ON YOUR MARK: WEEK 7 DAY 6

Mark 7:31-37

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

In Exodus 4:10, Moses says to the Lord that he is slow of speech and cannot be used for God’s purposes, but God disagreed. In Mark 7, we read about how a man is deaf and speechless and God opened his ears and mouth and he spoke plainly after that. No wonder this man could not resist the urge to tell people about Jesus; his new found speech was what everyone was talking about. 

When you and I encounter Christ we are given an opportunity to begin to speak plainly about Jesus to others. You may not feel qualified, but Jesus has done great things in forgiving you and bringing you to salvation. If you feel underqualified to speak, ask God to speak through you by His Spirit, remembering the words of Jesus in Luke 12:12: “‘The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them.’” Take a step of faith and speak up, you have the best news in the history of the world.