Sermon Notes: Mark 7:31-37
Text: Mark 7:31-37
Big Idea: Jesus is the divine Son of God, the suffering servant Messiah who inaugurates the kingdom of God, who atones for sin through his death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus calls his people to a costly discipleship of self-denial and suffering with purpose and joy.
Big Idea of our text: Jesus has done all things well.
Observation: What does this text say?
Author: John Mark
Audience: Gentiles who are being told the good news of the kingdom of Jesus.
Followers of Jesus who are growing up into maturity in Christ and learning how to live under the rule of his increasing kingdom on earth as in heaven.
Occasion: Mark, as Peter’s missionary helper, is writing a gospel “tract” for use on the field as they preach the good news to Gentiles.
Genre: Overall, historical biography.
Key words and phrases (big words, words that are repeated, etc.):
They – This time the crowd’s identity is less clear. The crowd is a “they” from the region of the Decapolis.
Begged – Not the same “begged” the Gentile woman employed in the previous text. That Greek word is different from the one today.
This one is “parakaleo” – to the side of, to call. It has a tone of seeking relief, seeking aid, while coming to the side of. The NASB chooses “implored” instead of begged. It is a gentler more personal approach.
I believe the different approach by the “they” is connected to Jesus’ “sigh” and how we understand his sigh.
Most commentaries don’t give this difference enough thought. They assume something about Jesus’ sigh that I am trying not to assume.
NOTE: Just because a person has a Phd. and writes a book does not make them a better observer of reality than you. Sometimes those 50-pound heads can’t get out of their own way when doing academic theology. You have access to the same tools they do. I went to school with some of them. So, don’t be afraid to do your work, make a conclusion, compare your conclusion to orthodoxy, and stand on it if it’s within the boundaries of normal Christian doctrine.
I believe there is a connection to the “they’s” approach to Jesus and Jesus’ response.
Sighed – The CSB and NASB appropriately add a clarifier.
“Sighed” is one word, and they don’t just translate it as one word. They interpret the one word with the clarifier of “deep” or “deeply”.
I don’t believe this is a frustrated sigh. This is a deeply felt grief for this man’s condition.
The posture of the “they” who brought the man to Jesus in coming near, coming beside, to seek relief for their friend, moves Jesus to a deep sigh. Jesus doesn’t test their faith like he did the Gentile woman’s faith, and he clearly doesn’t do that to the man who could not hear him.
He sighs deeply from a concern and understanding.
NOTE: This encounter is only recorded in Mark, so there is no comparison to another gospel writer.
Ephphatha – 2nd person. Verb. Imperative. Passive voice. Aramaic word.
Jesus did not use a Greek word here.
Aramaic is a sort of sister language to Hebrew. It’s an ancient semitic language. Hebrew folks spoke it. Jewish folks used in the first century along with their Hebrew and Greek.
Why does Jesus use Aramaic? Mark adds the Greek word “be opened” for his audience because they are predominantly Gentile. Why does Mark include Jesus’ use of this ancient semitic word for a Gentile audience?
My hunch is that Jesus’ being moved deeply, responds out of what is most familiar and real to his humanity as a Jewish man, the Aramaic.
As the God/Man, Creator Jesus is moved to employ what only he can, and he does it out of the depths of his authentic humanity combined with his deity. Jesus is the eternal, Creator, Son of God. The God/Man. Yahweh in the flesh.
And this is one of those places where we see his deity and humanity on display. His divine ability to heal and cast out demons and his humanity that connects to us in its rawness.
He was the meanest and lowliest of the sons of men. At the same time he spoke of coming on the clouds of heaven with the glory of God. He was so formidable and stern that evil spirits cried out at his rebuke and fled from him. Yet he was so winsome that little ones loved him and would come to him. No one was so kind and compassionate to captive sinners. At the same time no one ever spoke such red-hot scorching words about the condemnation of sinners who had made friends with their sin. A bruised reed he would not break. He loved well. At the same time, he demanded from the Pharisees how they would escape the damnation of hell. The God/Man. – Adapted from James Stewart on the humanity and deity of Jesus
So, I believe John Mark’s intention in recording Jesus using Aramaic with a group of Gentiles is for his Gentile readers to see this mysterious glory of the God/Man, the Son of God in his deity and humanity, that he’s presenting so they can repent and follow Jesus.
He wants them to be astonished. He wants us to be astonished.
Taking him aside...privately...Jesus charged them to tell no one – Theme. Messianic secret.
Jesus has to get to the cross, and he’s not assuming anything. 1 Corinthians 2:8 is clear. If these spiritual evil forces knew fully the Triune God’s plan in the full details, they would not have taken part in God’s plan to execute the Son of God.
Jesus takes nothing for granted. The cross, the resurrection, the ascension (sending of the Spirit to reverse Babel and inaugurate the end) is the plan, and nothing can get in the way of that. So, he urges some manner of not announcing what he’s done.
The time will come to announce to the world who Jesus is, just not yet. The cross has to come before the proclamation to the nations.
Fingers in his hears...spitting...touched his tongue...looking up to heaven. I don’t know what to do with this. No one I’ve read has any good answers. It could be that by doing this he is doing some Messianic secret stuff to keep his mission hidden from some territorial spirits he has not yet encountered in the Decapolis. Perhaps he imitates some itinerant evil spirit empowered “faith healers” actions to veil his identity so the demons leave them alone.
Maybe it was for the man who could not hear or speak to receive a multi-sensory encounter with Jesus. Jesus, maybe, gives the man his hearing and speech with an extra experience of physical touch he may have needed in his being.
We know Jesus can say it and all things would have to obey. But he doesn’t do that here.
Astonished – To be struck in such a way that one loses their senses. They are blown away. No wonder they ignore the charge to keep quiet.
He has done all things well – This is Mark’s point!
“He has done” is one word, and it is perfect tense, active voice, indicative mood.
Perfect tense is a unique Greek verb tense, and it’s one reason I believe the Lord ordained that the Greek empire would be the world he would enter time and space as the eternal Son of God.
Greek has a unique verb tense that carries some rich New Testament theology.
The perfect tense is a past action, which is completed, and the results carry on indefinitely into the future.
“Well”, meaning suitable, right, excellent.
Mark, the author, is telling us these Gentiles exclaim in the prefect tense that Jesus has eternally in the past accomplished excellence according to his nature and character what is suitable and needed in this moment.
Do you get the implications of that?
These people are making a declaration that they see more than a healer. They see the source of healing present in the person of Jesus.
This is a declaration of faith in some regard.
Jesus is not some means to an end. Jesus is the end. He’s the Son of God, and to declare that he has eternally done good out of his nature is to recognize who he is.
Lists:
None.
Contrasts and comparisons (What is being contrasted or compared? Is there an illustration?):
Contrast – the state of the deaf and mute man before Jesus and after Jesus.
Expressions of time (until, then, when, after):
V. 31 Then – This expression of time expresses the sequence of this journey into Gentile land. Expressions of time like this indicate purpose on the part of the one being written about and the author in telling the history.
V. 33 After – This is just wild. Jesus does this in a sequence. Jesus’ fingers in the ears of the deaf man. Spitting. After spitting, touching the tongue that is mute, and looking up to heaven.
Terms of conclusion/purpose clauses (wherefore, therefore, for this reason, finally, for, so, so that):
None.
What does the text say: (Don’t interpret here. Just restate the passage in your own words.)
Jesus is on a mission to see that he keeps his word to Abraham. As Jesus passes through Gentile regions gathering the lost sheep of the house of Israel, he is also priming the mission to the nations as he responds to the faith of Gentiles who come to him.
As Jesus is wrapping up this trip to Tyre, back to the Decapolis through Sidon, some people bring a deaf and mute man to Jesus for help. Jesus, with full intent to get to the cross, continues to heal and tell folks to keep it quiet.
And folks cannot help themselves. They are so amazed at Jesus that they zealously tell about him.
In these Gentile’s proclamation, they declare the truth, the Son of God has done all things well!
Interpretation: (What does this mean? Take all of the observation data into account)
1. Jesus is the Son of God who has eternally done all things well.
Jesus is not merely a prophet.
Jesus is not merely a healer.
Jesus is not merely a preacher.
Jesus is not whatever thing we want to turn him into for a temporary agenda.
Jesus cannot be coopted to any agenda.
The gospel writer’s claims about Jesus, what Jesus said about himself from the Old Testament, and their willingness to die horrible deaths to see that the good news he gave them advanced leaves us with one conclusion: Jesus is the divine Son of God, the suffering servant Messiah who inaugurates the kingdom of God, who atones for sin through his death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus calls his people to a costly discipleship of self-denial and suffering with purpose and joy.
This truth is why it is completely appropriate in the world to affirm everything except Jesus.
By the world, I don’t mean creation. I mean “world” the way John uses “world”. World, as in the space that the evil one has been allowed to rule over from the rebellion until Jesus fully redeems it all back.
Listen to John:
1 John 2:15-17 (ESV) 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 5:19 (ESV) 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
This space that the Serpent Dragon rules over for a time, runs on the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and pride of life.
This world system allows for every debauchery of the flesh and eyes and deception (because Jesus told us the Serpent Dragon is the father of lies) except the declaration that Jesus rejects those things.
The world system accepts the lust of the flesh, eyes, lies, and pride of life. The world system rejects that Jesus will judge those who give themselves over to those things unless they repent.
The world system rejects that salvation is found nowhere else except in Jesus.
You can be trans, Jewish, Muslim, gay, Marxist, communist, socialist, addicted to drugs, alcoholic, food addicted, or whatever is good and acceptable in the world, and if any follower of Jesus pushes back with truth from a distinctly biblical worldview, we THEN have a conflict.
It is ok to be anything but a Christian who adheres to a biblical theological interpretive framework of all creation from the Bible.
Why is that?
Because if Jesus is who he says he is, then all faith systems that deny Jesus are on the outside with no hope unless they repent and follow Jesus.
2 John 1:10-11 (ESV) 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
Because if our choices are contrary to Jesus’ word then we must hear, repent, and obey Jesus to be a disciple.
If Jesus is who he says he is, then what I participate in and advocate for matters.
If Jesus is who he says he is, and his Bible is truth, then there is an economic reality rooted in a theology that destroys an atheist Marxist ideology.
So, Jesus and his church is the object of the world system’s wrath because the good news exposes the lies as lies, sourced in the Serpent Dragon as part of the ongoing seed war of Genesis 3, and worked out in the “world” system we live in as ambassadors of the kingdom of God, and hold out human flourishing according to Jesus’ standard as normal and good.
Jesus is the Son of God who has done, eternally completed and carrying on into eternity, all things well!
Let’s make sure we are on his side.
Gospel Connection:
Jesus is the eternal, divine Son of God.
Mark’s whole purpose is that his readers see that, believe that, repent, follow Jesus, be baptized by and into the local church, and begin making disciples of the nations.
Application: (What does this text require of me?)
1. Have you believed in Jesus?
The Bible mashes up believe, repent, and faith.
We can use each of these words to describe what happens for us to enter the kingdom of God and what makes up the life of discipleship for the Christian who entered the kingdom of God.
I often use these words separately, and I don’t want to fail to be clear.
Ephesians 2 tells us that saving faith is God’s gift.
Mark 1:15 tells those who have faith to repent and believe. Mark presents these two responses of faith as one action.
Repent means to turn.
Believe is the action of saving faith. It is faith put to practice It’s the parts of faith I shared with you last week.
Knowledge (Notitia) – We have to learn, be told, and know truth. Faith is not blind, empty, or objectless.
Mental assent (Assensus) – We have to have a mental understanding and agreement with the truth.
Trust (Fiducia) – We have to assimilate knowing and agreement into reliance upon and action toward.
So, if you heard the truth of the good news today and understood that today, then turn from what you used to believe and actively put your knowledge and understanding on Jesus for everything.
That is faith producing repentance and belief.
Faith produces repentance and belief. Then we continue to live by faith which will always produce a life of repentance and belief.
Guess what?
The Christian life is not a next level of mystery for you to figure out.
The Christian life of discipleship is faith, ongoing repentance, and ongoing belief.
And you will live that out by hearing and obeying God’s word.
So....
2. If you have repented, believed, and are following Jesus, are you striving by the Holy Spirit to integrate every word of his word into how you see and interpret all things by hearing and obeying his word?
Your growth up into maturity in Christ will always be the labor of trust to hear and know his word, understand his word, and put his word into practice.