fulfilled

Mark 7:31-37

"31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, He came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

32 And they bring unto Him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech Him to put His hand upon him.

33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears, and He spit, and touched his tongue;

34 And looking up to heaven, He sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

36 And He charged them that they should tell no man: but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: He maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

Today’s verses are the written record of Jesus healing a deaf man with a speech impediment in the Decapolis, a largely Gentile region. After traveling from Tyre and Sidon, Jesus took the man aside privately. He placed His fingers in the man’s ears, touched his tongue with saliva, looked up to heaven, sighed, and commanded, “Ephphatha” (Aramaic for “Be opened”). Immediately the man could hear and speak plainly.

This miracle fulfills Isaiah 35:5–6, a Messianic prophecy that in the coming age “the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped” and “the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” Jesus’ compassionate, physical actions and His sigh show both deep empathy and dependence on the Father. Though He strictly charged the people to keep silent, they were overwhelmed with amazement and spread the news far and wide, declaring, “He has done all things well.”

In Mark’s Gospel, this Gentile-region miracle continues to show Jesus as the compassionate Messiah who brings restoration and all people. This good new spreads throughout the region. And, throughout time in Holy Scripture!