Mark 7:31-37

Well Done

Mark 7:31–37 KJV 1900

31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 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.

Intro: The passage opens with Jesus leaving the Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon headed back to Galilee. But, Jesus and His men do not go straight back to Jewish country. Verse 31 tells us that they went to “Decapolis”.

If you look at where they were and where they were headed to, you would see that Jesus and His men took the long way around. In fact, going through Decapolis to get to Galilee is like going through Tampa to get to Jacksonville! Scholars tell us that a journey of this nature might have taken as long as eight months on foot.

If this trip took that long, it would have represented about 20% of the Lord’s total earthly ministry! That is eight months of the Lord’s ministry of which we have no record. What was He doing? We can only speculate, but I would imagine that He was teaching them and training them for the difficult days ahead.

When He and His men return, Jesus finds Himself under increasing attack by the Jews. This will be one of the last opportunities that He will have to be alone with His men before He goes to Calvary to die.

It is also interesting that Jesus goes to Decapolis. If you will remember, the people of that region had asked Jesus to leave their country, .

Jesus had cast a legion of demons out of the Gaderene Demoniac. Those demons had entered into a herd of swine and the pigs had all drowned. The people of Decapolis had rejected Jesus and forced Him to leave.

Now He returns and they receive Him with open arms. Why the change? What made the difference? The answer can be found in .

Now He returns and they receive Him with open arms. Why the change? What made the difference? The answer can be found in . That redeemed demoniac went home and told everyone he met what Jesus had done for him. He was such an effective witness that the people were eager for Jesus to come back to town, and when He did, they embraced Him. What a lesson for those who know the Lord. We should be in the business of magnifying Him!

That redeemed demoniac went home and told everyone he met what Jesus had done for him. He was such an effective witness that the people were eager for Jesus to come back to town, and when He did, they embraced Him. What a lesson for those who know the Lord. We should be in the business of magnifying Him!

By the way, it thrills my heart that Jesus went back! They rejected Him and He would have been justified had He never returned. But, Jesus came back and gave them a second chance! Aren’t you grateful that He didn’t write you off the first time you rejected Him? I praise His name that He keeps on loving; He keeps wooing; He keeps drawing; He keeps calling; until He gets what He’s after! Praise His name!

By the way, it thrills my heart that Jesus went back! They rejected Him and He would have been justified had He never returned. But, Jesus came back and gave them a second chance! Aren’t you grateful that He didn’t write you off the first time you rejected Him? I praise His name that He keeps on loving; He keeps wooing; He keeps drawing; He keeps calling; until He gets what He’s after! Praise His name!

In this passage, Jesus comes to Decapolis and the people bring a deaf man to Jesus for healing. Jesus heals this poor man and the crowds marveled. They saw His power and they were amazed. They said, “He hath done all things well.” I want to take this passage and preach on the thought “Well Done Jesus!” I want you to see that He still has the power to amaze those who come to Him. Let’s watch Him work in this miracle and learn the lessons contained here.

I. v. 32 THE man and His Condition

Mark 7:32 KJV 1900

32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.

Mark 7:32 NASB95

32 They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him.

HIS CONDITION

1. The Bible tells us that this man was “deaf”. The word means “to blunt or to dull”. It may have been that this man lost his hearing as the result of an injury; or he may have been born deaf.

a. ither way, this poor man cannot hear. Not only was he deaf, but he also had a speech impediment. He could talk, but his speech was impaired. These two conditions seem to go hand in hand. Because a deaf person cannot hear themselves saying words, they tend to have trouble using verbal language correctly. I will say more about his condition later.

b. While this man’s condition is tragic, his verse is a blessing. This man, even though he was handicapped, had people around him that cared about him. They heard that Jesus was passing by and they brought their deaf friend to Jesus. They just believed that the man Who had cast a legion of demons out of the demoniac could heal this poor handicapped man!

2. Let me make a few observations about this business of physical handicaps before we move to the next verses

a. First, there was something in the heart of Jesus that drew Him to the handicapped. He loved people who were often cast aside by others. Jesus spent much time ministering to those with physical infirmities because He had a heart full of love and compassion for their needs.

b. I would say that if you want to be like Jesus you should reach out to the handicapped! He loved them and ministered to them and we should do the same.

c. Besides that, handicapped people seem to be drawn to Jesus. And do you know why? It is because He accepts them and loves them just like they are. They are looking for that kind of love and acceptance from a society that rejects them because they are different.

d. Jesus loves them like they are and so should we! There are many handicapped people who would love to hear the Gospel, if someone only cared enough to tell them.

e. Another observation that arises from these verses has to do with Heaven.

f. I am glad to report to you that there will not be a single handicapped individual in glory! There will not be a shriveled body, a feeble mind or a paralyzed frame in that glorious land! Those precious people, who have suffered so much in this world and have trusted Jesus, will be delivered forever from their wheelchairs, their crutches, their beds and their institutions. Their bodies will be made whole and their minds will be renewed! Praise the Lord.

3. A third observation serves to remind us that the physical healings Jesus performed are but illustrations of what He can do in the spiritual realm.

a. You may have a good mind and a healthy body today. You might not be blind, deaf, crippled, paralyzed or mentally challenged today, but if you are lost, you have a far more serious handicap than any physical handicap ever endured by anyone in the history of the world.

b. If you are lost, you cannot hear God. You cannot see what He is doing. You cannot serve Him. You cannot walk for Him. Your spiritual body is crippled and if you die in that condition, you will be lost forever! That is a serious condition to be in today!

c. One of these days the physically and mentally handicapped persons who have trusted Jesus will leave their infirmities behind forever. They will go to Heaven where they will get new bodies and perfect minds.

d. But, if a person dies without Jesus, they will leave this world and drop off into Hell! That is far more serious than any physical handicap a person can endure here!

II. VS 33-35 The master and His cure.

Mark 7:33–35 KJV 1900

33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

Mark 7:33–35 NASB95

33 Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; 34 and looking up to heaven with a deep 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.