Again he left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. 32 And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; 34 then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) 35 And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. 36 He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. 37 They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and [the] mute speak.”
Jesus is still moving through predominantly Gentile territory as he comes into the region of the Decapolis, a group of ten cities east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee with a strongly Greek and Roman character. By setting the healing there, Mark signals that Jesus’ saving work reaches beyond the towns and villages of Israel and is not limited to one people or one place. The focus stays on what Jesus does and what the crowd sees.
People bring to Jesus a man who cannot hear and who also struggles to speak. They ask Jesus to lay his hand on him. Jesus does not make this a public display. He takes the man off by himself, away from the crowd. Mark then describes Jesus using a series of simple, physical gestures. He puts his fingers into the man’s ears. He spits and touches the man’s tongue. These actions keep the healing grounded in Jesus’ real human action, not in anything theatrical.
Jesus then looks up to heaven and groans. Mark’s wording helps the reader see that Jesus’ power is not presented as a technique. Looking up to heaven signals prayer and dependence on the Father. Jesus then looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (that is, ‘Be opened!’). Mark presents Jesus’ words as a direct command, and the healing follows immediately. The man’s ears are opened. His speech impediment has been removed. He speaks plainly. Mark’s brief description stresses that Jesus restores what was damaged and restores it fully.
Afterward, Jesus orders them not to tell anyone. That instruction appears often in Mark. It keeps the reader from reducing Jesus to a wonder-worker. His identity and mission cannot be grasped fully by miracles alone. Yet the crowd does not remain silent. Mark says, “the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.” The word “proclaimed” matters. It suggests that what they are doing resembles announcing good news, even if they do not yet understand the whole meaning of what they have witnessed.
The crowd’s reaction ends the passage. They are exceedingly astonished and say, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and [the] mute speak.” Their words echo the promise of restoration found in the prophets, especially the hope that God would come to save and that the deaf would hear and the mute would speak (Is 35:4-6). Mark lets the crowd’s amazement carry this implication: the healing is a sign that God’s saving work is present in Jesus.
Lord Jesus, open our ears to hear your word with faith, and guide our speech so that we may speak what is true and pleasing to you. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), Mk 7:31-37; Is 35:4-6; Mk 1:14; 13:10; 14:9; Mt 11:5-6.
- The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, commentary on Mk 7:31-37, pp. 78-79.
- New Jerome Biblical Commentary, commentary on Mk 7:31-37, pp. 612-613, para. 50.
- The Navarre Bible: St. Mark, commentary on Mk 7:31-37, pp. 189-190.
- Paulist Biblical Commentary, commentary on Mk 7:31-37, pp. 995-996.
- The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century, commentary on Mk 7:31-37, p. 1261.
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