Jesus Heals the Deaf and Calls His Church to Disciple

Mark 7 shows Jesus coming through the coast of Decapolis, where friends bring Him a man who is deaf and has an impediment in his speech. Jesus does not treat that man like a problem in a crowd. Jesus takes him aside. Jesus makes time for the one, just like He goes after the one lost sheep.

Jesus puts His fingers in the man’s ears, touches his tongue, looks up to heaven, sighs, and says, “Be opened.” The first words that man ever hears are the words of Jesus Christ. Christ opens his ears, looses the string of his tongue, and gives him the ability to speak plain. The miracle is not only that the man can hear and make sound. The miracle is that a man who had never learned language can suddenly communicate clearly.

Christ’s healing pictures the completeness of salvation. Jesus does not take away only the sins from the past and leave future sins for a person to somehow handle alone. Christ takes them all away. Christ heals completely, and Christ wants deaf people in His family just as much as He wants hearing people in His family.

The Great Commission includes every creature, including those who have breath in their lungs but communicate in a different language through the deaf world. The deaf need God just as much as anybody else. The deaf get just as excited when Christ saves them. The healed man and his friends could not stop telling people what Jesus had done, even when Jesus charged them to tell no man. That kind of joy is like trying to stop Niagara Falls with a toothpick.

The burden for deaf ministry goes beyond leading somebody to the Lord. Discipleship matters. Matthew 28 commands believers not only to go, but also to teach people to observe all things Christ commanded. Churches that lead deaf people to Christ and then leave them without interpretation, fellowship, or biblical instruction leave them vulnerable to whoever reaches them next.

First Corinthians 12 says the body is one body with many members. The body of Christ does not have room to treat deaf brothers and sisters as an afterthought. Christ calls churches to remember them, make room for them, and help them grow. God also directs ministry opportunities in ways nobody could plan, placing His servants where a hurting church and a lost man need hope and salvation.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus makes time for one Jesus took the deaf man away from the multitude and dealt with him personally. Christ never loses sight of the individual in the middle of a crowd. The value of a person is not measured by how easily that person can communicate, serve, or fit into ordinary church life. [47:47]
• 2. Christ heals completely, not halfway Jesus opened the man’s ears, loosed his tongue, and gave him clear speech. Christ’s saving work does not leave people to earn the rest of their cleansing through personal effort. Salvation deals with sin fully because Christ’s work is full. [48:11]
• 3. The deaf belong in Christ’s family The deaf need the gospel, the church, and spiritual growth just as much as hearing people do. A different language does not mean a lesser place in the body of Christ. Christ’s love reaches across every barrier that keeps people from hearing His Word. [51:53]
• 4. The Great Commission requires discipleship Leading someone to Christ is not the finish line. Christ commands believers to teach converts to observe all that He commanded, especially when access to sound biblical churches is difficult. Love for deaf believers must include patient, ongoing life discipleship. [59:34]
• 5. Christ’s body has many members First Corinthians 12 leaves no room for neglecting deaf brothers and sisters. The body is not one member, and every member matters to the health of the whole body. Churches honor Christ when they seek practical ways to include, teach, and strengthen every part of His family.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [45:25] - Mark 7 and the Deaf Man
• [47:47] - Jesus Takes Time for One
• [48:57] - The First Words He Heard
• [50:20] - Three Miracles in One Healing
• [51:53] - The Deaf Need the Gospel
• [53:20] - Joy That Cannot Stay Silent
• [56:47] - The Need for Deaf Discipleship
• [59:34] - Go and Teach All Things
• [60:46] - One Body With Many Members
• [61:56] - A Providential Opportunity in Kentucky

Bible Reading

Mark 7:31-37
“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. 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. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 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; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.” [45:40]

Matthew 28:19-20
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” [01:00:00]

1 Corinthians 12:12-14
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” [01:00:44]

Observation questions

1. In Mark 7:31–37, what do the man’s friends ask Jesus to do, and what specific actions does Jesus take after leading the man away from the crowd? [45:52]
2. What three results are described after Jesus says, “Be opened,” and why is the man’s ability to speak plainly important? [50:24]
3. How do the people respond after witnessing the healing, even though Jesus tells them not to spread the news? [53:23]
4. According to Matthew 28:19–20 and 1 Corinthians 12:12–14, what two responsibilities does the church have toward people who come to Christ? [01:00:00]

Interpretation questions

1. Why might Jesus have taken the deaf man aside from the multitude instead of healing him publicly? What does that reveal about Christ’s care for people who may feel overlooked or unable to communicate easily? [47:54]
2. The man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. How does this complete healing picture the completeness of Christ’s saving work for sinners? [48:27]
3. Matthew 28 commands believers not only to go but also to teach disciples to observe Christ’s commands. What can happen when a new believer is welcomed into the faith but is not given steady biblical instruction and fellowship? [59:08]
4. First Corinthians 12 says that the body has many members but is one body. What does this mean for the way a church thinks about deaf believers and others whose needs may require extra attention or different forms of communication? [01:01:15]

Application questions

1. Jesus made time for one man in the middle of a crowd. Is there someone in your life who may be easy to overlook—because of disability, language, age, loneliness, or difficulty communicating? What would it look like to give that person personal care this week? [48:02]
2. Christ does not forgive only the sins of the past and then leave His people to carry the rest alone. Where are you tempted to live as though you must earn God’s continued cleansing or acceptance? How can you rest more fully in Christ’s finished work? [48:31]
3. The first words this man heard were the words of Jesus. What voices are shaping your heart most often right now? What practical change could help God’s Word have a clearer and more regular place in your life? [49:11]
4. The joy of Christ’s work in this man’s life could not stay silent. When have you last told someone specifically what Christ has done for you? What makes that difficult, and who might God be putting in front of you to encourage? [53:45]
5. Deaf people need the gospel, fellowship, teaching, and a real place in the church family. What could our group or church do to become more aware of and welcoming toward deaf people and others who face barriers to participating in church? [58:22]
6. Discipleship is more than seeing someone make a profession of faith; it includes walking with that person as they learn to follow Christ. Is there a newer believer you could encourage, pray for, invite into your life, or help connect with biblical instruction? [01:00:13]
7. God can direct unexpected changes and disappointments toward opportunities to bring hope to someone in need. Can you think of a recent interruption, cancellation, or change of plans that may have opened a door for ministry? How might you respond with greater faith when plans shift? [01:03:40]