During His ministry, Jesus performed more than 40 miracles, including healing the sick, changing the natural elements of nature and even raising people from the dead. A miracle is considered an event that occurs outside the bounds of natural law. Each month, we will take a closer look at one of His miracles to understand the depth of His love for us. Understanding the miracles of Jesus can change your life, and it all begins with believing through faith.
As demonstrated throughout the four Gospels, Jesus could heal in many different ways. Sometimes He simply spoke, and the illness was healed, and other times, He used the power of His touch.
In Mark 7:31-37, we learn that Jesus healed a man who was deaf and mute. Mark was the only Evangelist to record this miracle. It is speculated that Mark decided to write about this miracle because it demonstrated an act of Jesus healing a Gentile.
Matthew tells us that when Jesus returned from Tyre and Sidon, hundreds of people brought their sick friends and family to be healed. This particular man that was brought to Jesus was deaf and had a speech impediment. At the time, deaf people were often isolated from society.
As said in Mark 7:33-36, “Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then he looked up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘be opened.’ And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.”
This man’s inability to hear or communicate had put him in danger, as people use their hearing more than they realize to avoid harm. Spiritual deafness is no different. When we cannot hear God, we inevitably lose our direction and fall into a dangerous path away from God’s will for us. We must spiritually heal so that we can understand God’s Word in our lives.
This miracle also demonstrates that we need to show compassion for people needing help, like those who brought the deaf, mute man to Christ for healing. We need to bring people to Jesus through our actions and compassion.
