Mark 7:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

NIV: At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

NASB: And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.

CSB: Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly.

NLT: Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

KJV: And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

NKJV: Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

The healing of the deaf and mute is a prophecy, directly identified with the work of God: "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy" (Isaiah 35:5–6). Like many Messianic prophecies, part of Jesus' earthly ministry was to bring a taste of what we will experience in the Millennial Kingdom and on into eternity.

The first recorded miracle that Jesus performed was turning the water into wine at a wedding in Cana. When the master of the feast tasted the wine, he told the bridegroom, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now" (John 2:10). Jesus didn't just make wine so that the wedding party wouldn't be embarrassed. He made better wine than the groom had been able to afford. In the same way, Jesus has completely healed the deaf man with a speech impediment. Not just well enough to communicate, but completely (Mark 7:37).

This is hope for those of us who suffer now. We many never see complete healing in this world; those who insist that you will be totally healed if you have "enough faith" are false teachers. But those who trust in Christ for their salvation can rest in the knowledge that we will spend eternity completely whole. We will not shed tears, suffer pain, or feel sorrow (Revelation 21:4). We will never be separated by death again (Revelation 20:6). And, greatest of all, we will spend eternity with the God who healed us (1 John 3:2; Revelation 21:1–4).

Mark 7:31–37 mentions only this one healed man and is the only Gospel to do so, while Matthew 15:29–31 describes Jesus healing a great crowd. It's possible that this one healing created the crowd mentioned in Matthew. Healing the deaf is associated with God's direct blessing (Isaiah 35:5) and the Old Testament does not record any account of a literally deaf person being healed; most mentions of ''deaf'' people are references to those who are spiritually hardened. The people praise Jesus not only for healing the deaf and mute man, but for doing it well.

Jesus counters another traditional error from the scribes and Pharisees, explaining that food in and of itself does not make a person unclean. Rather, it is the intent of the heart that matters to God. He specifically condemns traditions which effectively undo the original intent of God's commands. Jesus heals the daughter of a persistent Gentile woman, and a man suffering from deafness and a speech impediment.

After showing His authority over demons, death, and physics, Jesus asserts His superiority over manmade traditions. For generations, Jewish religious leaders have added to the Law in an attempt to keep the nation holy. Such traditions, however, serve to make the leaders look good but unnecessarily burden the people. Jesus argues in word and action that any law that dismisses love is either misinterpreted or manmade.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.