Pastor Bivens Mark 7:31-37 – Pentecost 16 JESUS DOES EVERYTHING WELL!

Mark 7:31-37 – Pentecost 16

³¹ Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. ³² There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.

³³ After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴ He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). ³⁵ At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

³⁶ Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. ³⁷ People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Introduction: 4 days ago, on Wednesday, one of our daughters called my wife and me to inform us that the child she was carrying had died. For reasons known only to God, a miscarriage took place during the 14^th or 15^th week of her pregnancy. Later that day my wife asked me what Bible passage came to my mind when I thought about what happened. “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21) was my answer. “It’s OK to say the Lord took the child away?” “Yes, God did it and is actively involved in every death even though many instrumental means may also be involved. Jesus once told his disciples, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” (Jesus had begun to wash the disciples’ feet when Simon Peter questioned the action. Jesus gave this answer and promise.) The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus did some things at some times and in some ways. Neither do we. We don’t know why he chooses weather patterns of drought or flooding for us at certain times. We don’t know exactly why good health or poor health is given to people, nor do we comprehend why some are rich and others are poor due to circumstances beyond their control. So we may question the Lord’s actions and grope for enlightenment. And we can also enjoy the account set before us today. It instructs and comforts in a special way. Mark gives details of what Jesus did and, when all was said and done, the people there exclaimed, “He has done everything well!” Jesus acted his way – which was the best way. May we learn and remember this truth!

Jesus Does Everything Well

1.      He does it his way, and

2.      He does it the best way

Part 1: Jesus does everything HIS WAY

1.      We are given the background: Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. He had been in Phoenicia where the Syro-Phoenician woman begged him to heal her demonized daughter (last week’s Gospel reading). Jesus was already showing a kind of independence and going against the desired of the majority of his fellow Jews. He was spending time and giving attention to Gentiles (non-Jews) and moved from Phoenicia to the “Ten City” (Decapolis) area, another non-Jewish region.

2.      The some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. This request was just like that of Naaman, the Syrian who suffered from leprosy and who came to the prophet Elisha so that Elisha would “call on the name of the Lord, wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprosy” (2 Kgs 5:11). But again Jesus did things his way, different from expectations. “He took him [the deaf man with the speech disorder] aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue.  He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). Despite his departure from their expectations, the result was what they really wanted:  ^“At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.”  

3.      Maybe there is value in noting the great diversity we find in analyzing how and when Jesus did miracles. His first, changing water into wine at Cana, was preceded by Mary’s suggestion that he do something – and his answer to her made it clear that she was not to tell him what to do, when to do it or how to do it. And this pattern of his doing things as he chose to do them, continued throughout his earthly ministry.

a.       Sometimes he acted with a word alone, sometimes with a word and a touch, sometimes with a gesture, and sometimes without any word and from a distance.

b.      In healing the man born bling he first spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, put the mud on the man’s eyes and told him to wash them at the nearby Siloam Pool.

c.       Sometimes he mentions the faith of a person being healed and at other times there is no evidence of faith or even an understanding of who was doing the miracle.

d.      And sometimes Jesus did not heal. When he ascended into heaven he left behind people who were still in need of healing. St. Paul, who healed in Jesus’ name, was made to endure physical burdens without healing. Coworker Trophimus was left behind on a missionary journey because of illness (2 Tm 4). Timothy has chronic stomach ailments but received no miraculous remedy.

e.       And sometimes, as in today’s text, “Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.” More than once Jesus made it clear he didn’t want that kind of publicity at a given time and place. The point is clear: Jesus did things his way, often in ways that no one else really understood and at times in ways that brought potential criticism.

4.      I – we – need to remember this as we live out our lives under God. When our expectations are not met “on schedule” or “as hoped for” or “when we think it best.” We are all subject to impatience, discouragement, suspicion, grumbling, dissatisfaction and many other negative feelings when Jesus acts his way rather than our way concerning ourselves, those we love, and often those we consider enemies. Our spiritual lives, married and family lives, financial and social and physical lives are imperfect and seem to cry out for divine intervention regularly. But Jesus seldom acts how or when we want. Besides, just about every chapter of the Bible – and every conversation of his recorded in the Bible, he br4ings up the unpleasant subject of our sinfulness and shortcomings. That’s his way, a way I would not have chosen if it had been up to me.

Transition: We need to face that fact – and more than that. The more we focus on Jesus doing things his way, the more we learn that this is the best way. Let’s return to the event in our text to observe this reality.

Part 2: Jesus does Everything the BEST WAY

1.      It soon becomes clear that the way Jesus dealt with the deaf man with impaired speech was perfectly suited for the man. Put yourself in the man’s place. After living in total silence, he is here surrounded by a noisy crowd – the immediate gift of hearing would likely scare him to death.  So Jesus takes him aside, away from the noise and commotion. While a thousand thoughts were likely racing through the man’s mind, Jesus gently leads him step-by-step to understand what was about to happen:

a.       The fingers in the ears tell the man something would happen to his ears & hearing.

b.      The spit & touch of the tongue indicated his speech would also be involved.

c.       The look to heaven pictured to the man that God above would be involved.

d.      The deep sigh, as an expression of intense emotion, compassion, and perhaps even prayer – certainly maintained attention and communicated an emotional bond.

e.       Slowly yet deliberately Jesus prepared the man to receive what would happen and through whom it would come. Then came the spoken word “Ephphatha!” And the miracle took place with a minimum of fear, confusion, or trauma. The best way!

2.      There’s something else we don’t want to overlook here: Jesus worked to meet the deaf man’s deepest and greatest need – which wasn’t his physical handicap. He was a “heathen” Gentile living in Gentile territory and it may be assumed his knowledge and understanding of Jesus and his saving work on earth was minimal if there at all. So his greatest need – as it is with us – was for him to come to know and trust his Savior from sin. And the way Jesus went about healing him physically also served this cause:

a.       By drawing the man off to the side, working with him one-on-one, making himself the center of focus and face-to-face, Jesus presented himself, front and center, to the one he loved. Jesus would be foremost in his memory – and this would serve him as he had opportunity to learn more and more about Jesus. It’s the same way Jesus works in his Word, isn’t it. His many “I am . . .” statements (the good shepherd, light of the world, way, truth, and life, etc.) all are graciously “self-centered” because he is the One we need to know above all else.

b.      Not long after this, the healed man may well have heard that his Healer was crucified outside Jerusalem’s city wall. If he knew Jesus only as miracle-worker the news could have been devastating – such a very good person whose end was so very bad. But if he had the ability to learn of Christ’s main reason for being on earth and understood that souls and eternal destinies needed to be healed, the man would rejoice as we do, knowing Jesus does ALL things well, including paying for our sins, removing our guilt, and giving us life that never ends.

3.      It comes as little, if any, surprise that Jesus does things his way. He is true God as well as true man and his knowledge as well as his wisdom is flawless, perfect. “He sees the big picture” is one way of saying it. An illustration I heard years ago on the radio helped me appreciate God’s way of doing things: A man sees a bird building a nest in a tree—and immediately gets a ladder, climbs up, and tears the nest apart. The next day the same thing happens: the bird works on a nest and the man destroys it. The third day the bird moves to a different tree to build its nest – and the man is delighted. Why? The first tree chosen was diseased and about to be cut down and burned. What appeared to be cruelty or hate was kindness and wisdom. The key was the man’s knowing the future—and acting in a way that was good for the bird although not appreciated at first. When the last chapter is written it will be clear that his way is the best way.

4.      Shakespeare (in As You Like It) gave a familiar quote: “Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.” Adversity, disappointment often bring blessings. [In the play it was spoken by a ruler deposed and exiled by his villainous brother.] Julius Caesar once had a respected, fearless soldier who lived in constant pain because of an injury early in his life. One day the pain left him. Caesar observed something else left him: his courage and leadership skills. He was now more interested in feeling good, being comfortable. Can’t we learn something from this? We are soldiers of Jesus Christ, and our commanding officer sometimes chooses  to “keep us in pain” or visit us with hardship – to maintain courage and character as members of the Church Militant. The events of Good Friday – and painful and ugly as they were, certainly showed us that he uses adversity for wonderful purposes. He does things his way – the best way.

Conclusion: Isaiah 55 tells us: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Praise him, for it is so. He does things his way – the best way. Amen