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 NIV)
Earlier this year, an American man named David Rush accomplished an extraordinary feat. Have you heard of him? He set a world record. Know what he did? He smashed 55 vinyl records in 30 seconds. No one had ever done that before! Even more remarkably, with that record David Rush set a world record for most world records. That one man now holds 181 Guinness world records, including juggling while blind-folded for more than an hour, balancing 101 toilet paper rolls on his head, drinking a liter of lime juice in 13.99 seconds, bursting balloons with chopsticks, and 176 other amazing feats. Isn’t he an inspiration? Somebody sets a world record at the Olympics, and everybody gets excited. He’s got 181 of them! David Rush does just about everything well.
But I bet he hasn’t done this: Enable a deaf and mute man to hear and talk. What do you think? The world is full of people who accomplish extraordinary things, whether serious and important things or ridiculous and funny things, but there is no one like Jesus. God’s Word constantly wants to convince us that there is no one like Jesus. Not even David Rush comes close.
Our lesson starts with Jesus traveling around: “Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.” I know that when you hear a bunch of names, your eyes start to glaze over. But all these names remind us that Jesus was a real person who lived in real places. The Bible is real history! There’s something surprising about these names: Tyre, Sidon, the Decapolis… Do you know where those places are located? Not in Israel! Jesus faced so much opposition from the Jewish leaders that he left the country for a while to preach and teach elsewhere. His message of salvation was for all people.
Jesus ended up in the Decapolis. That’s a Greek word that means “Ten Cities.” There were ten cities east of Israel that were loosely connected with each other—the Decapolis. They are in the countries of Syria and Jordan today. “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.” Even outside of Israel, Jesus’ fame had spread. People had heard of his power and his compassion. As soon as Jesus showed up, people brought a deaf and mute man to Jesus and begged Jesus to heal him.
As we talk about Jesus doing everything well today, we need to realize how much we take God’s blessings for granted. Can you imagine not being able to hear or speak, like this man? If your ears work, if you open your mouth and real words come out, that is a remarkable blessing from God! This man had never heard his mother’s voice. He could never understand the jokes that everyone around him was laughing at. He couldn’t communicate what he was thinking or feeling or needing. Can you imagine that? It must have been awful! Silent. Excluded. Forgotten.
But not by Jesus. Remember what we learned last week? What are we to God? His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 26:18). If a person can’t hear or talk, they might seem less valuable to society. But not to Jesus! He cared. He loved this man. “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.” Why? That sounds strange! Well, the man couldn’t hear. Jesus couldn’t tell him what he was about to do. So he showed him. “These ears? This tongue? I am going to make them work!”
But Jesus didn’t heal the man by touching him. He healed him the way God so often works: With his Word. Jesus looked up to heaven to show the man where his power was coming from. Then, with a deep sigh, he said, “Ephphatha!” Ephphatha is an Aramaic word. Aramaic is what Jesus and the Jews of his day spoke. Do you know Aramaic? Neither did Mark’s readers 2,000 years ago. Mark wrote his Gospel for non-Jews like us. So he translated it: “Be opened!” Immediately, the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was loosened and he could speak clearly.
We get used to Jesus’ miracles, don’t we? But don’t miss how amazing this is. Imagine if a doctor were trying to help this man. The doctor would say, “We’re going to take baby steps. We’re going to try to help you bit by bit. Take this medicine and go home and let’s see what happens.” Or, “we’ll do this surgery and it will take months to recover and we’ll see if there’s any improvement.” That’s how a normal doctor would do things. Is Jesus a normal doctor? No! He is God! Instantly, the man was completely healed and able to speak clearly. What a miracle!
The people recognized this. They “were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’” Jesus does everything well, including things only God can do. If any of us really practiced, we could find a way to balance a bunch of toilet paper rolls on our heads. Who’s the only one who can make the deaf hear? God. This is exactly what the prophet Isaiah had predicted that the Messiah—the Savior—would do: “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy” (Isaiah 35:5-6). The people started to make connections. “Jesus is different. He’s special! Could he be the Savior? He does everything well!”
So do you know what the people did? They immediately disobeyed him. It’s ironic how the story ends. After the miracle, “Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.” Why? Well, remember why Jesus was in the Decapolis in the first place? Opposition was growing, and Jesus didn’t want to attract much attention. So, he commanded the people not to tell anyone. Jesus knew what was best! But did they listen? No. They disobeyed him. In fact, “the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.” What an irony! “Jesus does everything well, so let’s not listen to him!”
Who would say that? Let’s see. Do you believe that Jesus has done everything well? Yes? Do you listen to what he says? This continues to be an incredibly ironic problem for us Christians. We say, “Jesus does everything well,” and then we refuse to listen to him. “Jesus, you do everything well, but that stuff about sex and marriage and divorce? No way. Not following that.” “Jesus, you do everything well, but that stuff about not loving money? I’m not following that.” Do you see the problem? It’s a big problem. Every time we disobey God’s commands, we’re saying, “Jesus, you don’t do everything well. In fact, you’re dead wrong. My way is better!” Is that faith? No! You can’t say you believe in Jesus and live against Jesus at the same time.
Unfortunately, there are more subtle ways we do the same thing. What are you discontent with today? Frustrated about? Convinced isn’t going right? Maybe it’s where you live. Maybe it’s that you’re sick. Think about this: Every time we lament the life God’s given us, what are we saying to Jesus? “You don’t do everything well. In fact, you’ve doing a miserable job.” We’d never say that out loud, but isn’t that what our lives often say? “Jesus, you don’t do everything well.”
Not just at the present. In the future too. What are you worried or anxious about today? I could make a list. I bet you could too! But think about this: With every worry, what are we saying to Jesus? “Jesus, you don’t do a very good job, so I’m worried that you’re going to mess this up too.” We’d never say that out loud, but isn’t that what our worries say to God? We call ourselves people of faith, but we often act like people who don’t think God can do anything right. Do you see the problem? Our refusal to follow Jesus’ commands, our constant discontentment with life, and our anxieties about the future faithlessly shout out to Jesus, “You don’t do things well!”
That’s why it was so necessary for Jesus to do everything well. The Bible explains that Jesus came to take our place. To perfectly do everything that we’ve failed to do. To save us! Do you know what Jesus did with every single one of God’s commands? He kept them. Every single one! Do you know how Jesus faced the challenges of life? From rejection to pain to death? With perfect trust in God’s plan. Jesus did everything well. For us. In our place. And then he died on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus took away all our sins and gave to us his perfection.
So that when God looks at you, by faith in Jesus, do you know what God sees? Someone who does everything well. How? Because Jesus did it for you. Jesus gave it to you. Jesus took all your sins away. This is how God’s Word heals us. The Word that has power to open ears has power to open hearts. Just like Jesus pulled that man aside and put his fingers in his ears and touched his tongue, Jesus pulls you aside every time you read the Bible, and he says, “It’s for you. This is for you. I’ve done all this for you.” Jesus does everything well for you. Do you believe that?
Then here’s what we need to do, constantly: Repent. Turn to Jesus for forgiveness. Turn to Jesus for grace. Turn to Jesus for strength to trust in him. Whatever area of your life today in which you are disobeying God, realize this: Jesus’ way is better. Whether it’s his plan for sex or money or alcohol or speech… Jesus does everything well. You believe that, right? Then trust him! Turn away from your way and the world’s way and trust Jesus. Jesus really does everything well.
Even when it seems like he messed up. Did God mess up by allowing that man to be deaf and mute? I bet it seemed that way to him. God messed up! But was that true? No. Even his disability was God doing everything well. Jesus had plans for him that he couldn’t possibly imagine. It’s the same for you. Even that hardship in your life is God doing everything well. Can you see that? It takes eyes of faith. God’s power and grace are made perfect in weakness. Whatever challenges you are facing today, trust that Jesus does everything well, and one day you’ll understand.
Do you see the hope this gives us? This past week, I saw another bumper sticker. It said, “NO ONE IS COMING. IT’S UP TO US.” I can see why someone might think that. “We’re on our own. Nobody’s coming to help us. We have to do it!” That’s an awful message. It’s not true. No one’s coming? What a lie! Jesus came. He already came and saved us! Jesus is here right now with us in the midst of every struggle. Jesus is coming. He is! And he will make everything right.
Jesus does everything well. Even more than David Rush has. How many things has God done better than anyone else? Everything. He heals the deaf and mute. He died for our sins. He opened heaven for us. He created you. He designed your life. He’s present with you every single moment. He loves you. I know it doesn’t always seem to be true. But Jesus does everything well for you and me. You can trust him! You can follow him! Jesus does everything well.
(To listen to this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior podcast, please click HERE. To watch this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior YouTube channel, please click on the link below.)
コメント