In this episode, J. Mark studies Mark 7:31-37 where Jesus heals a man who was deaf. The crowd responded to this miracle by saying, “He does all things well.” In this passage, we see the many ways that Jesus does do all things well—by responding in faith, understanding and respecting our feelings, and not doing good only for the glory. Join us to learn how “He Does All Things Well.”
Transcript
It is good to be with you as we look into the living Word of God. This incredible book has been used by faithful servants of God for many generations. It is humbling to think about all the others who have learned from and studied Jesus on these pages. What a privilege we have to open it and allow God’s Spirit to guide.
The title for our lesson comes from the last verse of Mark 7, where many were astonished and said, “He does all things well.” This was a fitting description for what Jesus was doing right before their eyes, and it is a fitting description for what Jesus is doing right now, for you and for me. And thankfully, praise God, we can also know this will be said of Him in the future. Jesus is supreme in goodness and power, so yes, He does all things well. He always has and always will.
There was once a mythical King named Midas. He ruled Phrygia, an ancient kingdom in Asia Minor. The gods granted him a wish that everything he touched would turn to gold.
However, he soon regretted his request. When he reached for his food, it turned to gold. When Midas raised his cup to his lips, and even the wine turned to gold, it was a bitter reminder of his foolishness. He touched his daughter, and she turned to gold. He was devastated.
So, when someone “has the Midas’ touch,” everything they touch turns to gold, figuratively. I had a friend like that in my teens. He excelled at whatever he attempted. Yet, as successful as he was, I couldn’t say, “He does all things well.”
There’s only one person for whom that can be said. It is the Lord Jesus, and that phrase is part of our text for today: Mark 7:31-37. I’ve taken that phrase for the title of my teaching, “He Does All Things Well.”
31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.
32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.
33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.
34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35 Immediately, his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.
36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
These closing verses of Mark chapter seven show us the WAYS Jesus does all things well.
The First WAY (Jesus does all things well) is,
He Responds to Faith
In our previous episode, we read about Jesus leaving Israel and traveling to Tyre in ancient Phoenicia. Mark describes Jesus’ itinerary this way. He left Tyre, went north to Sidon, made His way east, came back south, and then back up to the Sea of Galilee. This trip took the shape of a horseshoe and covered almost 200 kilometers.
Why did Jesus do this? One possibility is that he wanted to avoid the territory of Herod Antipas, who had executed John the Baptist. You may also recall that Jesus has been seeking time to rest and to teach His disciples uninterrupted. At every turn, He has been hampered by the overwhelming needs of the people. Thus, by taking this route, he could have that time with them.
One critical detail is that He went from one Gentile area to another. He had honored the faith of the Syro-Phoenician woman by exorcising the demon from her daughter. He has now moved to the Decapolis, a group of Greek cities in modern-day Jordan.
The text informs us that a man, who was deaf and had a speech impediment, was brought to Jesus. This deaf man had severe difficulty speaking clearly, so people could not discern his words. His friends begged Jesus to lay His hands on the man and heal him.
Mark is the only Gospel writer who records this incident. “Why?” There is a clue in the Greek New Testament’s original wording. The word Mark chose, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is used only in one other place in the Bible, in the Septuagint, Isaiah 35:5. It says, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.”
What’s significant about that? If we took time to read Isaiah 34, we would see a graphic picture of God’s judgment on Israel because of their sin. God’s judgment would make the land utterly desolate, inhabited only by wild animals.
Then, Isaiah begins chapter 35 with a dramatic message of hope. All this desolation would not be permanent! Isaiah promises the supernatural restoration of the land and the rejuvenation of the people in the Messianic age. Although that time did not occur during Jesus’ earthly life, there were glimpses of that glory in His ministry. This healing of the deaf man is one of them.
If you were to read Isaiah 35, you would recognize a familiar Scriptural concept: salvation is of the Jews. Ah, that’s what Jesus told the Syro-Phoenician woman. But Isaiah makes it clear that while salvation comes through the Jewish Messiah, it is available to all who exercise faith in Him. That is the message Mark is communicating to us. Jesus responds to those who exercise faith in Him! Indeed, He does all things well.
Another WAY (Jesus does all things well) is,
He Respects Feelings
As humans, we are acutely aware of our weaknesses and disabilities. We try, if we can, to hide them from others. This man couldn’t hide his disability. So, rather than make a public spectacle of him, Jesus drew him aside privately.
Because this man is deaf, Jesus uses sign language to show him what He’s going to do. He first put His fingers into the man’s ears. By touching this man, Jesus immediately became unclean according to Jewish law. The discussion of uncleanness at the beginning of this chapter is the context of this miracle.
Then, He spit on His hands and transferred that spittle by touching the deaf man’s tongue. While this may sound gross, I learned that the Rabbis universally recognized the use of saliva in cures. This use of Jesus’ bodily fluid in physical healing may foreshadow a more significant spiritual healing through the shedding of His blood.
Looking up toward heaven, Jesus groaned and said, “Ephphatha.” “Be unbarred.” Why did Jesus groan? Was it grief over the effects of sin? Was Jesus thinking ahead to that time when everything would be made perfect? At any rate, the immediate result was that this man could hear perfectly. His speech impediment also vanished, and he spoke plainly.
Imagine the weight of shame lifted from this man at that moment. I suspect people who tried to understand this man before his healing often gave up in exasperation. He, too, was likely frustrated by his inability to communicate clearly. His previous disability was so apparent that there was no possible way to hide it. But now it was gone!
But there’s a more significant healing. This man exercised faith in Jesus and was physically and spiritually healed. Jesus’ ministry was holistic. He came to minister to the whole range of human needs. And I am sure this man eagerly told anyone who would listen what had happened. Not only was the shame of his disability removed, but the shame of his sin was removed, too.
This is what happens to every Christ-follower. Before the Holy Spirit opens our understanding, we are as deaf to the Word of God as this poor man was deaf to all verbal communication. Until the Holy Spirit cleanses our hearts and souls, what we have in our mouths is mere filth, the poison of asps is under our lips, and our tongue utters blasphemy and poison.
Yes, Jesus respects our feelings. He cares. Jesus didn’t have any disabilities, but He knows what shame is. He hung naked and exposed on the Cross of Calvary, bearing the guilt and shame of our sin. Like this man, we can be set free from the shame of our spiritual disability!
Indeed, He does all things well!
Another WAY (Jesus does all things well) is,
He Requests Anonymity
Mark closes this account by writing, “Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.”
Why did Jesus issue this command? When you reflect on the ministry of Jesus, you get the impression that He didn’t seek publicity. A servant shuns publicity. He performs his duties in a way that makes his master look good, yet rarely receives public recognition for his service. He doesn’t expect a compliment or special favors when he does what is required. John the Baptist modeled this same spirit when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
This is not how we often act. We want people to notice what we’ve done and hope they’ll compliment us on our excellent work. This is one reason I believe God rarely bestows the gifts of miracles and healing on people today. The temptation to pride and undeserved credit is enormous and is often too much for people to overcome.
Costi Hinn and Anthony Wood wrote a book, “Defining Deception.” In it, they lovingly yet sternly expose the miracle fraud in the Word of Faith Movement and hope that Believers will unite against those who have turned Jesus into a divine vending machine. Behind a veil of show business, many self-proclaimed pastors mask their spiritual abuse with claims of extraordinary power from the Holy Spirit. “Defining Deception” pulls back the curtain to reveal the truth behind this money-making industry. It is a sad commentary on the state of the church today.
The closing verse of our text says, “And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
We may misread this as a momentary expression of wonder at what Jesus had done. However, that would be misreading the text. The grammar indicates that these statements came from individuals who had reached a settled conviction. Gentile people living in what was considered a pagan land became outspoken followers and supporters of Jesus. They were fully convinced that He does all things well.
Does your life experience and testimony confirm that Jesus does everything well? I know it doesn’t always feel like it when we’re in a difficult situation. However, in those times, Jesus responds to our faith in Him.
And Jesus respects our feelings as well. Feelings sometimes get a bad rap. But the writer of Hebrews states, “[That we have a high priest [who can] be touched with the feeling of our infirmities…” Jesus respected the feelings of this deaf man, and he respects your feelings, too.
Today, Jesus no longer requests anonymity. But He calls us to serve Him in ways that cause people to focus on Him rather than on us. May our lives reflect Him so clearly that even unbelievers will confess of Jesus, “He does all things well.”
Thanks, J. Mark, for sharing this teaching with us and showing us three ways Jesus did all things well. When you and I look around now, we can see more than three ways Jesus is doing all things well. Let’s be faithful and praise Him for this. We don’t want the rocks to cry out, so may we worship and exalt Him.
If you have any questions about today’s lesson or would like to contact us, please let us know. You can contact us by email or online. Our email address is hope@heraldsofhope.org, and our website is heraldsofhope.org. You will find “contact us” under the partner tab in the top right. Click that to message us directly. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Through every circumstance, we believe God is doing all things well. How this can be is not always obvious to us, but we believe and move forward with the faith expressed in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” God bless as you walk with Jesus, who does all things well.
