them and died for them and rose again to save their lost souls from hell.” Maybe that would get folks sharing the gospel. Mankind always seems to do what they are not supposed to do.

John G. Butler said, “This doing the opposite of what Christ said to do is typical of human nature. Tell folk they should do something, and they will not do it. But tell them they must not do something, and that is exactly what they will do.”

Whatever reason the Lord had in commanding the people, they should have listened to Him. When we disobey the commands of the Lord it is sin. We notice the way they communicated: They were disobedient and determined in their communication of the miracle. Next, we see:

2. Why they communicated. (vs. 37a)

“And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

What compelled the multitude to disobey the mandate from the Master? The Bible says they were astonished beyond measure. They were overwhelmed at the work of the Lord. Astonished: ekplesso, ek-place’-so; to strike with astonishment-amaze, astonish. They were struck with astonishment beyond measure.

Beyond Measure: huperperissos, hoop-er-per-is-soce’; superabundantly, i.e. exceedingly-beyond measure.

Their astonishment could not be gauged, weighed out, measure out, or described. Mark says that the people were greatly astonished by the work of the Lord Jesus. The multitude believed the Lord could do the work that’s why they brought the man, but when the Lord actually did the work it caught them off guard and it astonished and amazed them. They saw the work in person! They couldn’t keep quiet about the mighty work and mercy of the Lord Jesus. We’ve notice the way they communicated, why they communicated, and lastly we see:

3. What they communicated. (37b)

“And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

They proclaimed what the Lord did and how the Lord did it. He has indeed done all things well!

Done: This verb is in the perfect tense in the Greek language which shows the settled convictions of the people.

They believed it and were convinced of it! Have we told others what the Lord Jesus has done for us? All that the Lord does He does well! His work is the greatest work and it cannot be outdone or matched by anyone at any time. We ought to praise Him for His good work! They communicated widely that the Lord made the deaf hear and the mute speak! Everywhere he went and anyone who spoke the man could hear and speak. “Can you hear me now?” The man would have said, “Loud and clear!” As His disciples we are to be bringing others to Jesus. We are to be telling others that He does all things well. We are to learn from the multitudes and from the Master as we seek to minister to the needy.

R. Kent Hughes said, “This is what we need if we are to reach our pagan, secular world for Christ: an upward look of prayer, a heartfelt sigh of compassion, a loving touch upon the hurting, and a bold pronouncement of the Good News. Then healing will come to our homes, our neighborhoods, our churches, and our world!

May God help us today to begin to believe the Lord Jesus, to bring others to the Lord Jesus, and to boldly proclaim what the Lord Jesus has done!

Doing all Things Well Mark 7: 31-37

In our text today we find Jesus on a journey, making His way from the Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon to the Sea of Galilee. He had taken a route that brought Him through the region of Decapolis on the east side of Galilee. This is the same region where Jesus healed the maniac who dwelt among the tombs. As we follow His steps that day, we no longer find a people who don’t want Him among them, but rather those who are thankful He has returned. Aren’t you glad Jesus came by your way more than once? As He made His way through Decapolis, the people began to gather around Him. I can imagine the noise that must’ve filled the air. He’s back! The One who touched the maniac is back! Bring those who need a touch unto Him! It is in this setting that our text unfolds. Jesus touches a man who is deaf and unable to speak. Today would be much different than the previous visit. On this day rather than desiring Jesus to leave, the people make a profound statement: He hath done all things well! Many don’t believe, but those who have experienced His touch declare that Jesus has done all things well. Let’s look at the details of this miraculous encounter as we consider: Doing all Things Well.

I. The Turmoil of the Man (32) – This one verse reveals much about the man who came to Jesus that day. There is a picture of all of us in this man.

A. A Life of Dependence (32a) – And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech. We find those who knew the man brought him to Jesus. He may have been able to see the commotion, but he had no idea what was going on. This man was in a position where he depended on others for his needs.

 That is the way that each of us were. I had spent time in church, watching others worship, but I had no idea what I needed. I was blind to the things of God and could not understand what I needed in life.

 There are those around us today, who do not fully understand what they need. They may know something is missing, but they are unable to find it for themselves. There are lost people, maybe even some of our children, who are depending on others to point them to Jesus. We all know someone who’s lacking, but can’t seem to get there themselves. What will you do to get them to Jesus? He alone is what they need! Somebody needs to point them to the Savior so they too can be saved.

B. A Life of Despair (32a) – This man was deaf; he could not hear. He also had a speech impediment; he was unable to speak. Can you imagine the despair he felt? He was unable to hear what was going on around him. He found it difficult to communicate. No doubt his life was filled with days of loneliness and despair. I’m sure he longed to be able to hear and communicate. He longed to live life without the burden of his condition.

 I remember when I had that same longing in my heart. I saw others whose lives were filled with joy. They had been born again and were able to communicate with the Lord. As I looked at the life they lived, I longed to have that in my life as well. I longed for the day to be released from the burden of sin. I longed for the day that joy would fill my heart.

 There are those today, maybe in this place right now, which are living a life of despair. They long to be freed from the burden of sin. They long for the day that peace will come into their hearts and be able to hear from God and talk with Him. The grip of sin weighs heavy upon the soul. A life lived apart from the Lord is always a life of despair. C. A Life of Distinction (32b) – and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. Those who knew the man brought him to Jesus, hoping the Lord would touch him. He may have lived a life of despair, unable to communicate, but he was loved of those who knew him. This man may have lived with a disability, but he was blessed because he was loved.

 They beseeched the Lord to touch him. This has the idea of “calling to one’s side, a summons for help, to beg or entreat.” They knew Jesus could touch and heal. He had already healed the demonic among the tombs. If Jesus could do that, He could help this poor man.

 Let me encourage you to remain committed to those whom you are concerned about. Cry out unto the Lord on their behalf; call Him unto your side. Jesus brought healing and salvation to us; He is still able today! Never give up; keep pressing on and laboring in prayer. If you love them, lift them up to God. I rejoice that I was loved enough that someone prayed for me!

II. The Touch of the Master (33-35) – These verses reveal a scene that is so familiar in the Gospels. They reveal a loving Savior who is concerned about the needs of people.

Let’s take a moment to consider Jesus’ touch. A. A Personal Touch (33a) – And he took him aside from the multitude. The deaf man was the one who needed a touch. He was the one Jesus focused on. Jesus wanted to do a personal work in the life of this man. Jesus wanted him to know that He was concerned about his personal need. He could’ve simply touched the man among the multitude, but Jesus wanted to deal with him personally.

 Jesus still works that way today. His touch is always a personal touch. He will deal with you about the particular need in your life. We don’t serve a generic Lord who has a one size fits all touch. Jesus knows the condition of your heart and He desires to work with you in a personal way. He is never short on grace, healing, encouragement, or salvation.

 I praise God that I have a personal Savior, One who cares about my individual needs. I don’t have to rely on someone else’s blessing; I can get the help I need for my life. You can too! Jesus desires to meet you where you are, bring you out from the crowd, and meet your need.

B. A Pointed Touch (33b) – And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; Jesus immediately dealt with the needs of the man. He didn’t need his eyes to be opened, his legs to be made strong or healing from leprosy. This man was deaf and unable to speak. Jesus touched his ears and his tongue.

 Jesus will always deal in specific ways. He knows every need of your heart. If you are lost in sin, Jesus will touch your heart concerning salvation. If you are troubled, He will bring peace. If you are wayward and wandering, He will bring conviction to return unto the fold.

 There is no need to feel as if Jesus has made some sort of mistake. He knows where you are and exactly what you need. If the Holy Spirit is dealing with you in regard to salvation, you are still lost. If there is conviction on the part of a believer, the Lord is dealing with you about an area in your life that needs attention. Why not come to Him and receive what He has for you?

C. A Persuasive Touch (34a) – And looking up to heaven, he sighed. This reveals an intimate moment between this man and the Lord. Keep in mind the man was deaf. He couldn’t hear Jesus speak to Him. The Lord was communicating to the man in a way that he could understand. As Jesus looked up into heaven, the man realized it was from the Father above that his healing would come. He may not have heard a word, but he knew that the Lord was working in his life.

 As Jesus touched the man He sighed. This has the idea of “groaning.” The man couldn’t hear the sigh, but he could see that Jesus was deeply concerned about his condition. The sigh revealed Jesus loved him and wanted him to be made whole. The man didn’t hear Jesus speak a word, but he knew that the Lord loved him and wanted to meet his need.

 That is the way He touched me. I never heard anything in an audible voice, but I understood that Jesus loved me. I didn’t have to hear with my ears; I heard with my heart! Jesus reveals Himself in such a way that we know He loves us and wants us to come unto Him. Jesus wants us to bring our every need to Him so that He might work in our lives and bring healing. You will never have to question who has touched you. The Lord will reveal Himself in a persuasive way. You will know that you have been in His presence.

D. A Powerful Touch (34b-35) – Jesus simply said, Eph’pha-tha, or “Be Opened” and the man was healed. This wasn’t something that took days or weeks to happen, straightway his ears were opened and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

 The touch of Jesus is powerful. He has the power to calm the sea, touch blinded eyes, heal lepers and the deaf, cast out demons, and raise the dead. Jesus has the power to transform a life of sin and reconcile us unto God. You will never have a need that is beyond His ability to meet. I was immediately changed from a sinner bound for hell, to a new creation, pardoned of sin and given eternal life! If you tried the rest, why not bring your need to Jesus and be set free?

III. The Testimony of the Multitude (36-37) – As Jesus healed the man, the multitude couldn’t keep quiet. They had to tell of all that they had seen and heard. Notice, their testimony included:

A. Words of Wonder (36-37a) – The multitude was astonished at the work of Jesus. They had never seen such power. They were unable to keep it to themselves. Jesus had worked a miracle in the life of a loved one and they wanted everyone to know.

 I have never seen anything as wonderful as the Lord working in the lives of people. I can’t explain all that He does, but He is wonderful! I have seen Him take a life that was bound by sin and cleanse them in His precious blood, completely transforming that life.

 Surely Jesus has worked miracles in each of our lives. We ought to tell the world what Jesus has done for us. The multitude was charged to be silent and yet they proclaimed His works. We are commanded to tell the world of Him and we keep quiet! If He ever really gets a hold of you, you won’t be able to keep quiet.

Let the world know!

B. Words of Worship (37) – And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. The people couldn’t help but praise the Lord for what He had done. Their loved one had been touched by His mighty hand. They declared truth as they said, “He hath done all things well.” These had heard of the great things Jesus had done, but now His power and provision had come to their house. They had experienced His mighty works firsthand. This brought rejoicing to their hearts.

 As I ponder the works of Jesus in my own life, I have to say that Jesus has done all things well. He has blessed me beyond measure. I have been saved by His grace and adopted into the family of God. He has blessed me with fellow believers to walk this road of life with. He is always there to guide my steps. I have never been disappointed in my Lord. I have never regretted the day that I was saved.

Conclusion: If you are saved today, you were much like this man when the Lord came to you. Can you remember the joy of that day when Jesus touched you? If you are lost, Jesus wants to touch you just as He did this man. Maybe you are here today concerned about the condition of a loved one. Whatever the need is, Jesus stands ready to touch you today. If you need salvation, encouragement, forgiveness, or need to make a petition, why not come?