10th February 2012 Mark 7:31-end

Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.  After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue.  He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”).  At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.  Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.  People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

We are being taken on a journey through this Chapter of Mark, Jesus is travelling around and healing as he goes whilst telling the healed and witnesses not to tell anyone.  This time Jesus takes the man away to be healed, he needs the man to be healed through a miracle directly from God. 

He can suddenly hear and talk and do both things normally.  I don't know about you, but I'm thinking this would be a shock and that learning to cope with noise would take time and language would need to be learned.  The fact that these things aren't mentioned shows this as a miracle from God. 

Jesus opened this man's ears to hear and his mouth to speak, what a miracle.

Jesus you opened this man's ears to hear you clearly and opened his mouth to speak for you; we ask you to do the same for us. Amen