In Mark 7:31-37, the Lord healed a man who was deaf and spoke with difficulty. It is a common medical condition that those with significant hearing problems also have problems with their speech, since speaking is based on hearing. However, there is also a spiritual significance to this case; here, the condition signifies one who cannot hear the voice of God, and who is therefore unable to praise Him (Isa. 35:6) and speak for Him (Isa. 56:10).
And He took him aside from the crowd privately and put His fingers into his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, He groaned and said to him, Ephphatha! that is, Be opened. And immediately his ears were opened, and the bond on his tongue was released and he spoke clearly.
(Mark 7:33-35)
Firstly, the Lord dealt with the man in private; He was doing this for the benefit of this one man, as is confirmed by His later charging him not to tell anyone - and not for the benefit of others, that they would see and marvel, or take it as a great sign. The Lord did not care for this sort of method.
Secondly, by dealing with the man's hearing, the man was now qualified to receive God's word, signified by the spittle (something which emanated from the Lord's mouth). When we can hear and receive God's word, we are full of praise for Him, and this issues in our speaking for Him. Do you find it difficult to speak the things concerning God? This is a sure sign that you have problems hearing His Word.
This healing was preceded by the Lord's spiritual feeding of the Syro-Phoencian woman; then immediately after the healing, His disciples were able to feed four thousand. Taken together, these three cases show us that if we are able to hear God's Word clearly, and are then able to speak it, to speak for God and to speak forth God, our speaking will be a feeding, and we will be able to supply many by our speaking.
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