All People

Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Mark 7:31–37
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All People
Since the fall into sin, we humans have become a tribal bunch. We want to stick to our own and don’t like outsiders. This has manifested itself throughout the years in many evil and hateful ways. If we only stop and think about what Jesus actually did and taught, we might see things differently. In these verses, Jesus heals another person in a Gentile region, further emphasizing His love for every race and kind of people. He did not stop at the county line, state line, or national border. He knows He is needed everywhere. Jesus gives yet another example of why we need to avoid the temptation to narrow the scope of the mission and ignore opportunities to reach out to those who are different than ourselves. Jesus’ healing of the deaf and mute man immediately after He restored the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman highlights that He desires to love, cleanse, and heal all people. May our Lord continue to do everything well. May He help us also to see the depths of His mercy and grace so that we understand them as gifts meant for all.