Mark 7:31-37
Isaiah 29:18 In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
We now move into the time of Jesus’ ministry and the way He fulfilled various prophecies during that time. We won’t necessarily be going through these miracles in chronological order but we will see things that we may have missed before.
By the time of this miracle Jesus had disciples and was traveling around with them teaching and ministering to the people they encountered. On one such journey they went from the region of Tyre and Sidon near the Mediterranean Sea to the southeast region of the Sea of Galilee. They had been witnessing Him doing various things by this point and they were about to see something that would fulfill yet another prophecy.
When they reach the area known as the Ten Cities they were in a place that was unlike the small fishing village they lived in. These cities were pagan run cities. They worshiped false gods and raised pork making them unclean people for the Jewish people to be dealing with. But that didn’t stop Jesus. He understood that He could remain true to His God nature and still be there for the people that needed Him.
One such man is the man that He encountered in our story today. He saw this man not just for his current state but for the person he could become. But notice that it wasn’t Jesus seeking this man out, it was the people of the region seeking Jesus to ask for His touch on this man. This tells us that even among the pagan culture, the truth of Jesus and His healing power was being spread. We don’t really know anything about this man other than the fact that he was deaf and struggled to speak.
They brought him to Jesus for one of two reasons, they believed that Jesus could do the things that they had heard or they wanted to show that Jesus wasn’t all that He was built up to be. No matter their reason for asking, Jesus heals him and they are amazed and wanted to tell everyone what He had done. And for the first time, this man was hearing the truth of Jesus proclaimed. He could now hear the Word of the Lord. Oh that we would have ears ready to listen.
Making It Personal
How open are your ears to the Word of the Lord? Do you readily listen to what He is telling you? Do you listen to others who need Jesus?
Making It Personal Kids
Do you know the difference between hearing and listening? Why is it important to listen to what Jesus says in the Bible? Does listening include being willing to obey?
Closing Prayer
Father, we confess there are times when we are too busy living like those around us that we aren’t as ready to listen to You. Help us learn to listen to what Your Word says with eager anticipation every time. In Jesus’ name, amen.