Christ’s Tender Love for the Wounded - The Crosswalk Devotional - June 1
Christ’s Tender Love for the Wounded
By Jennifer Slattery
Bible Reading:
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. - Mark 7:31-36 NIV
The more I study Scripture, the more I’m touched by the tenderness Christ often displayed. In Matthew 19, He stopped, in the middle of teaching important truths to adults, to draw children close. In Mark 5, we read about how He healed a bleeding woman who’d spent twelve years living in shame, and called her daughter in front of the watching crowd. He touched lepers, defended the oppressed, and, it seems, protected a newly healed deaf man from becoming a spectacle before the curious masses.
Granted, my assumption is an assumption, but do you find it intriguing that Jesus asked this man and his friends, or family, not to tell others about this healing? While this wasn’t the only time Jesus gave such instructions, He didn’t always do so. I’m only aware of a handful of times. During one, scholars suggest He wanted to keep the crowds from making Him king by force and the Pharisees’ hostility from turning homicidal before His final earthly Passover. In another, He silenced demons—that makes sense, right, and provides a great example of how we should deal with the devil and his minions—by refusing to listen to anything they say.
But those circumstances don’t appear to apply to today’s passage. Consider that after healing a royal official’s son from a terminal illness in John 4, we don’t read any indication that Jesus wanted the parents to keep the miracle to themselves. Nor did He give such instructions to any of the five thousand men and an unnamed number of women and children fed from one boy’s lunch in John 6. That was quite a public event, the news of which would’ve spread throughout the region.
Notice also what we read in Matthew 8. According to verse 16,
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
He didn’t do this in secret, and we don't read Him telling any of them to keep their healing quiet.
So, again, why did He do this to the deaf man in Mark 7? While Scripture doesn’t reveal this directly, the text seems to provide some clues.
First, we read that this event occurred in the predominantly Gentile area known as the Decapolis. It seems unlikely, then, that He worried about increasing Pharisee hostility. I also doubt He feared these people, who didn’t experience the same level of oppression as the Jews, would try to make Him their king.
Also, verse 33 tells us that He took the man aside, away from the crowd.
This demonstrates He didn’t use the man or the miracle to wow the masses. This was a human being, not a circus act or a popularity contest.
Could it be, as some scholars suggest, that the Lord wanted to preserve the man’s privacy and, therefore, dignity and clearly convey His love? What if Jesus wanted the man to know that He healed him for no other reason than concern for him? And, perhaps Jesus wanted to protect himself from the overstimulation of going from deaf to hearing in the middle of a large, noisy crowd.
Intersecting Life and Faith
This theory, while just a theory, remains consistent with the heart of Christ, as Scripture reveals. Yes, He wanted the masses to know He was God's Son. He also wanted people to know the truth that could set them free. Just as He wants the people of our day to come to saving faith in Him, He cares for each of us uniquely, personally, and tenderly, and He longs to see us living, firmly anchored in His love.
In a world in which many of us can feel, at times, used and discarded, our Lord looks on us with tender, affectionate compassion. To Him, we will always be more than the means to an end.
Further Reading:
Psalm 103:13-18
Psalm 147:3
Isaiah 49:13-16
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/ChatkarenStudio
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLou
She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.
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