Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!
MARK 7:34–35
He was a sickly little boy who had suffered from many fevers. He vaguely remembered the soft sound of his mother’s voice, his father’s instructions when he helped with chores, the sounds of the animals, and the laughter of his friends playing in the streets. His parents began noticing how he misunderstood their directions or ignored them altogether. He grew listless and withdrew into his own little world. Now as an adult, he had learned to live with his deafness. He loved being around his friends, but it frustrated him not to fully participate in their conversations. He watched their lips and they made hand motions, communicating the best they could. He tried talking back, but it required patience to listen to him. His strange speech often sounded like garbled noise. He longed to know what they were thinking or feeling. Something was sorely missing in his relationships. Now, his friends wanted to change all that.
It shouldn’t be too difficult for some determined Galileans traveling with a deaf man with a speech impediment to find the Healer. They had heard He’d left Tyre and gone up to Sidon, and now was taking a roundabout way back to the Sea of Galilee through Decapolis, the region of the Ten Towns. His friends had sketched it all out for him in the dirt as they set out on their mission. From what he could tell, it was there they hoped to find Him. They had crossed the Jordan south of the Sea of Galilee; he was trapped in his silent world while his friends visited with the people they met along the way. They were apparently successful, because he was certain it was Jesus they could see up ahead on the outskirts of a nearby town. He was surrounded by a crowd of people. His friends took off running, and he followed close at their heels. Pushing through the crowd, they approached Jesus, their hands and mouths moving all at once as they pointed to him.
Jesus studied him for a moment. The deaf man looked back into the kindest eyes he had ever seen. He barely had time to process that Jesus could actually heal him, when He put His arm around his shoulder and led him away from the crowd. When they were a good distance away, He stopped. Placing His hands on both shoulders, Jesus looked at him again. Those eyes. Then Jesus did the strangest thing. He put His fingers into his deaf ears! Then He spit on His fingers and touched his locked tongue. Jesus looked up, His chest lowered, and he felt His breath. Then He said something. It must have been something powerful, because instantly his ears popped, and the sounds he vaguely remembered from his youth rushed in. He could hear perfectly! Words of joy spilled out of his mouth, and they came out flawlessly. He could speak plainly. Praise You, Jesus!
He ran back to the crowd to tell his friends what Jesus had done, and they were completely amazed, shouting with joy along with him. Even though Jesus told them not to tell anyone, they couldn’t help themselves, and said again and again, “Everything He does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak” (Mark 7:31–37).
Jesus sighed, showing empathy for this man and the disability that hindered his relationships with other people. He grieved that he was missing out on the full life His Father desired for him. And He showed us again that we can’t dictate the methods He will use to heal and restore. Sometimes He spoke; sometimes He touched. Here, He spat and touched the man’s ears and tongue. In the same way, He may heal us instantly or heal over time; He may heal supernaturally or heal through the medical realm. He may heal our physical bodies by first healing our soul. We can rejoice that we will always be healed in heaven. And like Jesus, we can look up, knowing that all healing comes directly from our Father’s hands.
By uttering Ephphatha, Aramaic for “be opened,” Jesus intentionally referenced Isaiah’s prophesy: “And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!” (Isaiah 35:5–6). Yes, indeed, your long-awaited Messiah has come. May your heart be opened to receive!
Lord, like the crowd who watched Your miracles, I stand amazed. Everything You do is wonderful! You are so good! I know You want the best for me, and I know You identify with my suffering. You suffer with me because You suffered for me. You are no stranger to my pain. You are the Messiah, the Anointed One, my Savior.
Thank You that You always heal. I know Your methods are of Your own choosing. Have mercy on me, Lord. Let nothing stand in the way of my walking in the fullness of life. Let nothing block my healing. Unplug my ears so I can hear. Open my heart so I can receive. My mouth sings for joy! Let me hear You cry, “Ephphatha!”