Written ~ 02-16-2024
Read Mark Chapter Seven
Mark 7
In this chapter there are two accounts of healing that are really fantastic. First is the Gentile woman from Tyre and the deaf, mute man from Galilee.
When the ministry of Jesus began, His primary goal was to reach the Jews first. It was not yet time for the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) to benefit from His teaching. But here in Mark 7:24-30 we see a woman who was a Gentile from Tyre, she had heard all about Jesus and went to Him for the healing of her daughter.
Verses 7:24-30,
24 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know which house He was staying in, but He couldn’t keep it a secret. 25 Right away a woman who had heard about Him came and fell at His feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, 26 and she begged Him to cast out the demon from her daughter.
Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, 27 Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
28 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”
29 “Good answer!” He said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.
At first when reading over this story it almost seems like Jesus is being a bit rude to this woman, pushing her away with His seemingly harsh words. But it really isn’t what we think at all. It’s true that the Jews had a less than complimentary term for Gentiles and that was “dogs.” But their term “dogs” was defining a wild, mangy, vicious mongrel. The term “dog” that Jesus refers to is more closely used for a household pet or lapdog. From one of the Commentary/Study Bibles I was reading, it noted that when Jesus said, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs,” that He was actually testing her faith. Though He had come to first teach the Jewish people, His comment gave an opening for the future reaching out to the Gentiles. When this woman gave her reply, I love the response from Jesus, “Good answer!” She had reiterated what Jesus had said to her and gave it right back at Him! In verse 7:28 she replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plate.” This woman is agreeing to the fact that the Gentiles are “dogs,” but what she is challenging is the fact that even the Gentiles are worthy of whatever scraps are left. With her outstanding show of faith, Jesus was amazed at what He heard and at that very moment her daughter was freed from the evil spirit that possessed her. One thing that is interesting to point out, the little girl wasn’t with her mother, she was back at home. So this Gentile woman who had courageously fell at the feet of Jesus begging for a miracle, had to leave His presence and wait until she got home before she would know for sure that her daughter was healed, even though Jesus said it was done. Verse 7:30, “And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.” Hallelujah! Let’s all pray for this kind of faith, this woman was pretty much risking everything by falling at the feet of Jesus, He heard her pleas and answered.
As Jesus left the region of Tyre, He went up to Sidon and there some people brought a deaf/mute man to Him for healing.
Verses 7:31-37,
31 Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. 32 A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to Him, and the people begged Jesus to lay His hands on the man to heal him.
33 Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on His own fingers, He touched the man’s tongue. 34 Looking up to heaven, He sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” 35 Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!
36 Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37 They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.”
For this miracle of healing I read the explanation from the “Expositor’s Bible Commentary,” just to gather more information about everything that was going on around this miracle.
Sidon was also a Gentile region as was Tyre, the faithfulness and begging from the people who brought this man to Jesus is what caused Him to stop and heal him, otherwise He was just passing through. For this man, because he was deaf and mute he had to rely on his friends to bring him to Jesus and explain what going on with him. In the Commentary notes it said that “Jesus led him away from the crowd to be alone,” so He could have a more personal interaction, Jesus wanted to exercise the man’s faith by pulling him aside. The way Jesus healed this man is quite a bit different than we have read before, so this man would need to trust Jesus.
Verse 7:33b,
“…He put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on His own fingers, He touched the man’s tongue…”
By placing His fingers in the man’s ears, that would signify an unplugging of the ears, the saliva on His fingers signifies the restoration of the man’s tongue and speech. These two actions from Jesus probably seemed a little weird to this man. Perhaps Jesus communicated, somehow, what He was going to do, just so the man wouldn’t be alarmed. But that’s where his faith would have kicked into overdrive.
Verse 7:34,
“Looking up to heaven, He sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!”
I loved what the “Expositor’s Bible Commentary” said about this verse… “Jesus looked up to heaven in an attitude of prayer, thereby showing the man that God was the source of His power. Jesus’ sigh should be seen as something that accompanied His inner communion with the Father. Jesus’ prayer consisted of only a single word—Ephphatha (an Aramaic word that Mark, as usual, explains). The effect of the command was instantaneous: the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosed, and his speech impediment was gone.”
Verse 7:35,
“Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!”
Can you imagine the man making his way back to the crowd shouting and praising the Lord for his miraculous healing! I’m sure the crowd was overjoyed! And even though Jesus tries to tell the people to keep this miracle quiet and not to spread the news (verse 7:36), the people would not be able to contain their excitement (verse 7:37).
“Everything He does is wonderful.”
We need to remember, these were Gentile towns Jesus was going through, even though the news of the miracles Jesus had been doing reached them, they hadn’t seen these wonders with their own eyes yet! Jesus had performed plenty of miracles, signs and wonders within the Jewish communities, but this was a first! And they were beyond excited!
Maybe these two miracles were a sign of hope to the Gentiles that soon their time would come to receive the fullness of the glory of God.
As we give honor and glory to the Father, let’s remember what those dear people said of our Lord…
“Everything He does is wonderful.”
~AMEN~