HEARING AND SPEECH RESTORED BY CHRIST
‘They bring unto Him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech … And straightway his ears were opened … and he spake plain.’
Here is a beautiful illustration of Christ’s sympathy. This poor man was in a piteous condition. How many are like him in spiritual things! Their ears closed, that they do not hear the Word (Jeremiah 5:21; Mark 8:18). Their tongues tied, that they cannot tell their wants (John 5:40). What is to be done? Only this—bring them to Jesus (Mark 7:32). See in this case:—
I. The Lord’s interest.—‘He took him aside,’ etc. (Mark 7:33). He might have healed him before all (Matthew 9:8). But no; He takes the man by himself. He shows that He has a special interest in him. The Shepherd knows and leadeth out each sheep (John 10:2; John 10:4; Revelation 7:17).
II. The Lord’s look.—‘Looking up to heaven’ (Mark 7:34). This is the look that prayer gives for help (Psalms 5:3). ‘The upward glancing of an eye.’ Jesus always prayed when help was needed (Luke 3:21; Luke 6:12-13; Luke 22:32-41). So he prays now (Hebrews 7:25; John 17:15-20).
III. The Lord’s sigh.—‘He sighed’ (Mark 7:34), as though He felt acutely what the poor man suffered (Isaiah 53:4). Christ always did show His feeling for His people (Isaiah 63:9). He does so now (Acts 9:4). He will manifest it also in judgment (Matthew 25:40-45).
IV. The Lord’s word.—‘Ephphatha, that is, Be opened’ (Mark 7:34). Only one word is needed. If a man’s house is on fire, and he asleep, you need only cry, ‘Awake.’ So there is but one word needed from Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 8:8; Hebrews 4:12).
V. The Lord’s power.—(Mark 7:35). The power will always accompany the word (Jeremiah 23:29). The man was completely cured. He heard the word of grace (Romans 10:17). He spake the word of praise (Psalms 51:15).
Add up all these various points now, as manifested by the Saviour in the healing of this poor man, and what do they show, but His deep sympathy and lovingkindness? What we want is to have our hearts so touched by the Spirit that we may enter into this and glorify God (Psalms 103:2-5).
—Bishop Rowley Hill.
Illustration
‘Dr. Carey found a man in Calcutta who had not spoken a loud word for four years, under a vow of perpetual silence. Nothing could open his mouth, till happening to meet with a religious tract, he read it, and his tongue was loosed. He soon threw away his paras, and other badges of superstition, and became a partaker of the grace of God. Many a professing Christian, who is as dumb in religious subjects as if under a vow of silence, would find a tongue to speak if religion were really to touch and warm his heart.’