AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE ULTIMATE HEARING AID
They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty.
—MARK 7:32
In January 1997, David and I had a life-changing encounter with God at a cell group meeting in my home, which we have been digesting ever since. We were co-teaching on Mark 7:31-37 when the encounter occurred. We hope that the context of this story helps explain why Jesus did what He did in this passage.
The preceding chapter of Mark describes Jesus feeding five thousand people, a “fish and chips” service for Israel. After that event, Jesus sends His emerging apostles for a stormy boat ride to a Gentile area. In Mark 8, Jesus feeds another four thousand people in a Gentile area called Decapolis, a Gentile “fish and chips” service. Jesus is showing the people in both areas, both Jew and Gentile, as well as His emerging apostles, that everyone is included in God’s kingdom—no one is excluded.
After both of these miraculous feedings, the Pharisees approach Jesus and argue with Him. They want to see a sign from Heaven in order to test Him. Jesus doesn’t want to play the arguing game because He is aware of a reality of which they aren’t aware: even if they saw a miracle, they wouldn’t believe it. Rather, they would dissect it, debate it, analyze it, and eventually reject it. They couldn’t see it because they wouldn’t see it.
Right after the encounter with the Pharisees, the apostles notice they had just one loaf of bread left, and, like the Pharisees, they began to heatedly discuss their lack of sustenance. Look at Jesus’s response in Mark 8:17-21:
And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.” And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Whether you are Jew or a Gentile, a Pharisee or an apostle, it is possible to hear something yet not hear it. You can see something, yet not see it. You can know something, yet not understand it. And that’s a problem if you were designed to hear, see, and understand. Jesus provides an aha regarding the cause of their lack of understanding spiritual realities: “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word” (John 8:43). This is a problem for people who are designed by God to hear, see, understand, speak for, and represent Him in the earth today.
Born to Win, Conditioned to Lose
Now let’s pick up the narrative beginning with Mark 7:31-37:
Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. They were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Here is a disabled Gentile man, who is made in the image of God, who speaks with difficulty and a lack of clarity. Perhaps at one time he could clearly hear and speak, but he lost his hearing through an event. And now he was losing his ability to speak because he couldn’t properly hear. So his friends brought him to Jesus. They thought, “Jesus, bless him. We like him but we can’t understand him. Maybe You can do something with him. He is awkward. No one knows what he is saying.” This man was marginalized because he had lost his ability to hear. He was on the outside looking in.
Because he could not hear, the man spoke with difficulty. There was no clarity, no power, no authority, and no life when he spoke. He’d lost the power of his tongue, the power of speech. But the loss of speech was only a symptom of a greater problem that was going on: He couldn’t hear. One’s ability to speak is directly tied to one’s ability to hear. A baby hears before speaking clearly; in fact, a baby can’t speak what he or she hasn’t heard. One must hear first and speak second. We were designed by God, in both the natural and the spiritual realms, to hear first and speak second.
So it is with many people and leaders in the church and marketplace today. In a spiritual sense, they used to clearly hear the voice of God; there was two-way communication with Him. When they heard from God, they powerfully, clearly, and authoritatively spoke. They inspired others. They created shift. They produced fruit that remained. They were transformational. That kind of clear, powerful speaking from Heaven to earth attracted others. These people heard from God and demonstrated love in word and deed. People were blessed and happy to be with them. But they lost their way. Somewhere along the way, they lost their ability to hear, and now they “speak with difficulty.” Unintelligible rhetoric and shallow explanations, political maneuvering and cronyism, denominational doctrinarism and career building have taken the place of clear speech.
People don’t do this intentionally. But somewhere, somehow, some way, something gets in the way and they lose their ability to clearly speak. They trade God’s voice for that of another. Naturally, they justify and explain away this idea. But is it the “now” word of the Lord that creates shift and forward momentum when they speak? Where is the power? Where is the hammer that shatters the rock? My observation is that when a Christian loses the ability and desire to hear from God, the result is that he or she speaks with difficulty.
The truth is that people tolerate leaders like this. Like the men in the gospel story, they say, “Just bless him, Jesus. We like him, but we don’t know what he is saying. We can’t understand him anymore. Touch him, Jesus, because he needs help.” And that is unfortunate. Any church or marketplace leader in that sort of condition needs a hearing aid. It’s not about being wrong; it’s about being life giving. After all, in the spiritual realm, if God doesn’t say it, then we probably don’t have much to say.
God-Style Prophetic Activation
Jesus had more in mind than just blessing the deaf man and sending him on his way. Jesus wanted to prophetically activate him. He didn’t want the man marginalized; He wanted him to hear so he could speak. Jesus wanted the man back in the game of quality life. Observe what Jesus did to put this man back in circulation through prophetic activation: Jesus restored his hearing first, then his speaking second. Hear God first, then speak to others. We probably don’t have much to say if we don’t hear anything, but God has a lot to say. If He can heal this man’s hearing, then He can do it for us too!
How did Jesus activate the man, bringing him back into his purpose, calling, vision, and destiny? First, Jesus took the man away from the multitude. He understood that the village had a voice. Jesus wanted the man to hear His voice, not all the other voices from the multitude. Think of it: many of those around him were just as spiritually deaf as the man was physically deaf. Jesus took the man out of his comfort zone; He “turned off the television” of others telling him their vision. Jesus got him alone so that God could speak to him though Jesus. The man got alone with God so that he could speak to others the words God spoke to him.
Second, Jesus put His fingers in the man’s ears before doing anything else. Why did Jesus do this? It is because people can’t speak clearly until they hear clearly. On this occasion, Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting on whatever came out of his ears, He touched the man’s tongue with His saliva. Why do you think Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears first? Why do you think Jesus spit on whatever came out of the man’s ears? Why did Jesus then touch the man’s tongue with His saliva? It was because God told Him to do it in that order. Jesus only did what the Father spoke. God spoke, Jesus responded, and the man was healed.
Can you imagine what Jesus thought about this? Perhaps He was thinking, “This doesn’t make sense. This is disgusting! Father, You have told Me to heal other people, and I have never had to do it this way before! What will the people who are watching Me think? Father, are You sure about this? Do You realize that there will be really enthusiastic Christians in the future who will read this and try to do this to other people when You never told them to do it?” (Just kidding!) Perhaps that is why Jesus sighed. Whatever Jesus was thinking in the moment, there is a lesson that God gave during that encounter. To speak properly, we first need to hear properly. Hear first, speak second. That’s how God’s kingdom comes and His will is done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Third, Jesus, after hearing what the Father told Him to say, said to the deaf man, “Ephphatha! Be opened!” Isn’t it interesting that after the man’s ears were opened, “the impediment of his tongue was removed,” and then “he began speaking plainly”? The crowd was “utterly astonished.” They saw the miracle. But even more importantly, they heard the kingdom lesson from Heaven. Notice what they observed and the order in which they said it: “He makes even the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.” Hear first, speak second. This changes everything.
Whose Voice Are We Hearing?
Let’s focus on what Jesus spoke to the deaf man as well as to the people in the surrounding multitude from the village. Remember that everything Jesus did was for the benefit of those who were watching. While the “Be opened” statement was specifically for the deaf man’s ears, there was an additional story behind the story—Jesus was telling all of us to be open to God’s voice. The multitude heard the village’s voice, peoples’ voices, Gentile voices, and their culture’s voice. But Jesus was introducing all of them to the voice, the voice of God.
The multitude were listening to, obeying, and serving the voices of entities that were as spiritually deaf as the man was physically deaf. The village’s voice had nothing to say because its message didn’t come from God. The village spoke with difficulty because its populace couldn’t clearly hear. Jesus was telling them in this encounter, “You are just as deaf as the deaf man you brought to Me. And because you are spiritually deaf, you speak with difficulty, telling lies from the father of lies and calling it truth. You assess the times with humanity’s fallen wisdom. Because you are hearing the wrong voice, you are speaking the wrong message. In the same way, My Father physically healed this man, and I want to spiritually heal you. But you will have to ‘be open!’ Listen! Do you hear who and what I hear? If so, then you will speak what I speak. Allow the Word to speak a word before you speak a word.”
Be Open
Like He did with the deaf man in Mark 7, Jesus is taking us away from the multitude of voices, distractions, and obstacles that keep us from hearing the Father’s voice. As He did with the deaf man, Jesus wants to open our ears. After the deaf man’s ears were opened, his mouth suddenly opened too. He no longer spoke with difficulty. Because he could now hear clearly, he could also speak clearly. In today’s world, clarity is a rarity.
Be open and be wise. Jesus didn’t say to throw away discernment. However, He didn’t say to throw away faith either! Let me spring into prophetic mode: Be open! Open your ears before you open your mouth. If you can’t hear God, then you can’t speak what God is speaking. If you can’t hear the whole truth, then you won’t speak the whole truth. If you can’t hear faith, you won’t speak faith. If you can’t hear cultural transformation, you won’t speak cultural transformation. If you can’t hear engaging and influencing the seven mountains of culture, then you won’t speak to and engage and influence the seven mountains of culture. If you can’t hear what the Spirit is saying, then you will never say what the Spirit is saying. If you can’t hear apostolic ministry, then you won’t speak apostolic ministry.
John, the beloved apostle of God, demonstrates this reality: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet” (Revelation 1:10). Notice that John didn’t speak until God first spoke. If we can’t hear wisdom, then we won’t speak wisdom. If we can’t hear love, then we won’t speak love. If we can’t hear victory, then we won’t speak victory. If we can’t hear forgiveness, then we won’t speak forgiveness. If we can’t hear the value of prayer, then we won’t speak the value of prayer. If we can’t hear marketplace ministry, then we won’t speak marketplace ministry. If we can’t hear character, then we won’t speak character. If we can’t hear hope, then we won’t speak hope. If we can’t hear the fruit of the Spirit, then we will never speak the fruit of the Spirit. If we can’t hear the gifts of the Spirit, then we will never speak the gifts of the Spirit. If we can’t hear valuing others, then we will never speak value to others. If we can’t hear unity, then we won’t speak unity. The source of what we hear is vitally important, for it determines what we speak.
Whose voice are you listening to? If you are truly hearing God’s voice, then be open! This truth applies to you, your marriage, your family, your business, your finances, your spiritual life, and your education. It applies to your spending habits; where, when, and how to invest; and how to build your business. The culture has a voice but it is not God’s voice.
Being open requires having both an open mind and open ears. Many Christians have it backward: they are close-minded to what God is saying and open-minded to what the multitude is saying. Clean out your ears that are plugged with the earwax of the village so your ears can clearly hear God when He speaks. Then the impediment of your tongue will be removed as well. Then you’ll be positioned for an abundant life in lean times. Jesus did this when He was tempted by satan in the wilderness, showing us how to live in tumultuous times: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word [RHEMA—an utterance from God for a specific occasion] that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
What You Hate May Be That Which Activates You
Do you know the definition of poor? POOR means Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly. This book, if applied correctly, will have the outcome of RICH: Radiant, Inspired, Competent, and Healthy. Don’t be closed. Quit focusing on the way circumstances appear; quit focusing on the confusion and tumult that surrounds you. God is not surprised by any of these situations. God wants to move you from the outhouse to the penthouse. In fact, you are already there; you are already seated with Christ in heavenly places. God has everything under control. The big picture is secure. Don’t be intimidated. The village wants you to focus on the smaller picture—don’t fall for it.
Christians in today’s world often start wondering whether God really exists. I’ve noticed many Christians who are like the man in Mark 7: they used to hear clearly and they could speak clearly, but now they are speaking a kind of semi-God, semi-village-type of rhetoric that sounds “difficult.” The deaf man didn’t know that he was speaking with difficulty because his hearing was blocked. Likewise, many of us don’t know we are speaking with difficulty because, either intentionally or unintentionally, our hearing is impaired, which causes our speaking to be impaired. We think we are wiser than others, we justify our actions, we are “contemporary,” and we compromise in crucial areas. As a result, there is no power in our lives anymore—and we don’t even know it! But believe me, everyone else notices.
As you continue reading this book, David and I suggest that you allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Maybe Jesus will stick His fingers in your ears. Maybe Jesus will do something that offends you. Maybe He will spit on whatever He takes out of your ears and then touch your tongue. Don’t get mad at Jesus. He only does what the Father tells Him to do. You can be sure that if it comes from God, then it is good for you because God is good. What you think you hate may be that which activates you! Mike Murdock says it even better: “Sometimes you’ve got to do something you hate to get to something you love.”1
Listening
As I was writing this book, I was amazed to discover a significant addition in two familiar biblical accounts I have been aware of for years. The first time this account is mentioned is at Jesus’s baptism and the second time is atop a mountain that was transfigured because the person at the top was being transfigured. Notice the small but life-changing difference:
And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17).
While [Peter] was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5)
The voice has the same source, the Son is the same, the two “beholds” in each account are the same, and the bright clouds in each account are the same. Everything is the same until we get to the last two words in the second account. The second account adds, “Listen to Him!” Some other versions say, “Hear Him!” Why should we hear Jesus? It is because He hears the Father. Why should we listen to Jesus? It is because He listens to the Father. God interrupted Peter’s speech and accolades—Peter didn’t have much to say, but God did. God gives us crucial insight here: God speaks to us so that God can speak through us. The first time this happens in Mathew, God makes a declaration; the second time this happens in Matthew, God gives a command. When you want to transfigure cultural mountains, you must first be transfigured yourself by hearing Jesus.
Since becoming a Christian, I have often struggled in my practice of prayer. I have been through the “Could you not pray with Me for one hour?” prayer programs. I have been through the “binding and loosing” prayer movements, and I have been through the “soaking prayer” movements. I thought I was not a prayer person until I saw those last two words of Matthew 17:5: “Hear Him.” It was like God was speaking to me: “Listen to Me. Get understanding. Learn the story behind the story.”
As I was reflecting on this, I heard God say: “Ed, you don’t realize it, but you are a competent prayer person. While the ‘Peter types’ talk, you listen. You are tuned into Me and what I am saying. You think about Me all the time. You have stumbled into something many aren’t yet aware of. You listen. You hear Me. You don’t ask for much. You don’t request much. You just listen. You have an ear for revelation. You find gold. You have something to say because you listen to Me. If you open your mouth wide, I will fill it.”
Me? A prayer person? I admit that I do think about God as often as I can. I tune into the God channel regularly. I don’t have to try to think about God; it’s just who I am. It’s my nature. There are other types of prayer people, too, and I am honored to know them. There are intercessors who stand in the gap, spiritual prayer warriors, meditators and chanters, and prayer-of-faith people. Maybe the prayer army that needs to be raised up in today’s world is an army of listeners, who become learners, and learners who become doers. Maybe God is raising up people who have real wisdom because they hear Him. History has shown many of the strongest prayer people are people who hear first then speak or act second on what they heard. After all, as Alfred Brendel says, the words listen and silent have the same exact letters in them.2
Notes
1. Mike Murdock, Wisdom for Crisis Times: Master Keys for Success in Times of Change (Ft. Worth, TX: The Wisdom Center, 1992).
2. This portion of this chapter was taken from an article that appeared in Ed Delph’s newspaper column “The Church-Community Connection” in September 2016. Ed has written this column since November 2004 for the Glendale Star and Peoria Times in the Phoenix-Metro area, as well as for outlets in other cities outside of the United States