Healing, Wholeness, and The Compassion of Christ

May 5th, 2023
by Andrew Field

Healing, Wholeness, and the Compassion of Christ: A Gospel-Centric Reflection on Mark 7:24-37

24And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. 31Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36And Jesush charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 7:24-37 is a powerful reminder of the compassion and power of Jesus to heal and restore those in need. In these two accounts, we witness Jesus' ability to restore both physical and spiritual wholeness, revealing his deep concern for every aspect of our well-being.

In the first story, a Gentile woman approaches Jesus with a request to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus is moved by the woman's faith and heals her daughter. This encounter reveals the inclusiveness of Jesus' mission, which extends to all who come to him with faith, regardless of their background. In a world that increasingly seems polarized by race and torn apart by division, seeing a devout Jew's decision to rescue a Gentile woman's child is a breath of fresh air that breathes life into our lungs as the Church seeks to be a vessel for the saving and reconciling mission of the Gospel.

In the second story, Jesus heals a deaf man with a speech impediment, demonstrating his power to restore physical and spiritual wholeness. This healing is a powerful reminder that our Savior is not only concerned with our physical well-being, but with our spiritual health as well. By healing the deaf man, Jesus shows that he has the power to restore both. Tim Keller says this about this account in his book Jesus the King:

"Jesus reply identifies with this man. All the touching of his ears, touching his mouth- it's sign language... He comes into this man's cognitive world and uses terms (nonverbal speech)that he can understand. Notice how he takes him away from the crowd. Why does he do that? Wouldn't he want everyone to see? Well, imagine this man as he grew up. He's always been a spectacle. He's deaf, and therefore he can't produce proper speech. Jesus know's this, and refuses to make a spectacle of him now. He's identifying with him emotionally. But there's a deep identification yet, because at one point Jesus utters a deep sigh. A better translation might be "he moaned." A moan is an expression of pain. Why would Jesus be in pain? Maybe it's because he haas emotionally connected with this man and his alienation and isolation... Mark is saying: do you see the blind opening their eyes? Do you see the deaf hearing, do you see the mute tongue shouting for joy? God has come, just as Isaiah 35 has promised; God has come to save you. Jesus is the King."

1The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
2it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.
3Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. (Isaiah 35:1-5 ESV)

As we reflect on these stories, we are reminded of the incredible compassion and power of our Savior. Jesus is not limited by our background, our nationality, or our physical ailments. He is able to restore us to wholeness, both physically and spiritually, through his powerful healing touch.

So, what does this mean for us today? Here are some reflections to consider:

1. We can come to Jesus with faith, trusting in his power to heal and restore us. We don't have to be limited by our circumstances or our physical ailments. Instead, let us approach Jesus with faith, knowing that he has the power to heal and restore us.

2. We should extend the love and compassion of Jesus to those around us, seeking to bring healing and restoration to all those in need. As followers of Christ, we are called to be his hands and feet in the world, extending his love and compassion to all those around us.

3. We need deepen our understanding of the inclusiveness of Jesus' mission, recognizing that he came to save all who come to him with faith. This means that we need to be intentional about reaching out to those who may be marginalized or overlooked in our communities, extending the love and compassion of Jesus to all.

4. By faith, we can grow in our appreciation of the power of Jesus to restore both physical and spiritual wholeness, recognizing that he is able to meet all of our needs. This means that we need to come to him with an open heart and a willingness to be transformed by his powerful healing touch. Have you experienced this healing?

As we reflect on these stories from Mark 7:23-37, let us remember the incredible compassion and power of our Savior. May we come to him with faith, extend his love and compassion to those around us, deepen our understanding of his all encompassing mission, and grow in our appreciation of his power to restore us to wholeness.

Posted in Christian Living