Mark 7:31-37
A. INTRODUCTION
1. Gossiping
How many times have you shared something that you’ve done, and specifically asked that it be kept confidential, only to find, later on, that your confidence has been broken? It maybe not in the same manner in which you told it, for the facts may have been changed a little, but still your confidence has been broken.
It seems that you have to be very particular, these days, about who you tell, and even, how you tell things. Otherwise, the next thing you know is that whatever it was that was supposed to be confidential is no longer a secret. And, indeed, may even have taken on a whole new life of its own.
2. Keeping Silent
On the other hand, how many times have you told someone something, with the deliberate intention that the message was to be passed on, but that message or news was not passed on at all. It’s like the person that you’ve told has missed the whole point: that you are unable to let everyone know what has happened and needed help in sharing the news. And yet the news goes no further than the person you had hoped would have helped you to spread the word.
3. Lessons in Communication
Now, of course, what we keep to ourselves and what we openly share, is fundamental to the way we communicate with one another. And I’ve raised the two issues today—of gossiping and keeping silent—because they are issues raised in the story of the healing of a deaf and mute man, from Mark’s gospel. As a consequence, this gospel story can teach us much about how we should and should not communicate with one another.
B. THE HEALING OF A DEAF AND MUTE MAN
1. The Background (31-32)
And the story begins when Jesus entered the gentile territory of Sidon, where there was a large Jewish community. The news that Jesus had arrived in the town, wasn’t a secret. In fact he was probably pleased that some had noticed his arrival. And Jesus’s reputation for at least being a great teacher had obviously preceded him. Because it didn’t take long before a crowd was formed, which included a small group of people with a friend in tow.
Now the group of friends, were either Jews, or they were Gentiles who knew something about Jewish practices. For they were aware that Jewish teachers participated in the practice of giving blessings.
But then the friend had a serious medical condition. He had what has been recognised as a spasmodic condition of the tongue, which affected his face, which greatly impaired his speech. And it wasn’t helped by the fact that at some stage in his life, whether through disease or injury, he had become deaf as well. And, as a consequence, the friends were keen for Jesus to give their deaf and mute friend a blessing.
Now, up to this stage, there is nothing wrong in the story; everything is in balance. The people had heard about Jesus—at least in regard to his teaching—and in good Jewish tradition they had simply come to ask a great teacher to bless their unfortunate friend.
2. The Healing (32-35)
So what Jesus did next would have totally surprised them. Because while Jesus’s priority was to teach people about God, he couldn’t help showing God’s love for his creation. And although there was nothing wrong with that in itself, Jesus knew that people tended to emphasise, and get excited about, the miracles to the detriment of the more important message that he had to proclaim.
Regardless of that, Jesus took the man aside, put his fingers in the man’s ears, and spat and touched his tongue.
Now that may seem to have been an extraordinary thing for Jesus to do. But think about it. A deaf man, with a serious speech impediment, had probably lived a fairly quiet and passive life. And therefore taking the man away from the hum of the crowd, showed that Jesus cared for the man and was aware of his condition.
And Jesus touching his ears? Well, what better way to indicate to a deaf man, who had only been brought for a blessing, that he wanted to do so much more. Indeed, that he wanted to restore his hearing.
And through touching his tongue and the use of spittle, Jesus indicated to the man that he wanted to make his uncommunicative tongue very much alive. And he would do so, by using something of himself.
In other words, Jesus used very graphic ways of gaining the man’s confidence. Because through that simple sequence of events, Jesus indicated to the man that not only did he want the man to receive his blessing—as his friends had wished—but that he wanted the man to be fully healed. And that he, Jesus, was the one who would do it.
As a consequence, Jesus then prayed with him, and immediately the man’s ears were opened, and he began to speak—and he began to speak without defect.
3. Jesus’ Injunction (36-37)
Now it was at this point that Jesus charged, not just the man, but the whole crowd, not to tell anyone what they had seen. Jesus knew what the result of the excitement of the crowd, and the consequent gossip, could do.
He had come to the area and had been greeted as a great teacher. Hence the request for a blessing. And if the crowd’s attitude had stayed that way there would have been no problem at all. But, unfortunately, Jesus knew that if word got out regarding the healing of this one man, people would not be coming to him for teaching, indeed they wouldn’t even be coming to listen. No! All they would come for was healing. And as a consequence he would not be able to fulfil his ministry, which was to tell people about God.
So, as you can see, the issue of getting the balance right between keeping a confidence and sharing someone’s news, was a very real issue—even in Jesus’s day. If people could have kept the confidence about the healing, and only shared the news of Jesus’s teaching (which is what they were supposed to do, then Jesus would have been able to stay longer and spend much more time teaching. And his ministry would have been far more effective.
But human nature isn’t like that at all. Because what was the crowd’s response? Well, the more Jesus appealed for them to keep quiet about what they had witnessed, the more the crowd couldn’t stop talking and telling others about what they had seen. They were amazed at what had happened. So much so, that they couldn’t talk about anything else. They didn’t hear what Jesus was saying. And the tragedy is, that as a result, they didn’t hear the message that Jesus had come to give.
4. Comment
As a consequence, if we are sometimes concerned about people betraying our trust and confidence, then spare a thought for what Jesus had to contend with. And if we are sometimes concerned about our news not being spread, then spare a thought for Jesus had to live with too.
There’s apparently nothing quite like a bit of gossip, or the breaking of a confidence, to hijack one’s ministry. But then, there’s nothing quite like not passing on important news too. Jesus didn’t want any gossip about being a great healer. But he did want talk about him being a great teacher. Unfortunately, one overtook the other, and it meant he was unable to do either.
C. IMPLICATIONS
Now, like all stories in the bible, this story has some very helpful features from which we can learn. And, as I’ve already indicated, this particular story is full of ideas on how to, and how not to communicate with one another. And I’d like to just briefly touch on three things.
1. Bringing a Friend to Jesus
And the first thing relates to the communication between the friends and the deaf and mute man.
Now the man’s medical condition meant that he had probably led a fairly passive life. And yet he was still not short of a few good friends. Up to this point he would not have heard Jesus speak himself, he would only have been told about him. And as a consequence his only knowledge of Jesus would have been what his friends had told him. His friends must have used some kind of sign language or symbolic way of communication. And it would have involved them communicating the idea that Jesus was worth going to see, if only for a blessing.
And, as I thought about that, I couldn’t help thinking about how we communicate our faith: about how we bring our friends to meet Jesus, and how we talk to others about our faith. And I don’t just mean Christians here, because that’s a lot easier. But how we share what we know about Jesus to those who don’t know him at all. After all, how many of our non-Christian friends have we talked to about our faith? And how many have we invited to meet Jesus? And I don’t mean just long ago, but even in the last few weeks and months.
You see, this story raises the issue of friendship, and that any true friendship for a Christian must include introducing others to Jesus.
2. The Example of Jesus
The second thing relates to the way Jesus communicated with the man.
Now, as I suggested, Jesus, in this story, used a very unorthodox method. However when one considers the man’s medical condition, and social isolation, it was a method that was very suitable indeed. Jesus met the man where he was at, and he showed him care and compassion in a way that was very fitting.
And as I thought about that, I couldn’t help thinking about how relevant we are in communicating with other people. Because it’s not necessarily what we say, but what we do. Indeed, apart from words, what else do we do to communicate with other people, to show that we care and understand them? Do we use a kind of universal method—a one size fits all? Or do we treat people as individuals taking into account their concerns, and backgrounds.
Words are not the only way in which we can communicate. And there can be nothing more powerful than to show someone that we understand where they’re at, and that we care, by using methods that are relevant to where they are at.
3. Keeping a Confidence
And of course, the third example, relates to knowing when to keep a confidence and when permission has been given to share someone’s news.
Now, frankly, I can sympathise with the crowd. If a friend of mine had been deaf and mute, and suddenly could hear and speak—and speak without impediment—I would have got excited too. And I think even I would have found it hard to keep it a secret, no matter who it was who had asked me to keep quiet.
But as I thought about that, I couldn’t help thinking how important it is to get the balance right. To get the balance of knowing when to keep a confidence and when permission has been given to share someone’s news.
Except that, in the case of Jesus, we are no longer required to keep any of the things that Jesus did secret. At the point of his death, all the things that could have hindered his earthly ministry were no longer relevant. And, as a consequence, Jesus later told his disciples that rather than keep the secrets which could have hijacked his ministry, they were now to share everything that he had said and done, to everyone who was around.
Jesus gave more than just permission to share his life in all its fullness, he actually commanded his disciples to go out and to share the news. And not just some of it, but all of it.
As a consequence, we have a responsibility too, to share everything about the Christian faith with our friends (and to those who are not our friends) wherever they may be. It is not something that we can hold to ourselves, as though it is something we have to keep in confidence. We cannot behave as though our faith is a private concern and, as a result, is not supposed to be shared. On the contrary, all Christians have been given the obligation to share the faith, and in just as an enthusiastic way as the crowd wanted to tell all and sundry about the healing of the man who was deaf and mute.
D. CONCLUSION
The healing of the deaf and mute man is an interesting story. But it also has much to teach. Not least of which is about the need to introduce our friends to Jesus; the need to communicate to people in a way that is relevant and treats them with compassion and respect; and the need to keep the balance between keeping confidences, and the permission to share people’s news.
In the gospel story, what the people needed to do was to share the message that Jesus was trying to spread: news about God, and the importance of having a relationship with him. But instead, what they did was to break a confidence, hijacking the mission of Jesus, so that the emphasis was on him simply being a miracle worker. And that shows how much damage can be done if we don’t get it right.
Fortunately, in regard to Jesus, the time of secrecy has gone, and everything about Jesus—his life, ministry, and even his miracles—is now meant to be spread.
But are we a part of it? Do we take seriously the need to introduce our friends (and others) to Jesus? Do we use methods that are relevant and meaningful to the people that we see? And are we as enthusiastic in sharing the good news, as Jesus wants us to be?
Posted: 9th September 2023
© 2023, Brian A Curtis
www.brianacurtis.com.au
