September 27th, 2020 Study Guide
Mark 7:31-37 - Jesus Heals A Deaf Man
INTRODUCTORY THOUGHT: After healing the Syrophoenician’s daughter, Jesus left Tyre, journeyed north through Sidon, and then traveled southeast to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Decapolis. There, some people brought Him a deaf man who spoke with difficulty. They evidently wanted Jesus to heal him.
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” (Mark 7:31-37).
THE MAN AND HIS CONDITION (v.32)
v. 32 - What do you think of the people who brought this man to Jesus? (They cared for him. They “begged” Jesus to lay His hands-on on the man).
THE MASTER AND HIS CURE (vv. 33-35)
v. 33 – How did Jesus respond to this man? (Jesus gave His attention to one desperate man who had surely been ignored and neglected throughout his life. For as long as the man could remember, he had been scorned, ostracized, and despised. But in that moment, he received the undivided attention and compassion of the Creator Himself).
v.33 – Why did Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears? (Jesus wanted the man to know that he recognized the man’s physical problem and that he knew he was not stunted mentally or possessed by demons, as some may have thought).
v.33 – Why did Jesus spit in his hand and then touch the man’s tongue with His saliva? (Ancient people generally believed that saliva had healing properties. The deaf man would have understood that Jesus’ use of saliva meant He intended to heal him).
v.34 – Why did Jesus look up to heaven? (Jesus demonstrated that the creative power He exercised came from God. Even as a pagan, the man would have understood what Jesus meant by gazing toward heaven).
v.34 – Why did Jesus give a deep sigh? (Jesus communicated a sincere sympathy for the long agonies of this man’s disability. An honest groaning visibly projected pain and heartache on the man’s behalf. So, using nonverbal communication, the Lord Jesus taught this man about both God’s power and His compassion. The Son of God would heal him, with power that came from above, because He cared deeply about him).
v.34 – When Jesus said “Ephphatha,” that is “Be opened” what happened? (The man was immediately given new hearing organs and his tongue was miraculously loosed to speak. The extent of the miracle went beyond merely repairing the man’s physical faculties. He was also given the ability of miraculous language acquisition. Not only could he hear sounds, he was able to understand and articulate words without needing any linguistic training or speech therapy).
v.34 – Spiritually speaking, where do you need to hear God say, “Ephphatha?”
v.34 - Where might you need to hear the voice of the Spirit more purposefully and have your ears (heart) opened in areas you may be resistant?
v.34 - In what areas are you spiritually deaf?
v.35 - Where do you need to stop being a “mute” when it comes to speaking about spiritual things?
THE MULTITUDE AND THEIR CONFESSION (vv.36-37)
v.36 – Why did Jesus tell those who the man and his friends not to tell anyone what had happened? (It is important for us not to treat Jesus like a TV. We watch the TV to be entertained. Then we turn it off when we are done. Many people would follow Jesus just to see what He would do next).
v.37 – Why did the people say, “He has done all things well?” (The adverb well translates the Greek word kalōs, meaning “rightly,” “correctly,” or “appropriately.” The people were commenting on the perfection of His miracles. He made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear and the mute to speak. Their recovery was immediate, and their restoration complete. Jesus’ healings never failed; they were perfect every time).
CLOSING THOUGHT: While the people Jesus healed physically during His ministry were right to rejoice, their momentary exuberance cannot compare to the eternal joys that await those whom He has saved spiritually and to whom He has promised eternal glorified bodies.
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” (Mark 7:31-37).
THE MAN AND HIS CONDITION (v.32)
v. 32 - What do you think of the people who brought this man to Jesus? (They cared for him. They “begged” Jesus to lay His hands-on on the man).
THE MASTER AND HIS CURE (vv. 33-35)
v. 33 – How did Jesus respond to this man? (Jesus gave His attention to one desperate man who had surely been ignored and neglected throughout his life. For as long as the man could remember, he had been scorned, ostracized, and despised. But in that moment, he received the undivided attention and compassion of the Creator Himself).
v.33 – Why did Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears? (Jesus wanted the man to know that he recognized the man’s physical problem and that he knew he was not stunted mentally or possessed by demons, as some may have thought).
v.33 – Why did Jesus spit in his hand and then touch the man’s tongue with His saliva? (Ancient people generally believed that saliva had healing properties. The deaf man would have understood that Jesus’ use of saliva meant He intended to heal him).
v.34 – Why did Jesus look up to heaven? (Jesus demonstrated that the creative power He exercised came from God. Even as a pagan, the man would have understood what Jesus meant by gazing toward heaven).
v.34 – Why did Jesus give a deep sigh? (Jesus communicated a sincere sympathy for the long agonies of this man’s disability. An honest groaning visibly projected pain and heartache on the man’s behalf. So, using nonverbal communication, the Lord Jesus taught this man about both God’s power and His compassion. The Son of God would heal him, with power that came from above, because He cared deeply about him).
v.34 – When Jesus said “Ephphatha,” that is “Be opened” what happened? (The man was immediately given new hearing organs and his tongue was miraculously loosed to speak. The extent of the miracle went beyond merely repairing the man’s physical faculties. He was also given the ability of miraculous language acquisition. Not only could he hear sounds, he was able to understand and articulate words without needing any linguistic training or speech therapy).
v.34 – Spiritually speaking, where do you need to hear God say, “Ephphatha?”
v.34 - Where might you need to hear the voice of the Spirit more purposefully and have your ears (heart) opened in areas you may be resistant?
v.34 - In what areas are you spiritually deaf?
v.35 - Where do you need to stop being a “mute” when it comes to speaking about spiritual things?
THE MULTITUDE AND THEIR CONFESSION (vv.36-37)
v.36 – Why did Jesus tell those who the man and his friends not to tell anyone what had happened? (It is important for us not to treat Jesus like a TV. We watch the TV to be entertained. Then we turn it off when we are done. Many people would follow Jesus just to see what He would do next).
v.37 – Why did the people say, “He has done all things well?” (The adverb well translates the Greek word kalōs, meaning “rightly,” “correctly,” or “appropriately.” The people were commenting on the perfection of His miracles. He made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear and the mute to speak. Their recovery was immediate, and their restoration complete. Jesus’ healings never failed; they were perfect every time).
CLOSING THOUGHT: While the people Jesus healed physically during His ministry were right to rejoice, their momentary exuberance cannot compare to the eternal joys that await those whom He has saved spiritually and to whom He has promised eternal glorified bodies.
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