Deaf to Hear, Mute to Speak |Mark 7:24-37 with Dr. Chris Croghan

Scripture First

Jesus goes deeper into the land of the Gentiles and encounters a woman who begs Jesus to cast out a demon possessing her daughter. He gives a curious answer: it wouldn’t be fair for Him to heal her.

But as you’ll hear Dr. Chris Croghan teach, faith is what you put your trust in. This woman trusted that a crumb from Jesus could do anything because she had heard about Jesus’ mercy.

If faith comes by hearing, how does Jesus deliver to a deaf man? When you’re feeling the full weight of the law bearing down on you, you’ll experience Jesus proclaim: open your ears, get up, the resurrection is here.

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GOSPEL - Mark 7:24-37 24
From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 28 But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29 Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go -- the demon has left your daughter." 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

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