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Southside Lexington PodcastAuthor: Southside Church of Christ
Southside Church of Christ, Lexington, KY Language: en Genres: Christianity, Religion & Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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5-3-26 (Barrett Coffman) Ephphatha!
Episode 411
Sunday, 3 May, 2026
Mark 7:31-37 31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!"). 35 At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." NIV 84 LESSON NOTES The Isaiah Prophecy: Mark uses a specific, rare Greek word for "speech impediment" (Mark 7:32) that appears only one other time in the Greek Bible—Isaiah 35:6. This purposefully connects Jesus to the prophecy that when God comes to save His people, the "mute tongue will shout for joy." Connections: The people in the Decapolis likely knew to bring their friend to Jesus because of the formerly demon-possessed man (from Mark 5) who went home and told everyone what the Lord had done. One person's testimony can pave the way for many others to find healing. Jesus Meets Us Where We Are: By using physical touch and signs (fingers in ears, touching the tongue, looking to heaven, a deep sigh), Jesus communicated with the deaf man using "sign language." He meets us exactly where we are, but loves us too much to leave us there. A Groan Of Compassion: Jesus’ "deep sigh" (v. 34) was a non-verbal expression of grief. It represents a "hybrid of frustration and sadness" over the brokenness of the world. As Christians, the Holy Spirit gives us the "gift of sighing"—the capacity to groan with compassion for the suffering around us. A Package Deal: When Jesus speaks "Ephphatha" (Be Opened), it is a double miracle. He doesn't just open our ears to hear the Gospel; he loosens our tongues so we can speak plainly about his mercy. You cannot have one without the other. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Go back and read Isaiah 35. Does reading it again give you more insight into the interaction between Jesus and the deaf and mute man? How have you see glimpses of God transforming our sighing into singing? 2. Who first helped “bring you to Jesus”? Who is someone in your life right now that you could bring to Him? What is a practical step you could take this week toward this end? 3. Jesus used physical touch and signs to communicate with the man. How has God "spoken your language" - how have you experienced Jesus meeting you where you are? 4. Jesus sighed deeply when faced with this man's struggle. When you look at the "brokenness" in your own community or circle of influence, what specifically causes you to feel that same "groan of compassion"? 5. In what ways might you be spiritually “deaf” or “mute” right now? Do you need to hear God more clearly, or speak more boldly—or both? What would it look like for you to live out “Ephphatha” this week? How can you intentionally open your life to God’s voice and be more vocal about your faith?
