Mark 7:31-32
09/08/2025
- 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. (ESV)
This week’s Gospel lesson is about Jesus healing a deaf and mute man in the Gentile region of the Decapolis, which is east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. When teaching about the healing miracles of Jesus, there is always the danger of asking, ‘‘Why did Jesus heal that person and not others?’’ This can lead to questioning our own faith and God’s rich love and mercy. However, we remember that Saint Paul had his ‘‘thorn in the flesh’’[1] which God refused to remove.
When asking for temporal blessings, we pray, ‘‘Your will be done,’’ because we, as children in comparison to God, do not always understand the consequences of our earthly desires. Yet, we know that God would have all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. It is God’s desire that all people know of His grace and undeserved love as found in Jesus Christ alone.
Therefore, the story of this miracle is important to our faith, not only so we see that Jesus is, indeed, truly God, but also to strengthen our own faith in Him.
‘‘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.’’
May our Lord open our hearts and minds to hear and understand His holy Word. Amen.