Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

Five times it is recorded for us in scripture Jesus doing some sort of miraculous work then telling the recipients or the witnesses of the miracle to tell no one about it. Why would Jesus make such an odd request. Didn’t Jesus come to prove He was the Messiah? Doesn’t he want everyone to believe He is God in the flesh? Today, we are going to look at a series of events that will help us to understand better this odd request. From this passage we see the backdrop of the request.

Mark 7:31–8:21 CSB

31 Again, leaving the region of Tyre, he went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking and begged Jesus to lay his hand on him. 33 So he took him away from the crowd in private. After putting his fingers in the man’s ears and spitting, he touched his tongue. 34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”). 35 Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. 36 He ordered them to tell no one, but the more he ordered them, the more they proclaimed it. 37 They were extremely astonished and said, “He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” 1 In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He called the disciples and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance.” 4 His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feed these people?” 5 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked them. “Seven,” they said. 6 He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So they served them to the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well. 8 They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. 9 About four thousand were there. He dismissed them. 10 And he immediately got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, demanding of him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 Sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side. 14 The disciples had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then he gave them strict orders: “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread. 17 Aware of this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts? 18 Do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?” “Twelve,” they told him. 20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you collect?” “Seven,” they said. 21 And he said to them, “Don’t you understand yet?”

The Strange Request

So Jesus heals a deaf and partially mute individual and of course the witnesses of such actions are deeply amazed. Then we come to this strange request found in verse 36.

Mark 7:36 CSB

36 He ordered them to tell no one, but the more he ordered them, the more they proclaimed it.

Now, for those of us who think about outreach and evangelism this request is confusing. If Jesus wanted people to believe and be saved, why wouldn’t he tell them to go and tell everyone what he had done. Now as I mentioned earlier the scripture mentions that Jesus made this request several times. To be honest, I have never really taken the time to teach on this subject because its not your typical sermon material. It’s more informative than it is applicable to our situation. However, If it is recorded for us in scripture and mentioned multiple times than it must be something that is important for us to know.

3 Possible reasons for the Request

1. Jesus was showing humility

2. Jesus was waiting for the father’s timing to reveal himself

3. Jesus didn’t come to prove Himself

#1 - Jesus was showing humility

Matthew 6:1–4 CSB

1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

If we are being truly honest, how often to we want people to know about the good deeds we do. We may not take a picture of our good deed and put in on social media(or maybe we do), but deep down inside we really wouldn’t mind if it just happend to leak out, how good we are.

Is it possible that through this request Jesus is showing us what humility looks like in serving others? I am sure one could rightly make that argument

However, there is a bigger picture. Right before Jesus crucifixion Jesus prays. What he prays reveals a lot about His purpose on earth.

John 17:1–6 CSB

1 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ. 4 I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Jesus purpose on earth was not to gain popularity with the people, but rather reveal to them the Father and what He is like. Jesus could have walked the entire world , healed , and fed everyone on planet earth. Gained such favor and popularity that he could have been the world-wide king. Yet that was not Jesus purpose. His purpose was not to gain popularity so that all of the focus would have been on his deeds. Instead his mission was to reveal the father through himself. He did not seek glory for himself on earth. Instead he sought to bring glory to the father in heaven. He walked in humility.

The next possibility for Jesus making this odd request is

#2 -Jesus was waiting for the father’s timing.

In John 2 Jesus mother asks him help at the wedding feast in Cana. The family had run out of wine and would have suffered a great embarrassment so Mary asks Jesus to intervene. Jesus responds in verse 4

John 2:4 CSB

4 “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”

Jesus was tell his mother it wasn’t time for him to start his public ministry, but because he loved his mom. He did it anyway, just in secret.

We see this same phrase used in John 7:30.

John 7:30 CSB

30 Then they tried to seize him. Yet no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come.

Here they wanted to arrest Jesus for his teaching. Yet the scripture tells us they were unable to lay a hand on him because His time had not yet come.

Galatians 4:4 CSB

4 When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

God’s timing is perfect. If you take the time to read through the O. T. you become keenly aware that God has a timeline. He has set into motion his plan of redemption. We read the accounts of a nation enslaved in Egypt. God set apart a man to represent himself to the people to bring them out of bondage. Yet Moses was not perfect, but one day there would be a better rescuer, a perfect messiah. We see the sacrificial system setup. In which The slaying of an unblemished lamb was to cover the sins of the people. A reminder one day a more perfect sacrifice would be made not to just cover the sins of the people but to take them away through the perfect lamb of God.

We see the history of the children of Israel and the cycle of Godly and ungodly kings. In this we see the hope of the one day perfect king sitting on the throne of David. It would be the Messiah himself.

We see that God has a perfect timeline for redemption played out for us in a very real way. In this same way it wasn’t yet time for Jesus to publicly claim himself to be the messiah until the time was right. As we looked at three weeks ago Jesus by riding into jerusalem on the foal of a donkey during the week of passover was proclaiming himself to be this perfect king who would be slain like a lamb, so that he could become the better sacrifice that the passover demanded.

Yet even then the people didn’t believe. Because of the heardness of man’s heart.....

#3 - Jesus didn’t come to prove Himself

We live in a society that is suspicious of anything extraordinary. We want proof. So then why are we so hard on these skeptics known as the pharisees? Are we often any different?

These pharisees were skeptical of anything supernatural especially of Jesus. But I want you to see the hypocrisy of this. The scribes, pharisees, and religious leaders were responsible to recount all of the supernatural acts of God through Abraham and Moses. To tell the stories of God’s redemptive plan to restore Israel. They were immersed in the supernatural accounts. They would recount all the words of the prophets to the next generation, yet they refused to accept the messiah. God had laid out for them through their feasts and prophets how the savior would be born and through what lineage, the reaction of the people toward him, and the actions and miracles he would perform.

It was even prophesied for them His entry into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey, yet they would not believe. These people spoke of the great faith of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David, yet they refused to have the same type of faith. There is never enough proof for the skeptic.

For this reason Jesus didn’t come to produce enough proofs or signs to try and get the skeptic to believe. The proof was already laid before Jesus was even born. There was no more proof to give. Jesus fulfilled every prophecy foretold about him. Jesus didn’t owe these people any explanation or any more proof. Jesus came to serve and to lay down his life a ransom for many. How much more proof does a person need? Jesus didn’t come to prove who he was. He came to serve and bring Glory to God.

Why should the God of all the universe prove anything to a rebellious creation? If he wanted to prove himself he could have vaporized any who stood in his way. He could have walked into Rome demanded Cesar to kneel and Cesar would have had no choice, but to do so.

From creation to the time that Christ came we have the works of God literally recorded for us, yet many choose to be unimpressed. We have from multiple historic references of these works, yet mankind still chooses not to believe. For this reason look how Jesus responded to those who wanted more proof.

Jesus had just fed another 4,000+ people, healed a deaf man and yet this events unfolds.

Mark 8:11–14 CSB

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, demanding of him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 Sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side. 14 The disciples had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat.

Should the Creator of heaven and earth be forced to prove himself to a sinful and rebellious people? Do we ask the governor to prove that he is the governor? Or the Prime Minister of the UK to prove he is the prime minister. No, of course not. They are known by their deeds and their people. Yet we are so bold to demand of God to prove himself to be God. He is known by his creation, deeds, word and people. Jesus didn’t come to prove He was God. If His purpose in coming was to convert the skeptics than we would have to say he failed in his mission but it wasn’t his purpose.

In fact Jesus rebukes those who are incapable of seeing what is right in front.

Matthew 16:4 CSB

4 An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away.

What more does one need than what has already been given. The sign of Jonah jesus was referring to was his resurrection. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days in the deep, and yet lived. So will Jesus be dead in the tomb for three days and be risen. This is the only sign.

No Jesus didn’t come to prove himself, he came to die for the sins of man , be resurrected to life, and then reign with the father.

So why did Jesus make this strange request for all of the reason above

To Show his humility

To wait on the Fathers timing

Because he wasn’t trying to prove himself.

All of the Above

But then we see this almost humerus account proving that Jesus own disciples often forgot in who’s presence they stood. Mark 8:13-21

Mark 8:13–21 CSB

13 Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side. 14 The disciples had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then he gave them strict orders: “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread. 17 Aware of this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts? 18 Do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?” “Twelve,” they told him. 20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you collect?” “Seven,” they said. 21 And he said to them, “Don’t you understand yet?”

I can just see this argument taking place. “Thaddeus it was your responsibility to bring the bread and you only bring enough for yourself? “Look guys just because you weren’t thinking ahead an forgot to bring your own lunch doesn’t mean, you can be angry with me. Thaddeus there were seven baskets of bread leftover. You couldn’t have grabbed a few more for the rest of us.

Meanwhile Jesus is listening to all of this give them a warning, yet because of their concern and dispute they completely miss it. Don’t let the leaven or the posture of the pharisees spread to you.

How often are we more like the disbelieving pharisees than we’d like to admit. While we may not be so bold to demand a sign of God to prove himself.

We too have heard of His deeds, know of his love and compassion, yet we argue within ourselves whether or not God will provide for us. We forget who we have standing in our midst. So much so instead of asking and trusting for what we need, we worry, stress, and get cranky with the ones we love. We have allowed the leaven of the pharisees to spread into our own hearts.

It stems from the same heart of disbelief. So many times, I think we approach the throne of heaven with our minds saying ,Lord show me you can do this request, prove your power. Instead of Lord I know you can do this and I trust in your goodness and steadfast love.