Gospel of Mark Series: A healing in the Decapolis of the deaf and dumb man Chapter 7:31-37

Welcome to my Gospel of Mark Series. During 2012-13, each week, I will write a post about the Gospel of Mark as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark.  I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season of Year B.  In today's post, we explore chapter 7: 31-37 which is called a  healing in the  Decapolis.

Jesus continues His journey into the Decapolis.  To go from Tyre, south-east to the Lake of Galilee by first going north to Sidon, then east of the Decapolis, then west to the lake is hardly a direct route.  Mark's aim, however, is not geographical detail, but to portray Jesus as missionary, one who goes with His disciples to people in different places, even outside Israel, as they once came to Him.  For Mark, it is in Galilee and nearby places that the gospel is first announced and believed.  Only later does Jesus go south to Jerusalem. 

The people bring a deaf and dumb man, one unable to speak properly, and they ask Jesus to touch him and heal him. Jesus takes the man apart from the unbelieving crowed and the healing in private.  Such a context, away from the surrounding unbelief, invites our faith to contemplate devoutly how Jesus frees this man from evil.

With His fingers He touches the man's deaf ears. With spittle from his mouth he touches the man's twisted tongue. He looks up to God and sighs with sorrow for the man's condition.  The human actions of Jesus manifest divine power.  The prophet Isaiah says God would heal the deaf and the dumb when He came to free His people ( Is35:4-5). the crowd is astonished ''beyond measure'' the strongest statement of surprise at a miracle in all of Mark's Gospel.

 Notice the order in which Jesus heals Him- the ears and then the tongue. We need to hear the word first before we are able to proclaim it.  What does this gospel passage mean for us?  A really deaf person is anyone who does hot hear the gospel and believe in God. A really dumb person is one who does not proclaim the gospel of God and share it with others.

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?
• Reflect on the keywords in this passage for they contain the substance and purpose of all the things Jesus said and did- ?  
• Imagine that you are in the crowd when Jesus heals this man.  What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?
• Imagine that you yourself are the one touched and healed by Jesus. What do you feel? 
• Try to enter into the feeling of Jesus's sorrow as He sighs to His Father.  
• Reflect on my relationship with Jesus and this teaching in the light of this gospel passage. What are my experiences of  asking God for healing for others
• What are some things in my life that I can ask God for healing?  Make a list of areas in my life that need a change of heart and develop an action plan on how this change of heart might occur. (eg name an area and name one/two changes that you will implement with God's help.
• What impact does Jesus’ teaching have on you (7:31-37).
• How has this passage spoken to you- what does it say to you personally