Mark 7:31-37
“He Does All Things Well”
Perhaps you know someone who is what
they call a “Jack of all trades”. Maybe you are that someone.
It certainly isn't me. The “master of none” part fits me just
fine. For most of us, we can do some things pretty well, some things
ok, and many things we just have no clue about. I can change a tire,
but not spark plugs. I can change a light bulb, but A/C repair is
beyond me. I can re-format a hard drive, but don't ask me to build a
computer. And usually, we have that one skill or set of skills that
helps us pay the bills. And good for you if you also enjoy that
activity.
But look at what they say about Jesus
in Mark 7. He heals the deaf and mute man, and the people who
witness declare, “He has done all things well...” Jesus is no
“Jack-of-all-trades, but master-of-none”. He is Master of all.
Lord of all. King of creation. And so it shouldn't surprise them
that he can do this miracle, or any miracle, really, if they believed
in him. He has done all things well. That's really quite an
understatement!
But more than the spectacle of it all, more than the wonder at these mighty works, is the fulfillment of prophecy.
He has done all things well – in
terms of all those things that are marks of the Messiah. Here, he
fulfills the Old Testament reading, Isaiah 35:5:
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be
opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;”
He has done all things well. This is
one of those unwitting prophetic sayings that happen from time to
time in Scripture. Like the crowd that cried out, “his blood be
upon us and on our children” - yes, it was to be upon them, but not
in the way they meant. Or Caiaphas, who advised the Jews that “it
is better that one man die for the people”. While they perhaps
meant, “He has done all things well” as a general sort of
atta-boy, an adulation of praise, even, we could apply it much more
deeply and broadly to Jesus.
Jesus' attention to detail in
fulfilling the scriptures even shows as he hung, suffering, on the
cross. “In order to fulfill the scripture, he said, 'I thirst'.”
Yes, he did it all – was born of a
virgin – Isaiah 7 check! Was born in Bethlehem Micah 5 – check!
Was a suffering servant – check many places in Isaiah. Was
forsaken by God – check Psalm 22! Gave the sign of Jonah and rose
again – Check – Jonah 3! And we could go on and on and on. Even
the whole Old Testament speaks of him, foreshows him, points to him
the Messiah, the Christ, the long-promised savior.
More than that, he has done all things
well – in procuring our salvation. He keeps the law perfectly,
down to the smallest detail. He offers the perfect sacrifice – a
lamb of God without spot or blemish – a lamb that is slain for the
people, whose blood washes over us, and washes us clean. He does
what no one else could, what no one else can, what no one else would,
or could even imagine. He bears the sins of the world. All of them.
He has done all things well. He even conquered death, snapping its
strong bands to tatters as he arose in glory. He has done all things
well.
And then there's you. You and I, who
have not done all things well. Hold us to the same standard, in fact
hold us to almost any standard, and we don't come out looking so
good. The Ten Commandments strip down any supposed good works we
could hope to offer. We can't even get past the first one – have
no other gods. In spiritual terms, the only thing we can do well is
sin – pervert and abuse God's good gifts, turn away from him and in
on ourselves. We can't love God or our neighbor as we should. We
don't. The Old Adam doesn't really even want to. We sin in thought,
word, and deed. We have well earned sin's wage of death.
And like the deaf man who cannot hear -
we are so deaf to God, so dead in our trespasses, that we cannot even
hear his word, let alone speak it. Of our own devices we are
spiritually blind and deaf and mute and dead. I cannot by my own
reason or strength. Helpless and hopeless until Jesus comes along.
But he does. He takes our bad works and gives us his good. He takes
our death and gives us his life. He opens our eyes and ears and
loosens our tongues to faith – a faith we could never have without
him, and his Spirit.
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God. And even though we are spiritually deaf by nature -
the word of God itself creates what it demands. The Gospel itself is
the power of salvation. It cleanses hearts, gives life, opens ears
to hear.
And so Jesus speaks to a deaf man –
and think of that – speaks to his deaf ears and commands them to
hear. He brings into being, by the power of his word, that which was
not. And it is so.
He speaks also to you. His word
reaches the cold, dead ears of your sinful nature, and whispers
“Ephatha”. And faith comes. Suddenly you can hear. And hearing
you believe. And believing, you also speak.
For with the heart one believes and is
justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. And all
your not-so-well is covered by his everything-well.
The word, “well” in the Greek
“kalos” is the same word, “good” (Adverb, Adjective), that
Greek uses for the Genesis account, when God made everything and
declared it “very good”. And just think of that. That God the
Son, by whom all things were made, and who made everything good, and
with man, even very good – this God become flesh in the person of
Jesus – has done all things well, and for your good. And to
restore you to the good, even the very good he meant for you to be.
It's no accident that the book of Revelation pictures our eternal
home as a restoration of that ancient paradise – complete with the
reappearance of the tree of life – and its fruit year-round and
leaves for the healing of the nations.
Of course, you don't see this right
away. Your ears of faith hear it and believe it – but faith is the
assurance of things unseen. Your heart still stammers and stutters
to believe the words and promises of Jesus. Your mind doubts like
Thomas, and says, “show me”. An outward healing is hard to deny.
But inward healing, a declaration of forgiveness, a promise of a
resurrection... is harder. And so we waiver. We doubt. We say, “I
believe Lord, but help my unbelief.” And so it bears repeating. We
must hear the word, the law and the gospel, over and over. Let our
ears be drenched with this word of God, until that day when death
comes and the flesh can no longer struggle against the Spirit.
Jesus doesn't just heal the ears – he
also fixes the tongue. He cures the man's speech impediment, and we
hear him speaking plain as day. So too does this gift of faith he
gives to you – loosen your tongue to confess Christ, freely,
faithfully, and boldly.
You confess him formally, in creeds and
catechisms, and as the very words of Scripture roll off your tongues.
You confess him informally, giving answer to the hope that is within
you. Your faith speaks in actions – as you love your neighbor,
show mercy to the weakest and least among us. You even proclaim his
death until he comes again when you kneel to receive this cup and
this bread, which are his Body and Blood. Your participation is your
“amen, yes, it is so!” to his gift and promise.
So, forgiven sinners, read and meditate
on that word of life every day. Gather around the word of God each
week, humbly confessing and begging forgiveness, as Christ speaks
that word of life to us again. Hear the Gospel read, and preached,
as the Spirit works to convict and console you, to accuse and pardon
you. Hear Christ say, “here's my body and blood for you, to
forgive your sins.” and come forward saying, “I'm a sinner. I
need what Jesus is giving!” And once again your ears and heart are
opened, healed, revived in him. Come this day. In Jesus Christ,
Amen.
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