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. (Mark 7:31-37 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
BURKITT : | Mr 7:1-13 | Mr 7:14-23 | Mr 7:24-30 | Mr 7v31-37 |
See here, 1. The bitter fruits and sad effects of sin which have brought deafness, dumbness, and blindness upon the human nature. As death, so all diseases entered into the world by sin; sin first brought infirmities and mortality into our natures, and the wages of sin are diseases and death.
Observe, 2. That the blessing of bodily health and healing is from Christ; who by his divine power, as he was God, miraculously and immediately healed them that were brought unto him.
Observe, 3. The actions and gestures which our Saviour used in healing this deaf person. He puts his finger into his ears, spits, and touched his tongue. Not that these were means or natural causes effecting the cures for there was no healing virtue in the spittle; but only outward signs, testimonies, and pledges of Christ’s divine power and gracious readiness to cure the person in distress.
Observe, 4. How Christ withdrew the person from the multitude, whom he was about to help and heal. Teaching us, In all our good works to avoid all show and appearance of ostentation and vain glory: to set God’s glory before our eyes, and not to seek our own praise.
Observe, 5. The effect which this miracle had upon the multitude; it occasioned their astonishment and applause: They were astonished, and said, He hath done all things well. It becomes us both to take notice of the wonderful works of God, and also to magnify and extol the author of them. This is one way of glorifying our Creator.