Twelfth Sunday after Trinity (1892)

Mark 7:31-37

A.
Ephphatha! cries Jesus to the deaf-mute who had been brought to Him, in order
that he would be healed.
Ephphatha! cries Jesus in the Gospel still to by nature spiritually deaf and dumb
people, in order that they hear His salvation. Let us therefore now consider

The Word of the Savior: Ephphatha!, namely

1. what moved the Lord Jesus to this word;
a. to heal the deaf-mute by the word Ephphatha, moved the Lord Jesus to this .
the petition of those who brought him to Him
1
, . His heartfelt mercy that He revealed
in particular by His sigh
2
;
b. to cry His Ephphatha continually in a spiritual way to men through the
Gospel, Christ lets Himself be moved by it . by the prayers and intercessions of the
faithful
3
, . by His great love and mercy, according to which He wills that all men are
helped and come to the knowledge of the truth
4
;

2. what salvation this word brings;
a. it makes an end to untold misery; how great was the misery of deaf-mutes,
from which he was saved by Christ's Ephphatha!, how unspeakable is the spiritual
misery of man, who is deaf and dumb by nature in the soul, from which he is helped
when Christ calls out His Ephphatha to him in the Gospel;
b. it brings in a really beautiful condition; what happened in a physical way to
the deaf-mute as Christ's Ephphatha rang
5
, this happens spiritually with those who hear
the Gospel in Christ's Ephphatha. What a glorious state of affairs it is when man has
become spiritually hearing and speaking!


1
Mark 7:32.
2
Mark 7:34.
3
2 Thessalonians 3:1.
4
1 Timothy 2:4.
5
Mark 7:35.
B.
He has done all things well! so said, according to our text, the people in the
healing of the deaf mute.
He has done all things well, thus we Christians say when we remember about
how much good our God has done, with how many good deeds He has showered on us
and from how much hardship and distress He has saved us.
He has done all things well, thus Christians should also confess when they
encounter misfortune, indeed, this does not happen to them by chance according to
Holy Scripture, but is God's act of providence. Let us consider this today:

Why Christians can and should say in misfortune: He has done all things well?

1. because they may have the highest confidence in Christ; Christ reveals in our text
a. His heartfelt benevolence: how willingly he took in the deaf mute, as He was
requested as he took pity on this unfortunate man, whose misery He cried out, how He
healed his harm. Can it mean He is angry with us when He sends to us adversity, cross,
and tribulation? Certainly not. He is our Savior Who loves us;
b. His great wisdom; He did not immediately lay on His hand, as He was asked.
6

People, even well-intentioned people, can make mistakes and hold something as
healing, what however brings only harm and destruction. Can Christ also err in what
He sends us for our salvation and lets happen with us? Nevermore! He is the all-wise
God;

2. because it continually confirms for them again and again;
a. we have in our text an example in the deaf-mute of how Jesus makes all things
well. How strange was everything that Jesus undertook with it
7
, and yet, how well it
was done!
b. Christians thus continually learn and notice, if they only have a little bit
respect for it, how Jesus makes it so good with them, if He lets them come into
misfortune and lays on them the cross, how beneficial such may be for them. That is
why they should also say in misfortune: He has done all things well.
Chr. K.

6
Mark 7:32f.
7
Mark 7:33-34.