WHY DID JESUS PUT HIS FINGERS IN THE MAN'S EARS?
Mark 7:31–37 — Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
TEXT B4 TRADITION
Read First. Conclude Later.
THE QUESTION
Jesus has healed people without touching them.
He has commanded demons to leave.
He has raised the dead.
But now He encounters a man who cannot hear and has difficulty speaking.
Jesus takes him aside, puts His fingers in his ears, touches his tongue with saliva, looks toward heaven, sighs, and says:
“Ephphatha”—“Be opened.”
Why all these actions when Jesus could have healed him with a word?
And what does this miracle reveal about Jesus?
MARK 7:31 — JESUS RETURNS THROUGH GENTILE TERRITORY
Jesus leaves the region of Tyre, travels through Sidon, and comes toward the Sea of Galilee through the region of the Decapolis.
The Decapolis was a group of cities with strong Greek and Roman influence.
Mark does not explain why Jesus follows this route.
But the location is important.
Jesus has just helped a Gentile woman's daughter.
Now He continues ministering in a region where Gentiles were numerous.
His authority is not limited to the towns of Galilee.
MARK 7:32 — THEY BRING A DEAF MAN
People bring Jesus a man who is deaf and has difficulty speaking.
They beg Jesus to lay His hand on him.
Notice that the man does not make the request himself.
Others bring him.
Mark does not tell us whether the man knew who Jesus was or how much he understood about Him.
We should not invent those details.
But the people bringing him clearly believe Jesus can help.
They bring the man's need to the One who has demonstrated power to heal.
MARK 7:33 — JESUS TAKES HIM ASIDE
Jesus takes the man away from the crowd privately.
Then He puts His fingers into the man's ears.
After spitting, He touches the man's tongue.
These actions are unusual.
Why did Jesus do this?
Mark does not explicitly explain.
But consider the man's condition.
He cannot hear.
He has difficulty speaking.
Jesus touches the very parts of his body that need healing.
The actions may have helped the man understand what Jesus was about to do.
That is a reasonable possibility.
But it remains an inference.
What the text clearly tells us is that Jesus gave this man personal attention and touched the parts of his body that needed healing.
MARK 7:34 — LOOKING TOWARD HEAVEN
Jesus looks toward heaven.
He sighs.
Then He says:
“Ephphatha.”
Mark translates the Aramaic word:
“Be opened.”
Why did Jesus look toward heaven?
Looking toward heaven commonly expresses attention to God.
Jesus also looked toward heaven before feeding the five thousand (Mark 6:41).
Why did He sigh?
The Greek word describes a deep sigh or groan.
Mark does not explain its cause.
It may express compassion in the presence of human suffering.
But we should not claim certainty about Jesus' unspoken thoughts.
Why preserve the Aramaic word?
Mark occasionally preserves Jesus' original words and then translates them.
For example, Mark 5:41 records Talitha cumi when Jesus raises Jairus' daughter.
Here Mark preserves Ephphatha.
The command is simple: “Be opened.”
MARK 7:35 — IMMEDIATELY HEALED
Mark reports that the man's ears were opened.
His tongue was released.
He began speaking plainly.
Notice the result.
The man can hear.
His speech difficulty is removed.
He speaks clearly.
The healing is immediate.
Mark does not describe a gradual recovery.
Jesus restores abilities the man did not possess before the encounter.
MARK 7:36 — JESUS COMMANDS SILENCE
Jesus orders the people not to tell anyone.
But the more He commands them, the more widely they spread the news.
This is not the first time Jesus has restricted publicity about His miracles.
See Mark 1:43–45 and 5:43.
Why did Jesus command silence?
Mark does not give a specific explanation here.
In Mark 1:45, widespread publicity made it difficult for Jesus to enter towns openly.
That may help us understand His concern.
But we should not assume it explains every occasion.
The command was clear, even if the full reason was not given.
Were the people right to disregard His instruction?
No.
Their excitement is understandable.
But admiration for Jesus does not give people permission to disobey Him.
Enthusiasm is not a substitute for obedience.
MARK 7:37 — HE HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL
The people are astonished beyond measure.
They say:
“He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
This statement is the climax of the account.
The people recognize that Jesus has done something extraordinary.
Does this remind us of Old Testament prophecy?
Yes.
Isaiah 35:5–6 describes a time when:
The eyes of the blind will be opened.
The ears of the deaf will be unstopped.
The lame will leap.
The tongue of the mute will sing.
Mark's description closely resembles Isaiah's language.
The connection is especially significant because Isaiah 35 describes God's coming salvation and restoration.
Jesus' miracles are evidence that God's promised work of salvation is being revealed through Him.
Mark does not directly quote Isaiah 35.
But the similarity is strong and worth examining.
WHY DID JESUS USE TOUCH AND SALIVA?
The passage does not say Jesus needed these actions to produce the miracle.
He had already demonstrated that He could heal without being physically present (Mark 7:24–30).
His power did not depend upon touching someone.
Nor does Mark teach that saliva possessed miraculous properties.
Jesus chose to heal this man in a personal and unusual way.
We can observe His actions.
We can suggest possible reasons.
But we should not turn those suggestions into established facts.
The miracle demonstrates Jesus' authority, not the power of a healing technique.
WHAT DOES ISAIAH 35 ADD TO OUR UNDERSTANDING?
Isaiah 35:4–6 announces God's coming salvation.
The prophet speaks of fearful people being strengthened and of the deaf hearing, the blind seeing, and the mute speaking.
Jesus performs the very kinds of works described there.
This matters because Mark's Gospel repeatedly raises the question of Jesus' identity.
Jesus has demonstrated authority over:
Demons.
Disease.
Wind and sea.
Death.
Human disabilities.
The miracles are not merely displays of kindness, although they certainly demonstrate compassion.
They also identify Jesus as the One through whom God's promised salvation is arriving.
Compare Matthew 11:2–6, where Jesus points to His healing works in response to John the Baptist's question about His identity.
DOES THIS PASSAGE TEACH A METHOD OF HEALING?
No.
Jesus did not use the same actions in every healing.
He healed some people by speaking.
He healed others by touching them.
Sometimes He healed people who were not physically present.
Therefore, we cannot turn this event into a required method for healing.
The source of healing was Jesus, not the particular actions He used.
WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE NOT TEACH?
It does not say that saliva possesses healing power.
Mark attributes the healing to Jesus' action and command.
It does not explain exactly why Jesus took the man aside.
Privacy may have served a compassionate purpose, but Mark does not state His reason.
It does not tell us precisely why Jesus sighed.
We should not invent an explanation.
It does not establish a healing ceremony Christians must repeat.
Jesus used different methods on different occasions.
It does not make excitement an excuse for disobedience.
Jesus told the people not to spread the news, yet they did.
QUESTIONS WORTH DISCUSSING
1. Why might Jesus have touched the man's ears and tongue when He had already demonstrated that He could heal with a word?
Read Mark 7:33–35.
What does the passage actually say, and what explanations are only reasonable possibilities?
2. The people were amazed by Jesus, yet they ignored His command not to tell anyone. Can admiration for Jesus exist without obedience to Him?
Read Mark 7:36 and John 14:15.
What is the difference between being excited about Jesus and following His instructions?
3. Why does Mark end the account by saying Jesus makes the deaf hear and the mute speak?
Compare Mark 7:37 with Isaiah 35:4–6.
What do these miracles tell us about Jesus' identity and God's promises?
CONCLUSION — BE OPENED
A man could not hear.
He could hardly speak.
Jesus took him aside.
He touched his ears and tongue.
He looked toward heaven and said:
“Be opened.”
Immediately, the man could hear and speak plainly.
The crowd was astonished.
But the miracle was more than an impressive healing.
It pointed toward the fulfillment of God's promises.
Isaiah had spoken of a time when the deaf would hear and the mute would speak.
Now Jesus was doing those very things.
The greatest question is not why Jesus touched the man's ears.
It is what this miracle reveals about the One who healed him.
CONTINUE EXPLORING SCRIPTURE
Previous Study: Mark 7:24–30 — The Faith of the Syrophoenician Woman
https://text-b4-tradition.com/mark-7-24-30-even-the-dogs
Related Study: Mark 6:45–56 — Jesus Walks on the Sea
https://text-b4-tradition.com/mark-6-45-56-jesus-walks-on-the-sea
Next Study: Mark 8:1–10 — Jesus Feeds Four Thousand
Why does Mark record another feeding miracle after Jesus has already fed five thousand?
TEXT B4 TRADITION
Read First. Conclude Later.
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