Following after Jesus #71

After leaving Tyre and Sidon, Jesus goes all the way east, past his home base of Capernaum, to the Southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Continuing in Mark 7:

 31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

The Decapolis was a group of 10 cities established under Alexander the Great to infuse Greek culture into the region. So now, over two hundred years later, it was a very Gentile area. Once again, Jesus is stepping outside the fringe of Isarel.  Matthew, in his gospel lists a whole series of miracles Jesus healed there: the crippled, the lame, the blind, but first in his list is "the dumb speaking", and Mark here chooses only this one miracle to represent them.  Many of us have known someone who was deaf from birth; it is impossible for them to learn to speak clearly, having never heard how words are said, so often they say very little, because it is frustrating for them and for the hearers. Jesus takes the man aside, puts his fingers in his ears and spit on the man's tongue, then looks up to heave, which we have seen is He preferred form of prayer, and said one word" Be opened." This was Jesus prayer, not only for this man, but for the whole region: "May their ears be open to hear the Good News, and may their tongue have no defect, their words have no restrictions in sharing that good news.  Jesus told them to keep it quiet, but for those who have heard the good news, and those who have witnessed the change He brings, there is a zeal to proclaim it. Notice Mark's conclusion: 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” They were more than astonished, like many had been.  They had no criticism of Him like the Scribes and Pharisees, and many Israelites did. He had done "all things well."  And there is a sense in which the healing of the ears and tongue are even more impressive than the blind, crippled and lame: It is a double miracle which enables the cured to help go out and save the world.  Jesus still does all things well.