Mark 7:31-37
One Word: Be Opened
Read the passage
31Then Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.
32Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.
33So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.
34And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).
35Immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.
36Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
37The people were utterly astonished and said, “He has done all things well! He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Jesus travels from the region of Tyre through Sidon toward the Sea of Galilee and the Decapolis. People bring Him a man who is deaf and has difficulty speaking. They ask Jesus to lay His hand on him.
He takes the man aside from the crowd. He puts His fingers into the man’s ears, then spits and touches his tongue. Looking toward heaven, He sighs deeply and speaks the command Ephphatha, which Mark translates as Be opened.
The man can hear, and he speaks plainly. Jesus has attended to him personally, away from the crowd, and His command has brought the change. Mark does not give a formula that others must copy to heal.
Jesus tells the people not to spread the news, but they do so all the more. Their astonishment is understandable; their enthusiasm still runs against His instruction. They declare:
“He has done all things well! He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”
Their words recall Isaiah’s promise of opened ears and a tongue singing for joy when God comes to save His people. We do not need to know how fully the speakers grasped that connection to recognize it as readers. The healing displays the restoring power of the One they have brought the man to meet.
How We Know
Isaiah announces God’s coming to save and describes deaf ears opening and a mute tongue singing. The healing and the crowd’s response in Mark echo those particular promises. The connection concerns the meaning of Jesus’ work, not proof of what every person in the crowd understood.
Questions
1 What do the people ask Jesus to do?
AnswerPlace His hand on the man who is deaf and has difficulty speaking. They bring him to Jesus for help.
2 How does Jesus attend to the man?
AnswerHe takes him aside privately, touches his ears and tongue, looks toward heaven and speaks. The encounter is personal rather than a public demonstration for the crowd.
3 How does Isaiah help us understand the healing?
AnswerIsaiah promises that deaf ears will open and the mute tongue will sing when God comes to save. This restoration echoes that hope.
4 What can respectful help look like when communication is difficult?
AnswerAsk what helps the person, give them time and address them directly. Do not assume that difficulty hearing or speaking means they cannot understand or make decisions.
What This Means for Us
Jesus gives this man personal attention. We can learn to offer help in ways that respect a person’s dignity, especially when communication takes extra time. Ask how they prefer to communicate rather than deciding for them.
His restoring authority is also reason for hope beyond our own capacity to help. Pray for those who suffer, offer the practical care available and resist turning someone’s experience into publicity for ourselves. The person matters more than the story we could tell about helping.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your restoring power and personal care. Teach us to listen patiently and respect the people we hope to help. Give hope to those who suffer and wisdom to those who care for them. Amen.