The Ministry, Message, and Messiah in the Book of Mark Week 19:
"Jesus Heals the Hurt, Helpless, and Hopeless Part 2"
(Mark 7:31-37)
Crossroads Community Church
Rev. Ricky A. Rohrig Sr., Founding Pastor
Where does it hurt? On a scale of 1- 10 how much does it hurt? These are questions a nurse or a doctor may ask you if you visit them. What physical pain is hardest for you to endure? For me it is pain in the mouth. Lisa deals with this probably almost every day she works. Matter of fact I had some tooth pain yesterday and today and if it does not get better I probably will visiting your office Lisa. (Story of Rainbow Dental). Another time (root canal story in Waterloo) all of us have experienced some sort of physical pain we have had to deal with. Not only physical pain, but maybe mental anguish or pain, financial pain, or maybe the worst kind of pain, spiritual pain.
I’m sure everyone in here has pondered the thought at one time or another these thoughts:
• Why me
• Why do I have to go through…
• If God loves me so much why do I have to suffer through…
1 Peter 2:21
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
• Since we are part of God’s chosen family we get to reap all the benefits of being part of His kingdom (that’s the good news)
• On the contrary, we will have to suffer persecutions for Jesus Christ sake also
James 1:2-4
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
As we continue in our series The Ministry, Message, and Messiah in the Book of Mark Week 19, we finish up in chapter 7 in the message "Jesus Heals the Hurt, Helpless, and Hopeless Part 2" (Mark 7:31-37)
If you have your Bible or wireless device please go to Mark 7:31-37 for today’s scripture lesson.
Mark 7:31-37
31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
Pray
So let’s set the scene up for you. Jesus continues to travel in the regions of Tyre and Sidon, which is predominantly Gentile territory. So we are all on the same page the Jews were the chosen people (Jesus was Jewish) and the Gentiles were the people today would consider those “from the wrong side of the tracks.” Jews and Gentiles usually did not get along. Mark pictured Jesus continuing north from Tyre (cf. 7:24) to Sidon and then southeast to Lake Galilee and the region of the Decapolis The “Decapolis” was a loosely connected group of ten Gentile cities that had been set free from Jewish domination by the Roman general Pompey when he occupied Palestine in 63 B.C.34 , which was a strange route to take. It is similar to going from New York City to Chicago via Boston! If Jesus’ excursion into Phoenicia was to escape the crowds (cf. v. 24) and to have time with his disciples, he may well have chosen a circuitous rather than a direct route. The expression “through Sidon” is shorthand for “through the region of Sidon” and does not necessarily indicate that Jesus entered the city itself. Sidon’s territory probably extended at least twenty miles to the east of the city itself. It was important for Mark to show that Jesus spent some time in Gentile territory—also the Decapolis—in order to provide some justification for the Gentile mission in his own day.
So you have to consider who Jesus is, Jewish, where He is at, and Gentile territory. These two simple facts make the story much more impactful.
• How many of you when you go to Omaha, frequent North Omaha, or the hood?
• Why? You may feel out of place
o Jesus would have “been out of place” but did not care, why? Because He was about His Father’s business
• Wherever He went, and wherever He was needed, Jesus showed up and took control of the circumstances, situation, and problems/concerns people had.
o He can do the same for you today whatever you’re going through Jesus is here waiting for you
• Jesus was and still is a mover and shaker, when Jesus was in the house things happened:
o He raised the dead to life
o He cast out demons
o He cured people from their infirmities
o He made the blind to see
o He made the deaf to hear
o He miraculously feed 5000 with 2 fish and five loaves of bread and fed a multitude
o He fed 4000 (which will explore next week)
o He made unbelievers, believe
o He gave hope to the hopeless
o He showed love and compassion to those who felt unlovable
o He lived the life could never live
o He died the death we all deserve
o He saved the lost
o He came to give eternal life
• The same Jesus has the power, ability, and authority to give you what you need, heal you from what has been ailing you, help you when no one else can, and give you hope for today, tomorrow, and forever.
• Jesus is all that and a bag of chips…
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
• Mark’s is the only gospel to record this story and miracle
• The man has more than one problem, two health imparities
Other physical imparities that Jesus healed in scripture were:
• Barrenness
• Blindness
• Deafness
• Muteness
• Lameness
The man is kophos (deaf) and mogilalos (with an impediment in his speech, was tongue tied NRSV). The Greek word mogilalos is rare, found only twice in the entire Greek Bible, here and in Isaiah 35:6.
Isaiah 35:5-6
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Isaiah 35 addresses Israel’s end-time hopes, and Mark uses this section to show that in Jesus they are being fulfilled.
The deaf man’s friends want Jesus to lay his hand on him. They want more than a blessing; they ask for healing. Jesus fulfills the request for healing, but in a more elaborate manner than they expect.
Do you notice that his friends care about Him so much that they are the ones that bring Him to Jesus! Do you have friends like that?
• They love you so much
• They care about you greatly
• They want to see you cured
• They want to see you healed
• They will pray for you
• They will hold you graciously accountable
• They will literally do whatever they can, wherever they can, and however they can to
o Point you to Jesus
o Encourage you in your faith
o Make sure He is your focus
o That you don’t get off track
o That you keep your mind, body, and soul and centered on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
• Is that the kind of friends you have?
• Is that the kind of friend you are to others?
These guys friends were his spokespersons, they brought their friend to the one who could to the unthinkable, the one who had the power to do the unimaginable, and the one who was unmistakably able to perform miracles.
Just like last week they didn’t care if Jesus was a Jew and they were Gentiles, they believed in Jesus so much and loved their friend that much that they were willingly sacrificing their time to make sure their buddy got a shot at Jesus.
Let’s look at verse 33
33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
• Notice the man was brought with others but Jesus ministered to him individually.
• Jesus put His fingers in His ears (from the original language it means to thrust,) so not lightly but Jesus got in there so the man could feel it
• Also, Jesus spit and touched the man’s tongue
o These were two visible and physical signs that Jesus was doing to get the man’s attention and to show him what Jesus was about to do
Has Jesus got your attention lately? Have you noticed the signs? What do you do when Jesus grabs your attention?
Notice what Jesus does now that He has the man’s attention:
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
• Jesus does two important things here:
o He looks to heaven – showing God’s authority over heaven and earth
? Same thing Stephen did before He was stoned
o Jesus sighs - The “sigh” was an inward groan, our Lord’s compassionate response to the pain and sorrow sin has brought into the world. It was also a prayer to the Father on behalf of the handicapped man.
• Are your eyes spiritually opened today that you can see and witness the miracles in your life and in the lives around you?
• Are you listening with spiritual ears for God to talk to you, through you, and for you?
o After all the same eyes and ears that should be in tune to God were made by God
We live in a right now society we want things done right now. Look what happens when Jesus shows up in verse 35
35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
• Whatever you need God’s got it, and wants to give it to you. Sometimes you may have to wait, like to get to heaven, but sometimes God shows up right now!
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
• Now Jesus speaks to the man, something the man could not do before, the man is able to hear Jesus say this is between me and you, don’t tell anyone.
• Most likely Jesus di this for 2 reasons:
o He wanted to be able to heal others and have them believe Him since He was a Jew and others were Gentiles
o He was not about receiving the glory, but about fulfilling God’s story
• Just like you today, God’s not done with you yet and He wants to be an integral part of your success story in Him
That man did the same thing then that we should so know when Jesus changes us, tell everyone!!!
37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
• 7 times (a number of completion) the word astonished is used in Mark’s gospel.
o to be so amazed as to be practically overwhelmed
That’s what it’s like when Jesus changes your like it is so amazing that it is overwhelming in a good way.
Maybe you have never experienced the love of Jesus like this before, you cand today by surrendering your life to Him, recommitting to Him or getting baptized. Maybe you need prayer today, we can offer you that too. Whatever you need we ask you to come down during our song of decision.
