This article is a Bible study on Mark 7:31-37.

Source: The Messenger, 2013. 3 pages.

“Ephphatha”

Read Mark 7:31-37

Isaiah had prophesied regarding the time of Messiah: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isa. 35:5-6). During His ministry, Christ would fulfill this prophecy literally, as well as spiritually. In our passage, He healed someone who was both deaf and in effect dumb. He stammered what were probably for the most part unintelligible sounds. Yet, Christ performed this miracle for the sake of this man only. In these last days of Christ’s ministry in Galilee, Christ was addressing the spiritual condition of His disciples. Despite having been so long with Christ, the disciples were still so spiritually deaf, dumb, and blind (Mark 6:52; 7:18; 8:17).

Mark recounts a number of physical healings here that pictured what Christ could do spiritually. We wish to look at one of them. It was a sign of the great spiritual transformation that would affect not only the disciples; untold multitudes would also experience exactly this after Pentecost.

The Prisoner of Silence🔗

Just prior to our passage, Christ had been in the region of Tyre and Sidon (Mark 7:24, 31). The Father’s plan, which the Son always followed, now led to Decapolis on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He had been there before to free a man from a legion of demons (Mark 5:1, 20). On that occasion, the people had begged Him to leave (Mark 5:17), which He did, while leaving the healed man as a living monument of His grace (Mark 5:19-20). Now He had returned, and this time, somewhat unexpectedly, the people brought to the Lord Jesus a man described as being deaf and having a severe impediment in his speech.

As is commonly known, the ability to speak is related to the ability to hear. When the latter is affected, the former suffers as well. Likely, there had been a time when this man had been able to hear, at least somewhat. He was able to speak, but indistinctly or in a stammering manner. In more recent times, intricate sign speech enables those who are hearing impaired to communicate at a fairly high level. In Bible times, however, to be deaf entailed that one was largely cut off from most forms of fellowship with others. He was a prisoner of silence. Every sound directed his way was barred at his ears. Every sound coming from his mouth imploded into a garbled heap.

What a pitiful sight this was to the Word made flesh. When He came to this earth, Christ came to a place ruined by the fall into sin. This man’s plight was proof of the damage sin has wrought. Though they lived in proximity with the Saviour, even the disciples still lacked a basic understanding of Christ’s heavenly origin and divine character. Despite all Christ had said, they were still deaf to the essence of what Christ’s person revealed. What came from their lips was at best indistinct. Spiritually speaking, they weren’t any better than this deaf “stammerer.” What will transform them into apostles whose preaching and writing will reveal truth to great numbers of people?

The Process of Restoration🔗

The Lord Jesus, first of all, dealt very personally with this man. He took him “aside from the multitude” (v. 33). When God works in our hearts, He does so in a way that isolates in order that we might have personal dealings with Him. That’s what God did with Jacob when the angel wrestled with him at the Jabbok (Gen. 32:24). That’s what God did with Saul of Tarsus when He dealt with him (Acts 9:8-9). That’s what Christ did when He appeared to Peter after the resurrection (Luke 24:34). So too, He does here.

Christ did not perform this miracle before thousands. This was a miracle that would be held under close wrap. The disciples must have witnessed it, as well as a few others. Many are ready to see an auspicious miracle, but not to receive the instruction contained in it. Christ won’t cast this pearl before the masses, who are eagerly waiting for something sensational.

Secondly, Christ dealt very intimately with him. He “put His fingers into his ears, and He spit, and touched his tongue” (v. 33). There were times when Christ healed from a distance, with a word, or a mere touch of the hand. On this occasion, Christ was very closely, even physically involved. It reminds us of how at the beginning, God stooped down to breathe into Adam the breath of life and he became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). Here Christ’s fingers touched the openings in this man’s head that failed to send the signals to the brain allowing him to hear. His mouth touched the malfunctioning tongue that failed to send the signals properly to allow others to understand. Christ actively took hold of this man, just as He actively took hold of our nature when He came to redeem lost people to Himself (Heb. 2:16).

We too, need intimate dealings with Christ, though, of course, not physically. We do need Him to point to the sources of the problem in our lives, that keep us from hearing and heeding His Word, and which keep us from praising and worshipping Him as we ought.

Thirdly, Christ dealt with this man looking heavenward. Though this man couldn’t hear, he could see. Could it not be that one of the last things he saw before his ears were opened and his tongue loosed, that he saw Christ “looking up to heaven” (v. 34)? Christ’s eyes directed this man’s eyes upward. Of course, Christ Himself was already oriented towards His Father. A number of times, He specifically prayed before He performed a miracle (Mark 6:41; John 11:41-42). This time, He spoke no words; yet, His eyes were as a servant upon His Master (Ps. 123:2). Our only help is with the Lord who made heaven and earth.

What an encouragement this is to look upward in whatever need we have, physical or spiritual. When it comes to spiritual things, we cannot understand them without light from on high. When Peter finally began to understand some things, it was not that “flesh and blood” had revealed it to him, “but My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). If you desire spiritual understanding, look upward.

Fourthly, Christ dealt with this man sympathetically. We read that the Saviour “sighed” (v. 34). We often sigh because of sin and the consequences of sin. Many of our prayers include sighs and groans, looking for the redemption of the body (Rom. 8:23). As the sympathizing High Priest, Christ knows such sighs. He utters them perfectly, as the One who can also supply in the matter concerning which we sigh. But for the Saviour it is not without travail. When Christ healed the woman with the issue of blood, “virtue” went out of Him (Mark 5:30). When Christ was at the grave of Lazarus, He groaned in Himself (John 11:38). Christ gave Himself trouble, so to speak, in order to reverse the consequences of the fall. In the process, He Himself “bore our sicknesses” (Matt. 8:17), and because of Calvary, His sighs and those of His people are heard in heaven.

Fifthly, Christ dealt with this man authoritatively. We read that Christ gave a strong command. Mark notes that He spoke it in the Aramaic language, current in this area: “Ephphatha,” meaning, “Be opened.” Though this man could not hear, remarkably Christ directed the order to the man (v. 35), and this is the first word the man heard straight from the mouth of the Saviour. What a word it was! It was the one word that enabled all other words from then on to go in right through his ears and come out right from his mouth.

The Praise for the Redeemer🔗

Literally, the text says: “And the chain of his tongue was loosed” (v. 35). What a special sign Christ had performed! The prisoner of silence was now freed. He could hear and speak through the power of a Redeemer who opened His ears and loosed His tongue. One word from the Saviour and this man’s chain fell off. He who was a captive of silence was now free to speak.

The restoration was immediate and effective. We read that the man “spake plain” (v. 35). It wasn’t so that from this point the man could now slowly learn to form syllables and eventually with a lot of teaching, sentences, so as to be intelligible. Immediately his tongue could now glorify God as it had been created to do at the first.

Christ’s “Ephphatha” still opens spiritual prisons today. Think of when the Lord spoke years later from heaven when He opened the heart of Lydia. As a result of Christ’s opening work in her life, she “attended to the things that were spoken of by the apostle Paul” (Acts 16:14). From that moment Lydia heard like she never had before and she spoke like she never had before. Peter, James, John, and all disciples of every age need an almighty “Ephphatha” brought to bear on their spiritual ears, mouth, and heart.

It’s no wonder that this narrative ends in a chorus of praise. Even though Christ forbade the miracle to be broadcast far and wide, the effect of the miracle reverberated over the entire countryside of Decapolis: “He hath done all things well” (v. 37). Similar praise has often been heard through the ages everywhere this Redeemer speaks a spiritual “Ephphatha.” By His Word and Spirit, spiritual prisons are still unlocked today. After all, He is the Word made flesh!

Questions:🔗

  1. Survey the ways in which this deaf “stammerer” is spiritually speaking, a lot like the disciples at this point in Christ’s ministry. How will things change for Peter as related in Mark 8:29 and then in Acts 2:14?
     
  2. The last time we read of Decapolis, the people begged the Saviour to leave (Mark 5:17). Now things appeared to have changed somewhat. How does this encourage us regarding the Saviour?
     
  3. How is what Jesus did to this deaf “stammerer” similar to what we read in John 20:22? How does He do this in the lives of people whom He is changing today?
     
  4. Think of how “hands-on” this miracle is. What does this tell us about the Saviour? Why do you think Christ “sighed”?
     
  5. Begin to think of some of all the things that Christ “has done well.”

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