God Conversation

Matthew 21:18-22

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Why?

Why did Jesus cause the fig tree to wither, when He knew it was not the season for figs?

He chose to use His encounter with the fig tree as an opportunity to teach the disciples a lesson concerning the future judgment coming for this unbelieving generation of Israel by the power of God.

The tree

Mark says Jesus was hungry and looking for fruit on the tree. The tree had leaves, indicating that it was ready to produce fruit, but Jesus finds none

Mark notes that this was not the season for figs, so it was not surprising that the tree was without fruit

The fig tree is a prophetic representation of Israel

If the Lord was willing to condemn a fruit tree for failing to produce fruit out of season, how much more will He bring judgment against Israel for failing to show spiritual fruit in the face of clear evidence that Jesus was the Messiah?

The Miracle

Jesus then declares that this tree will never again produce fruit.

Jesus knew the tree wouldn't have fruit, so He must have orchestrated this moment to teach His disciples a lesson

Jesus condemned the fruitless tree as an picture of what would happen to this unbelieving generation of Israel

Mark 11:20

As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.

As the tree lost nourishment from the roots in the ground, it began to die in keeping with Jesus' words.

The power of prayer

Upon seeing the withered tree, the disciples exclaimed that that the tree was dying. Their exclamation carried a tone of disbelief, which led Jesus to launch into a teaching on the power of prayer

When Jesus spoke his words of condemnation to the tree, His words had the power to wither the tree because they were consistent with God's will

Mark 11:22,23

And Jesus answered saying to them, “ Have faith in God. “ Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe

Matthew 20:30-34

Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

The place

Jesus has been traveling from Galilee toward Jerusalem for some time and He has been ministering to the people along the way. His plan is to be in Jerusalem for the Passover

Jesus has repeatedly told His disciples, “the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up” (Matthew 20:18,19)

As Jesus has passed through different areas more people would start to follow Him. In addition the roads are full of other pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem

The two blind men

And as they were going out from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And the multitude sternly told them to be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

We find that these two blind men are sitting by the side of the road. This would be a common place we would expect blind people to be since they usually had to make their living by begging

These men had not met Jesus before, they had only heard about Him. Yet they applied what they heard from what they knew from the writings of the prophets and came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah

The miracle

And Jesus stopped and called to them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” And moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

Jesus was never is so much of a hurry that He failed to hear those who cried out to Him

The Gospels of Mark and Luke tell us that Jesus sent for them with Mark, the Gospel of Mark even saying that Bartimaeus cast aside his coat and jumped up to come to Jesus

Notice that Jesus healing was immediate. Jesus’ miracles were always complete, usually instantaneous, and often defied any possible natural explanation. Jesus simply touched their eyes and they were healed.

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe

John 11:1-46

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Then Thomas (also known as Didymus ) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

Story Summary

When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When Jesus heard the news, he waited two more days before going to Lazarus' hometown of Bethany.

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. When Martha discovered that Jesus was on his way, she went out to meet him. "Lord," she said, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Jesus told Martha, "Your brother will rise again." But Martha thought he was talking about the final resurrection of the dead.

Then Jesus said these crucial words: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

When Mary met Jesus, she was grieving with strong emotion over her brother's death. The Jews with her were also weeping and mourning. Deeply moved by their grief, Jesus wept with them.

Jesus then went to the tomb of Lazarus with Mary, Martha and the rest of the mourners. There he asked them to remove the stone that covered the hillside burial place. Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed to his Father, closing with these words: "Lazarus, come out!" When Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus told the people to remove his grave clothes.

Life Lessons

Whoever believes in Jesus Christ, receives spiritual life that even physical death can never take away.

As a result of this incredible miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, many people believed that Jesus was the Son of God and put their faith in Christ.

Jesus showed the disciples, and the world, that he had power over death.

It is absolutely essential to our faith as Christians that we believe in the resurrection of the dead.

Jesus revealed his compassion for people through a genuine display of emotion.

Jesus also raised Jairus' daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:41-42; Luke 8:52-56) and a widow's son (Luke 7:11-15) from dead.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe

Luke 17:11-19

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

The Location

The story of 10 lepers being healed is found only in Luke’s Gospel and represents an event that takes place as Jesus and his apostles are travelling toward Jerusalem

The 10 lepers, are a group of people excluded from community life because of their medical condition, and one leper was considered to have been doubly excluded because of his ethnicity. He was a Samaritan.

The Healing

The lepers, “keeping their distance,” call out to Jesus, not specifically to heal them but to “have mercy on us!”

When Jesus sees them, he sends them to the priests, who will determine according to the law of Moses, specifically Leviticus 14, whether they have been healed of leprosy. The lepers immediately demonstrate their faith by following Jesus’ instruction even though they still have their disease.

Only as they are on their way, do we find out that “they were made clean.”

The Samaritan

The gospel says that only the Samaritan turns back to praise God and (literally translated) “fell before his feet” and thanks Jesus.

Jesus asks rhetorically, “Were not 10 made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?

Jesus then addresses the healed Samaritan: “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” But was not the Samaritan already well even before he came back praising God and giving thanks to Jesus?

The Samaritan’s return allows Jesus to demonstrate that no one, not a leper, nor a Samaritan, is beyond God’s mercy.

Lessons

- God’s mercy is for all

- Jesus is there when we cry out to Him for his mercy

- Jesus is not a respector of persons

- It often takes a step of obedience before we see God’s miracles

- Our faith in Christ will cause us to fall at His feet in worship

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe

Luke 14:1-4

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

Sabbath healings

Jesus kept healing people on the Sabbath

Religious people criticized Jesus all the time for healing on a Sabbath

The Man

Jesus removes many pounds/ gallons of fluid from a man's body in a few seconds.

DROPSY: An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. The causes of the swelling could be: Edema, heart failure, kidney problems, liver failure, etc.

The Place and Time

This was a Sabbath and  Knowing his host, the Pharisee, would be offended if He healed the man, Jesus explains why he is healing that man.

He was not there by accident; this was not a public place. The proximity of the man to Jesus at this meal indicates that he was deliberately placed opposite or near Jesus at the table

The Healing

Luke used the Greek word epilabomenos, which Matthew Henry says indicated that Jesus “embraced him, took him in his arms, big and unwieldy as he wa

The cure of a very swollen person, one would think, would have to be gradual, but Luke describes it as taking place in a moment

JESUS IS THE GREAT PHYSICIAN!

Isaiah. 53:5

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed

Exodus. 15:26 I am Jehovah-Rapha” – “the Lord that heals you.”

Matthew. 4:23-24

“Jesus went…healing EVERY disease and sickness among the people….ALL who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them”

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe

Luke 13:10-17

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”  When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Place

Jesus had begun to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and was travelling one last time through Perea on the other side of the Jordan

Jesus was in a synagogue for the last recorded time during His earthly ministry.

“And behold, there was a woman, which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together” (v. 11).

The Woman

This woman's frame was completely pulled together. Her back was bent, not slightly, but as the original says, bent together, or completely bent over.

She had been this way for eighteen years. She couldn’t look up into the sky or into people’s faces.

We also know that this woman had been bound by Satan. In verse 16, Christ tells us that Satan bound this woman eighteen years ago. She had a “spirit of infirmity” (v. 11).

This was both a medical and spiritual problem. The devil had bound her so that she shuffled around every day as if chained by him

Finally this woman was in a situation where she could do nothing to straighten herself. Verse 11 reiterates this: “and could in no wise lift up herself.”

The Miracle

Despite her pain and the shame she could have felt, her feet shuffled down the cobbled streets of this town until she was present to hear the Word of God read and explained.

This particular time, Christ was the preacher, anointed from heaven “to preach liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isa. 61:1-3).

1. First, He looked at her. “Jesus saw her...” (v. 12). This emphasizes the one-sided work of God’s grace. Many oth­ers came to Jesus asking for healing; this woman may also have prayed to the Lord many times for healing. But here, the Lord Jesus saw her in a way that no one can see.

2. Second, He called her to Him (v. 12). She likely couldn’t see Christ, but, shuffling, she followed His voice until she came to Him.

3. Third, He touched her. “And he laid his hands on her” (v. 13). Under His touch, the spirit of infirmity left, the devil gave way, and this woman was no longer crushed, but stood upright.

You can receive healing

Have you experienced the freedom of your spiritual chains falling off?

It is not unusual for people to come to a house of wor­ship burdened – perhaps not physically, but emotion­ally or spiritually.

Leviticus 26:13

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe

John 9:1-38

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. 8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” 10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. 11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” 12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

The Man

Christ’s question to the blind man, who had his sight restored: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

when they came across this blind man, they decide to make him part of their lesson for the day. “Rabbi (that is, Teacher), who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

They assume that the man’s blindness was a punishment for a specific sin

The Glory of God

Jesus points out how suffering can be turned into a reason for glorifying God.

God allowed this man to suffer with blindness, so that he would be a living, walking “advertisement” for his Son.

Spiritual blindness

The very question, “Why me?” exposes our spiritual blindness that assumes that we DESERVE better. Spiritual blindness claims that we have RIGHTS

In a world of sin, where we have no aptitude to recognize our Lord and Savior, we are just like that blind man. We couldn’t see Jesus, but he could see us.

Isaiah 42:19-22a  “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons”

Ephesians 5:14 “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you”

Jesus Gives Sight to the Blind – the Blind from Birth and even those who have Blinded Themselves

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe

Matthew 17:14-21

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

We need mercy from Jesus

14 When they reached the crowd, a man approached and knelt down before him. 15 “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

He has this overwhelming concern for his son. Jesus’ disciples can’t help him and he’s hoping something will change.

He needs help, he sees Jesus, and he says, “Lord, have mercy on my son.” We need mercy from Jesus.

Faith matters

19 Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 “Because of your little faith,” he told them.

He says, “You unbelieving and perverse generation.” Those are strong words. That’s the way He normally talks to the Pharisees and Sadducees.

“Why couldn’t we drive it out?” They knew that something wasn’t right, so they wanted to see what was up. Jesus answers their question very simply by saying,  “Because of your little faith.”

They don’t need more faith in terms of quantity (we’ll learn in a minute that it only takes a little bit). They need more faith in terms of power!

Verse 20 “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Jesus is the ultimate healer

Just like that, Jesus commanded that demon to leave that boy and he was healed! Jesus is the ultimate healer.

Seek Him first and seek His healing as He desires to work. That healing will come in His time. You will be healed of everything in His time.

Miraculous Jesus experiences require miraculous Jesus faith.

The reason for powerlessness is prayerlessness (new word). The disciples who had been left in the valley had faced the challenge of casting out a demon and had failed miserably. The fact that the disciples are defeated proves that they still had much to learn.

Thank you for reading My Evening Devotional. This post is public so feel free to share it.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe

Mark 8:22-26

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

Bethsaida

There are miracles only registered in the gospel of Mark. This is  one of these unique miracles recorded in detail.

This is the only progressive miracle Jesus performed in the New Testament

Bethsaida was a village located near the mouth of the upper Jordan River on the east bank of the Sea of Galilee. This village is no longer inhabited

It is recorded in this account that “some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.”

The people

The people could have been bringing the blind man to Jesus because he was a part of their village and they cared for his well-being.

They could also have simply a desire to see the miracles of Jesus for themselves;

First touch

Verse 23, “He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had spit on the man’s eyes and put His hands on him, Jesus asked “do you see anything?”

Jesus did not choose to do the healing with everyone around, but instead He took the man alone with Him outside of the busy village.

Some of the greatest and most faith-growing times in our life will happen when we are completely alone with God.

Jesus’ process was to (1) taking them outside the village, (2) spit on his eyes, and (3) then touch Him.

Second touch

Verse 24, “ He looked up and said, ‘they look like trees walking around. I see people; they look like trees walking around.’”

There was a need for Jesus to do this miracle partially with the first touch and then completely with a second.

Verse 25, “once again Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”

Hebrews 12:3

Jesus was truly the “author and perfector of faith” for this man

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe

Mark 7:31-37

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 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.”

The man

Mark was the only Evangelist to record this miracle

Mark decided to write about this miracle because it demonstrated an act of Jesus healing a Gentile

Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd

Medicine in this time and region was basically inexistent

The Miracle

Decapolis, the area of Jesus’ destination, was a ten-city group on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire.

- Hippose, Pella, Scythopolis, Philadelphia, Gerasa, Dion, Kanatha, Damascus, Raphana and Gadara

During His ministry, Jesus performed more than 40 miracles, including healing the sick, changing the natural elements of nature and even raising people from the dead.

Jesus looked up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘be opened.’

Immediately the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

The Efficacy of Jesus' Saliva

In the days of Jesus, ailments such as deafness and muteness were often seen as either punishment for sin or possession by demons.  Jesus’ ability to cure these ailments presents him as one who can forgive sin and overcome demons.

Laminim

- “a glycoprotein component of connective tissue basement membrane that promotes cell adhesion” Miriam Webster Dictionary

Several Roman writers and Jewish rabbis considered saliva to be a valid treatment for blindness. Since the people of that day had a high view of saliva’s healing properties, Jesus used spit to communicate His intention to heal.

Matthew 4:23

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Audio Podcast click here

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com/subscribe