Waiting for a Miracle?

 

Healing of the Deaf Man, ca. 830. Fresco, Church of St. John, Müstair, Switzerland.

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 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. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mark 7:31-37)

Speaking of the time of deliverance by Messiah, the Prophet Isaiah says, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." (Isaiah 35:5)

Mark was the only Evangelist to record the miracle of the healing of the deaf and mute man in the region of the Decapolis. He stresses that Jesus Messiah was not seeking fame and fortune. He was not seeking glory. He wanted to protect the man who had been brought to him for healing, and he wanted the miracle kept quiet.

Jesus healed the man privately as an act of compassion. "Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue." (Mark 7:33-36) 

The people were astonished and said concerning Jesus: "He does all things well; he makes both the deaf to hear, and the mute to speak." (Mark 7:37)

Today this miracle is discounted as Christian propaganda. Skepticism extends beyond the possibility of miracles to the very idea that Messiah has come in the flesh. We live in a time of extreme unbelief. Is it any wonder that few see the miracles that do happen? We see what we expect to see. We hear what we want to hear. The effect is that we become spiritually deaf, mute and blind. If we are lucky, some friends might care enough to bring us to Jesus. That in itself would be a miracle!