“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.” Mark 7.31-37
Is there anything Jesus can not do? The past 20 plus miracles, when looked at one right after another, demonstrate Jesus has the power to do whatever he chooses to do. There seems to be nothing that Jesus can not accomplish.
As he leaves Tyre, goes through Sidon, and down to the Sea of Galilee, into the Gentile region of the Decapolis (named for the ten Greek cities on the eastern shore of the lake), a man who is deaf is brought to Jesus. This man could hardly talk and the people who brought him to Jesus “begged Jesus to place his hand on him.” They had heard what Jesus could do and believed he could heal this man as well. And they were right.
Jesus takes the man aside, puts his fingers in the mans ears, spits, touches the man’s tongue, looks up to heaven with a deep sign and says to him, “Ephphatha!” (Which means ‘Be opened!”) At that very moment Scripture tells us his ”ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” (Today we would question his methods but not his results!)
As before, Jesus tells the people not to say anything about this but the more he says this, the more word spreads because people “were overwhelmed with amazement.” And they said, “He has done everything well.”
Now we read these stories and we know what Jesus has done and will do. We aren’t amazed anymore but maybe we should be. We lose the awe of his power because we become familiar with his stories because we didn’t experience it first hand. We are twenty centuries removed from Jesus walking the earth and living in a body of flesh and blood.
But the same Jesus who performed these incredible miracles is still at work today. His Holy Spirit is alive and active and through this Spirit Jesus is working in the world. He is answerI got prayer, performing miracles, and redeeming sinners. Although we may not see his physical body, by faith we feel his presence and believe in his continuing actions in this world.
Jesus still does everything well. He still heals, still saves, still offers grace to those in need. The Jesus who amazed the crowd wants to amaze us once again and meet with us this very moment.
Why not meet with God? Spend time in his Word, on your knees in prayer, and on your feet in worship. Cry out to the God who continues to do all things well.
“O Lord God, you are good. I praise you for your works and miraculous deeds. Thank you that you not only spoke words of grace but your performed acts of power and love. Come now, Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Living God and Spirit of Jesus, blow a fresh wind upon us. Allow us to walk in step with your love and to grow deeper in our faith with you. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen