Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Job 8-10
     New Testament Reading: Mark 7

They brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking and begged Jesus to lay his hand on him. So he took him away from the crowd in private. After putting his fingers in the man’s ears and spitting, he touched his tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”). Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly (Mark 7:32-35).

Jesus and His disciples set out on an unusual course to travel, ministering through the predominantly Gentile villages and towns of the Decapolis. Here, He is presented with a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. Perhaps he stammered, maybe he spoke with a lisp, or perhaps, because of his deafness, he never learned to articulate words properly.

Jesus, refusing to exploit the situation, took the man aside and looked him in the face. Knowing it would be useless to talk, he explained what he was about to do through gestures. He spat and touched the man’s tongue, telling him that whatever restricted his speech was about to be removed. He touched his ears, putting his fingers in the man’s ears. For the first time, they were about to hear.

It left no doubt as to the source of the man’s healing. Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly (v35). His restoration was miraculous and there was no doubt Jesus had healed him completely.

But before the man said a word or heard a sound, Jesus did something unexpected. Looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply (v34). A sigh is a sign of heartache, a recognition of the pain that was never intended, or of hope deferred. When Jesus looked into the eyes of the man, the only appropriate thing to do was sigh.

Jesus cares deeply about people of all backgrounds – Jew or Gentile. His compassion and willingness to help the helpless have no boundaries. Jesus hurt with the man and sympathized with his suffering. Ears were not made to be deaf, and tongues were not made to be silent. The unfairness of it all caused the Master to express His grief over the suffering which sin has brought on mankind.

In the agony of Jesus, lies our hope. Had he not sighed, had he not felt the burden for what was not intended, we would be in a sorry condition. That holy sigh assures us that God still groans for his people. He groans for the day when all sighs will cease when what was intended will be. That glorious day when God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away (Rev 21:3b-4).