(A sermon I preached in sign language:
https://livestream.com/swartzcreek/events/8014095/videos/173782434)
Închipiește-te că trăiești într-o cultură în care nu vorbești limba nimănui. Nimeni nu vorbește limba ta. Trăiești într-o casă, cu o familie și nimeni nu vorbește limba ta. Deschizi televizorul și nimeni de pe televizor nu vorbește limba ta. Te duci la muncă și nimeni nu vorbești limba ta. Cel mai rău… te duci la închinare unde vrei să te închini lui Dumnezeu și nimeni nu vorbește în limba ta. Rugăciunile sunt într-o altă limbă. Cina Domnului este într-o altă limbă. Cântările sunt într-o altă limbă. Studiul biblic este într-o altă limbă.
You did not understand that paragraph at all, did you? What if you lived in a culture that did not speak your language? You turned on the TV and no one spoke your language? No one at work spoke your language? Worse — you go to worship and no one speaks your language?
I do not know when the first deaf person was born. I do not know when sign language was created. Genesis 11 tells us that God created different languages to humble humans.
The word “deaf” is used only five times in the New Testament; it is used 11 times in the OT. Consider first, the word used in the OT:
Where Jesus heals (7:31) – The cities of Tyre, Sidon, and the Ten Towns were a place where many Gentiles lived. But there were also many Jews who lived here. When Jesus cast out the evil spirit of the man in Mark 5, the man came here, to Ten Towns, and told people about Jesus.
Whom Jesus heals (7:32) – This is the only specific example where Jesus heals a deaf person. We know He healed many (Matt. 11:5). It is important to understand the healing in the context of Mark 7. Jesus had a discussion with the Pharisees about eating unclean foods and He tells them that it is not dirt that makes a person unclean but sin which makes a person unclean (verses 21-23).
Many people would see this deaf man as unclean because he had a physical handicap. Many people of that day, like today, believe that physical handicaps are punishment from God. They are not.
This man was deaf and “could not talk clearly.” The word translated “could not talk clearly” is only used here in the NT but in the Greek OT, it is used in Isaiah 35:6. This text was understood to predict the miracles that the Messiah would do and one of those was making the deaf to hear.
How Jesus heals (7:33-34) – First, Jesus took him aside, privately. Secondly, because the man had a problem with his ears, Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears – he could feel that. Third, because the man spoke with difficulty, Jesus spit and touched the man’s tongue maybe with His saliva. We do not know why except that the man could feel the touch of Jesus.
Fourth, Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father. He had a deep sigh, perhaps disappointed at the suffering that Satan has caused in this world through all the health problems humans have. Fifth, Jesus spoke to the man in Aramaic: “Ephphatha!” “Be opened!” Certainly, it was not the fingers of Jesus in the ears or the touch on the tongue that healed the man. It was the word of Jesus, which He spoke with authority.
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When Jesus heals (7:35) – This miracle happens immediately. His deaf ears were opened. What stopped his tongue from speaking clearly was removed. The man began speaking plainly. Finally, for once in his life, he could speak to his family and friends and they could talk to him! All because of Jesus Christ.
The people become “deaf”! (7:36) – Jesus gave this man and his friends the command not to tell anyone but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim the good news: Jesus makes all people well! Really, how could you not tell everyone what Jesus did for you or for your friends?
The result of the healing (7:37) – Here is how the people responded to Jesus’ healing miracle. They were completely astonished. They recognized that He does all things well. Specifically, He can make the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.
WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE DEAF:
We cannot make the deaf to hear or the mute to speak. But we can learn their language or at least some words in their language. What we cannot and should not do is ignore the deaf! God loves them as He loves all of us and God wants them saved as He wants all of us saved. We need to open the hearts of the deaf to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
What can we do for the deaf? These three points are from Lucas Suddreth’s article in the Gospel Advocate (Nov 2017) – “The Deaf and the Church,” pages 30-31:
1. We can commit ourselves as a church to share the Gospel with the deaf.
2. We need to understand that the deaf have a different way of life. But, they want to communicate with you and me.
3. We should include the deaf in our worship. They can lead prayer and teach songs in sign language.
“Jesus took the time to work with the deaf. Shouldn’t we do the same?” (Suddreth, 31).
Our hope is to reach heaven and hear Jesus say, “There were deaf among you and you led them to me.”
Paul Holland
