Dumb, Deaf…Recreated

Opening Prayer (Confession & Petition)

Read Mark 7:31-37

Mark 7:31–37 LSB

31 And again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they pleaded with Him to lay His hand on him. 33 And Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue; 34 and looking up to heaven with a 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 was ordering 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 the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

In the biblical narrative of Mark 7:31-37, we witness an emblematic moment that echoes through time. When Jesus healed the deaf man, He was not only restoring physical abilities but also symbolically opening the floodgates to the Gospel for the world. The chain of events in chapter seven signifies the great fulfillment of the Redemptive story we read in the pages of the Bible. The Spirit’s plea to us: Just as Jesus 'sighed' as He healed, He invites us to share in His compassionate heart. We are called to proclaim to the world around us that the one who walked through the highways and byways of Decapolis is the only one with the power to recreate lives today.

The elephant in the room: What kind of man can do what Jesus does? What does that mean for me and for us as a local church?

I. The Gentiles, by faith, plead with Jesus. (v. 31-32)

You will remember a few key details about Decapolis.

First, the region is ruled by the would-be king, Antipas (who beheaded John the Baptist). We read this in Mark 6:14-32.

Second, this region lies within the former territories of Israel and is now a deep enclave of pagan worship and spiritual darkness (especially because of the compromises the Jews made while living there).

Hear the indictment God lays on the people of Israel in Isaiah 29:14 “14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be hidden.”

Third, you will recall that when Jesus first entered the region, he encountered the demoniac who lived among the tombs and healed him. We read this in Mark 5:1-20.

Jesus finds himself in the region of the ten independent Greek settlements, and he finds a people who, without stopping or hesitating, ask for the well-being of a deaf and dumb man.

The undercurrent of this encounter with Jesus is the faith people have in him, as Gentiles come before him to beg for his healing power and help for this man, who is quite literally bound by the consequences of original sin, rebellion against God.

What kind of man can have this much authority and capability to command such a broad range of forces in the universe?

II. Jesus does more than spectacle; its recreation. (v. 33-36)

God’s compassion for sinners is unlike any other. No other idol can show such love as we see it in the text.

Notice that Jesus took the man aside to heal him. Not a showboat moment for the Lord of Lords, but a moment for the man to be comforted by the Living God in the flesh.

Notice again how Jesus engages him through physical touch. Mark conveys the nearness of the Lord by using physical language to communicate his love and involvement with his creation—including you and me.

In verse 34, we read an Aramaic word, which sparks some discussion, since this is the language of the Jewish people in the region of Judea and Jesus is dealing with a Gentile. Here we see Jesus praying in humility before the Father and bringing the one being healed alongside him into God’s presence.

Hear the words to the Romans, Romans 8:23–26 “23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we eagerly wait for it. 26 And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;”

The text then remarks that healing did not wait or delay, but immediately demonstrated the power of the one who showed compassion toward the man who was a captive of humanity’s sin.

The idea of being captive to the man is implied in the phrase Ephphratha, which could also be read as “Be released” or “Be loosed.”

This idea is deeply connected to Genesis 3, as we see the consequences of Adam’s sin in humanity—especially the physical aspects of our shared existence.

Hear the words of the Psalmist, Psalm 107:13–15 “13 Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death And broke their bands apart. 15 Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness, And for His wondrous deeds to the sons of men!”

However, good and transformational as Jesus’ ministry was for the man, he commanded the people to remain silent about this redeeming work. Jesus commands the Gentiles to remain silent, yet the Messianic secret bursts out for all to see.

Jesus is not coming to be a political insurrectionist but to accomplish the work of eternal salvation for all who trust in Him alone.

hear the words of Isaiah 35.

What kind of man can do more than ease our physical pains and recreate us from the inside out?

III. Jesus more than heals, he reconciles. (v. 37)

The text highlights the “way out of our minds” attitude the audience displays toward this miracle. This stands in stark contrast to the reception Jesus has received from the Jewish religious leaders, as well as from his hometown and family.

The Gentiles seem more eager to receive the gift of God’s deliverance. This attitude is evident in the way the Gentile woman begged for her daughter; how the crowd pleaded for the deaf and dumb man, now restored before them; and the Gerasene man, whom Jesus delivered from Legion.

The people’s exclamation also echoes God’s words in the moments after creating the entire universe and finishing it off with the creation of Adam and Eve. Here we see a different angle on the redeeming work of Jesus Christ among us—He comes to redeem creation, and in recreating us, He reconciles us to the Father’s holy embrace.

Hear the words of Genesis 1:31 “31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Who has the power and authority among men to end the enmity between sinners and Almighty God?

Who can do this? Why does it matter?

Mark, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is leading the readers and hearers of the Gospel account to a glorious moment in Salvation History—a declaration that only those led by the Holy Spirit can express in truth.

The way we understand and confess Jesus Christ will shape our eternity. No other defining point will be as critical as answering the question, "Who is Jesus of Nazareth?"

Is Jesus of Nazareth just a figure in history? Then get to know Him as God in the Flesh, the Savior and King of the World.

Is Jesus just a “good” anything? Get to know God’s holiness and powerful presence among men.

Is he already your Lord and Savior? Then get to know him intimately as the one and only one able and qualified to make you a new creation and to bring you back into YHWH’s holy presence and love.

Closing Prayer (Thanksgiving and Adoration)