Mark 7: He Has Done All Things Well

Today’s reading is Mark 7.

When we get to Mark 8, Jesus will rebuke the apostles asking, “Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?” (Mark 8:18, ESV). He calls to mind the outsiders of Mark 4:12 who don’t get to know the secrets of the kingdom. The apostles, despite being close to Jesus and getting all the inside information and explanations still act like pathway, rocky, and thorny soil. However, surrounding this rebuke we witness two incredible miracles. Next week, in Mark 8 we’ll witness sight restored to a man with unseeing eyes. Today, in Mark 7:31-37, we witness hearing restored to a man with unhearing ears. If Jesus can do these things for these men, He can grow the apostles to sight, hearing, and understanding.

Jesus could have simply spoken the word or merely thought the thought and the deaf man would have been healed. Instead, Jesus took him aside privately away from the crowd. He put His fingers in the man’s ears, spit, and touched the man’s tongue. Then He commanded the ears, “Be opened.” And they were. Not only that, but his tongue was loosed and he was able to speak.

The people were astonished and declared, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

But let us not rush past this praise. The people were very likely calling to mind–and almost definitely Mark is including this statement because it calls to mind–Genesis 1:31 about the creator God: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (ESV). This praise from the people was more than just an explanation of Jesus’s good work. Mark is subtly indicating who Jesus is.

This Jesus who can make the deaf hear and the mute speak does all things well just like God did when He made all things. This Jesus is God.

Mark is moving us along to his answer to the repeated questions in his account of the gospel. Who is this that the wind and the sea obey Him? He is God. Where does this man get this wisdom? From God. Why are these miraculous powers at work in His hands? He’s God. Who is this? He’s not John resurrected. He’s not Elijah. He’s not just one of the prophets. He’s the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel. He looks at His works, and they are very good. We look at His work, and He does all things well.

And this means something. If Jesus is God, we can’t dismiss Him. We must follow Him wherever He leads.

Let’s do so.

Next week’s reading is Mark 8.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

What do you want to share with others from Mark 7?

Why isn’t Jesus Protecting Me from This?

Today’s reading is Matthew 11.

John knew the prophecies. John had been told the signs. John had seen them. John had confidently asserted Jesus is the Lamb of God sent to take the world’s sins away. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. He is the coming King. John had even told his own disciples they should follow Jesus instead.

So, what on earth is going on for him to question if Jesus is really the one or not? Certainly, it’s possible that in the trauma of prison and extreme conditions of that kind of suffering, John had slipped into despair and doubt. But I’d like to suggest another possibility. I first considered this possibility based on the writings of Richard Foster in his Studies in the Life of Christ.

Allow me to share an illustration. Imagine you are witnessing the President of the United States of America in his war room. News and reports are coming in of invasion. Countries have armed their nuclear weapons and aimed them at the U.S. Ships are firing on the coastline. Troops have started marching across our borders from north and south. The President sits with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands, hair splayed between his fingers. He mutters, “What are we going to do now, boys?” One of the generals stands up pushing back his chair as he does so, leans on the table propped on fists, and with a slight grimace says, “Well, sir, are you the President or do we need someone else?”

In that scenario, did the general doubt the man was the President of the United States? Of course not. Rather, he knew he was and wanted to provoke the man to act like it. May I suggest John is doing the exact same thing. John was in prison. The adulterer Herod had him there. It seems to me that John expected some different behavior from Jesus. He was expecting judgment on the sinners like Herod. But that wasn’t happening. Things weren’t going the way he expected. And now he’s struggling. He doesn’t doubt Jesus is the coming King. Rather, he wants Jesus to act the part. That is, to act the part as John had expected it to be acted out.

This was the problem all the way around. Jesus was and is the Messiah, the Christ, but He didn’t measure up to anyone’s expectations. Not even John’s. He wasn’t doing things the way everyone thought He should.

This brings up our own struggles, doesn’t it? Does Jesus let you go through things you never thought you would? Are you experiencing things you thought Jesus would protect you from? Are you struggling to stick with it? Are you wanting to encourage Jesus to wake up and do His job the way you thought He would? I know the feeling.

Jesus’s response to us is the same as to John. “I’m doing my job. Don’t be scandalized by me.” That is, don’t be turned off or turned away because My job isn’t exactly what you thought it was.”

Jesus is healing. Jesus is saving. Jesus is delivering. Hang on, no matter what. Hang on even if the sinners put you in prison. Hang on even if they cut off your head. Jesus is doing His job. In the end, Jesus always wins. Even death can’t take that victory away from Him or from you…if you just hang on.

Praise the Lord!

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Have you ever or are you now facing things you thought Jesus would protect you from? If so, what?
3. How does Satan use those kinds of moments to tempt us to turn away from Jesus?
4. What advice would you give to others to hang on in these kinds of situations?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?