Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man
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.[h] 32 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. 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.”
Horsham: 27th September 2024
In my previous post, we discovered that Jesus and the disciples had travelled beyond Israel’s borders to the region of Tyre on the Mediterranean coast. It was here that he miraculously healed the daughter of a gentile Syro Phonecian woman. Today we read that some time later, he travelled from there further north into modern Lebanon to the city of Sidon, before travelling back down south, probably passing the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee to another gentile region which we know as the Decapolis. We don’t know how long this journey took, but it is likely to have been months rather than weeks, and it was in this area in which Jesus encountered a man who was deaf and could not speak properly. The word used suggests that the man’s speech was impaired. The friends of this man beg Jesus to lay his hands on him. You might recall that Jesus has been in this area before, so we should not be surprised the people knew who he was and what he was capable of offering.
This is a huge moment for this man, and we shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus draws him to one side. Look at the things he does. First, his fingers are placed in the man’s ears. Next he spits on a finger and touches the man’s tongue. This sounds a little random to us, and in our post covid world it sounds particularly odd. Notice this – the man was perceived by his friends to have two problems. He could not hear, and he could not speak properly. Jesus touches his ears – actually putting his fingers into his ears. Jesus physically touches his tongue. Do you see how these actions meet this man perfectly at his point of need.
Jesus sighs deeply. The word suggests a deep, heartfelt sigh. ‘Ephphatha’ is an Aramaic word, and it simply means ‘be opened’. The man’s ears were opened and immediately (that word is there in the Greek) he began not just to speak, but to speak clearly. To emerge from a place of silence or distorted hearing and immediately be able to speak clearly is a sign of complete healing.
It’s not so surprising that people couldn’t keep quiet about this. The healer who passed through some time ago and healed that man who was so mentally ill that he was chained up has come back. The guy who has been healed would be known locally for his deafness and his strange voice. The fact that he was now hearing and speaking normally would be exciting news and even if the man himself remained silent, others would want to talk about it.
“He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (v37)
The disciples have heard this being said about Jesus. Any Jew would be unable to miss a link here. This verse of the prophet Isaiah anticipates the coming of the Messiah.
‘Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.’
End Piece:
A group of people brought a friend in great need to Jesus because they knew in their hearts that he could help them. The person in need was a gentile – not the kind of person you would imagine ever going looking for Jesus. Yet the opportunity was there – Jesus welcomed the friend and met him absolutely at his point of need. Everyone who knew this man could see that his life was dramatically changed.
Who do you love enough to bring them to Jesus?