Mark 7:31-36

Mark 7:31-36

[31] And  again,  departing  from  the coasts  of Tyre  and  Sidon,  he came  the sea  of Galilee,  through  the midst  of the coasts  of Decapolis.  [32] And  they bring  unto him  one that was deaf,  and had an impediment in his speech;  and  they beseech  him  to  put  his hand  upon him.  [33] And  he took  him  aside  from  the multitude,  and put  his  fingers  into  his  ears,  and  he spit,  and touched  his  tongue;  [34] And  looking up  to  heaven,  he sighed,  and  saith  unto him,  Ephphatha,  Be opened.  [35] And  straightway  his  ears  and  the string  of his  tongue  was loosed,  and  he spake  plain.  [36] And  he charged  them  that  no man:  but  the more  he  charged  them,  so much the more  they published 

What does Mark 7:31-36 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Mark was the only evangelist to record this miracle. He apparently included it in his Gospel because it is another instance of Jesus healing a Gentile. This particular miracle is also significant because it prefigured Jesus opening the spiritual ears of His disciples. From Mark 6:31, the beginning of the second withdrawal and return, to Mark 7:37, Jesus had been revealing Himself with increasing clarity to the disciples but with little response. A repetition of some of these lessons followed culminating in the disciples" confession of Jesus as the divine Messiah ( Mark 8:1-30).