MORE THAN YOU ASK FOR
Mark 7:31-37
INTRO:
Once at a fast-food restaurant, I took my burger back up to the counter, pointed to the picture on the overhead menu, and asked, Can I have one that looks like that?” The one I had was smushed, smudged, and generally unappealing.
At those places, I always get less than I ask for. And my reaction finally got the best of me.
Just once I’d like to get more than I ask for. Of course, I don’t know how I’d react if I did. Maybe dance a jig, or burst into song.
What about God? Do you ever get more than you ask for from God? What kind of reaction does that provoke in you?
PREV:
Today, we are going to see a man who got more than he asked for from God. Specifically, from Jesus. We will also see a reaction to this. Then we will see if we ever get more than we ask for from God, and how we should react. Think today about what God would have to do to give you more than you ask for…
Trans: That brings us to Mark chapter 7. In chapter 7, Jesus will be faced with a man who needs God’s intervention. Read 31-32
A. Jesus gives this man healing
Now in the Decapolis, a league of 10 free cities, largely Gentile but with a significant Jewish population.
They bring a pitiful man, who is deaf & can hardly talk.
Not born deaf, since he could talk some.
They ask Jesus to bless the man – “place his hands on.” This refers to common Jewish practice of blessing.
Notice how Jesus responds to their request in v. 33.
Jesus does far more than bless the man.
Draws him aside for privacy, and personal contact.
Sticks one finger from each hand into the man’s ears.
He broke one of Mrs. Emmons’ primary rules: “Don’t put anything in your ear sharper than your elbow.”
He spits on his fingertips, touched the man’s tongue.
These are tremendous steps of identification – he enters the man’s world.
And he gives visible demonstration of his intent to heal!
That’s exactly what he does. Look at vv. 34-35.
He continues to communicate by giving a visible demonstration of where the power would come from:
He looked up to heaven
He expresses the deep emotion he always felt when faced with demon possession and disease – a deep sigh.
He speaks the healing words: “Be Opened!”
This is the 1st sound to pierce his ears in years!
His ears were opened and his tongue was freed!
This is much more than he asked for!
But Jesus gives him more…
B. This is the intervening that Isaiah talked about.
Notice what has happened here.
Mark uses rare and unusual word in v. 32 to describe the man’s speech problem. Not the usual, common, typical way of saying it. Why?
It gives us a clue that Jesus did more than heal this man.
The unusual word that Mark uses is the same word used in Isaiah 35 (in the LXX, the Gk translation of the OT)
Turn with me to Isaiah 35.
The book of Isaiah describes difficult days for the Jewish people. They faced war, political oppression, and God’s judgment for the spiritual demise. The people lived with a threat from a foreign power hanging over their head. This made living hard. Uncertain. The nation seemed to be in demise – what made it the marvel of the world was slipping away. The leader of the nation had sold out – made an unwise alliance. His personal life was a moral failure.
Those who thought of such things said the nation was in spiritual decline – people forgetting about God. There were many warning that if they kept going this way, they could expect God’s judgment. Some even said the nation wouldn’t survive.
The prophet Isaiah, for 34 chapters, has been detailing the coming judgment of God against the nations and the Jewish people for turning their back on God. They were already experiencing a foretaste of this. It would even result in them being conquered and taken off into captivity.
Then in chapter 35, God speaks up and says, don’t worry, it won’t always be this way. Sure, you will reap what you have sown, be judged and disciplined for your spiritual failure, but it won’t always be this way.
One day, he says, God will come to you. Notice this as I read vv. 1-6.
One day it will be better. Be strong, do not fear, your God will come. God will intervene. He will come to your rescue again. Things will be good, there will be blessing.
You can look forward to this day, a day when, among other things, the deaf will hear and the mute tongue shout. This will be how you know God has come to you.
Isaiah said God promises he will come to you one day. You will know it when the deaf hear and the mute tongue speaks
It was always thought this would be fulfilled by Messiah.
Now Mark deliberately chooses words to connect what Jesus did with the prophecy in Isaiah 35.
God promised he would intervene.
God has intervened in the person of Jesus Christ.
The good times are here!
God not only gave this man healing, he showed him his Messiah.
I. GOD GAVE THIS MAN MORE THAN HE ASKED FOR
He came asking for a blessing. He received a miraculous healing and God revealed his Messiah to him.
A. This intervening applies to us
The connection with Isa. 35 shows that Jesus is not just the one who healed this man, he is the one who brings the good news to us. God has sent his son Jesus to us. He intervenes for us as the promised Messiah of God, the one who makes it possible for us to know God and to be forgiven of our sins. He has intervened in the most crucial way!
B. God continues to intervene for us
God continues to give us more than we ask for.
Lotus, our new office manager, was far more than we asked for…
With health problems or sick children:
A test that turns out negative; a child who get better.
A couple of weeks ago Wes had a biopsy, and he got a clean bill of health.
Financial provision when we needed it:
Money on the doorstep; work out of nowhere.
The “coincidences” of life:
We’ve been praying for our church. What do you think he will do?
II. GOD GIVES US MORE THAN WE ASK FOR IN JESUS
What God promised, Jesus fulfilled. When we come to Jesus, we get far more than we ask for…
Trans.: We’ve seen how God gave this man more than he asked for. And we’ve seen how God gives us more than we ask for in the person of Jesus. This leads us to a response. As we look at the final vv. in Mark 7, notice the response Jesus got. Read vv. 36-37.
A. They responded with overwhelming amazement
He tells them not to tell anyone, in order to avoid unwanted public clamor over his healing abilities. We’ve seen this.
But they kept talking about it. Actually, they kept “preaching” it or “proclaiming” it. This is the technical term used for the preaching of the gospel!
His word of healing lead to their words…
He has done everything well!
They make the connection – he’s the Messiah!
They respond with faith – “Everything he does is wonderful!”
The picture is of a group response!
B. We should respond with faith
When we observe how God promised to intervene, and how God fulfilled that promise in Jesus, and when we recount the many ways in and though us that Jesus intervenes, we should have the same response they did:
“He does all things well”
“Everything he does is wonderful”
“Everything Jesus does is good.”
This whole passage points to this response of faith by the people and is an encouragement for us to do the same.
Why don’t we respond this way?
Are you ready to respond?
Everyone stand up! Repeat after me:
He has done everything well!
He has done everything well!
He has done everything well!
III. LET’S RESPOND WITH OVERWHELMING AMAZEMENT TO THE WONDERFUL THINGS JESUS HAS DONE AND DOES!
