PONDERING... If your ears are closed, do you have anything to say? (Mark 7:31-37)

If Your Ears Are Closed, Do You Have Anything To Say? (PM Lesson Outline)

GIST: Here we’re given a miracle of compassion, a sign of Jesus’ person, and a few lessons for our application.

SCRIPTURE: Mark 7:31-37

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.”

I. A Miracle Of Compassion

Why all the touching? There are at least two reasons for this. First, this does show Jesus’ compassion. He doesn’t have to touch the man. He could have just said a word and heal him, but chooses to display His power in a more intimate manner. Secondly, this particular form of compassion designed specifically for this man’s needs. Given this man’s condition, he would not have been able to hear Jesus’ intentions, so He made them clear.

1. Spit symbolized healing acts in these communities.  Jesus wasn’t trying to use some kind of mystical healing ritual, rather He “accommodated His actions to the man’s own understanding” (Hobbs).

2. Touching where he’d be healed further emphasized what was going to happen.

3. “Ephphatha” is a hard word for us to say, and was apparently equally... distinct in Aramaic. The idea is that is would have been easy to lip read. Again, making sure the man knew what was about to happen.

II. A Sign Of Jesus’ Person

On top of this sign of Jesus’ compassion, we’re also given more clear evidence of who He is. Remember when John the Baptist was arrested and he begins to doubt, or at least wonder, whether or not Jesus really is the Messiah? How did Jesus respond to him?

Matthew 11:2-6, “2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers[a] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

We have the same picture here: 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Both are allusions to Isaiah 35:5-6, “ 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;”

Another interesting point, in verse 32 it says the man has a speech impediment. The word used here is actually only used one time in the entire New Testament. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) it is also used once. Guess where. Isaiah 35:6!

So, we see that Jesus is not only compassionate, but also the Savior--our Savior.

III. A Few Lessons For Our Application (AKA- TAKEAWAYS ☺)

1. We have nothing to say until our ears have been opened.

There are implications about our salvation here, as well. This is how it works. First, Jesus opens our ears, then we speak of Him. Before that, we have nothing to say. Alistair Begg put it this way, “He speaks to our ears, then opens our mouths.”

This is true of our salvation. It’s also true afterwards. Until we’ve let God speak to our hearts, we have nothing to say to anyone else. As a pastor, I cannot say anything apart from what God first speaks to me through His Word. It is His Word that has the power to change hearts, not mine, and not yours. Open you ears to God’s Word this week. Let that be the standard by which you speak to others. Pray that I do the same.

2. His message is more important than our recognition.

I have to give Begg credit for pointing this one out for me, as well. It’s a minor point in the story, sure, but one worth noting. How did this guy get to Jesus in the first place? They brought him. Who? Yep. We have no idea. Family? Friends? Neighbors? No one knows. When we share Christ, do we do it for personal gain and recognition, or for the benefit of the hearer and the glory of Jesus? This is so important. Churches can get so incredibly competitive. We can get wrapped up in our numbers and miss out on His purpose. I would love to see people flood this building every week because they’re hungry for God’s Word and want to be closer to Jesus. But, I don’t want them to come to see me, and I pray every Bible-believing church be equally overflowing--because it’s not about us. It’s about Him. When we die, we don’t need to be remembered. Knowing our name won’t save anybody. Jesus’ name does that!

3. We should be astonished by His good work. (Am I?)

I believe it was Kevin DeYoung that mentioned this one (I just want to give credit where it’s due ☺). The passage ends with these words: 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Matthew recorded it like this: “31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel” (Matthew 15:31). In both situations, Jesus is praised by these people because they were astonished by His work. We see Jesus moving so much. Does it move us? I know if we’re honest, many of us would admit that sometimes, maybe oftentimes, it does not. We hear of His great work and are indifferent. This shouldn’t be the case...and if it is, pray that God forgive you (and me) and soften your heart to be amazed by Him again.