This is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church,
and it's my joy to bring God's Word to you today.
A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us.
We're glad that you're here, and we're glad that you're here,
not because we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus together as one community.
And as we follow Jesus together, we've become convinced that there's no one so good,
they don't need God's grace, and no one so bad that they can't have it,
which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in His Word.
We're continuing our series in the Gospel of Mark.
You'll remember that the Gospels tell the story of Jesus and His life and His death and His resurrection.
And as we go through this Gospel, we're asking two questions.
First, who is Jesus? And second, how do we respond to Him?
And these are questions not that we impose from the outside on the text,
but they're questions from the inside that come out of the text.
Last week, we asked this question of what does great faith look like?
And we saw that great faith includes the persistence that we saw from the Syrophoenician woman
and also the humility that she demonstrated, her understanding of God's grace.
This week, we're going to ask a related question, which is how do we get that type of faith?
How do we get that type of faith?
It's with that that we turn now to God's Word.
I invite you to turn with me to Mark 7, verse 31.
You can turn in your worship guide.
You can turn in your Bible. You can turn on your phone.
No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word.
And God tells us that His Word is more precious than gold, even the finest gold.
And it's sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.
Which is why we read now Mark 7, verse 31.
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,
Verse 36,
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.
I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's Word.
Our Father in heaven, we praise You again for Your goodness in speaking to us.
We're reminded of Your words in Matthew chapter 11.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give You rest.
And so we ask for that rest this morning,
that You would open up Your Word to us,
that we would be able to understand it clearly,
that we would see our need for Your grace,
for Your miraculous work in our lives,
and we would also understand and see how You meet us at that very same place.
Most of all, we ask that You would help us to see Jesus,
that You would shine a spotlight on Him for us,
that we would see Him clearly,
that we would love Him,
that we would worship Him,
that we would obey Him.
We thank You that we don't have to worry about
whether we've earned these things or deserve them,
but instead we simply ask them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
In his book, The Good American,
Robert Kaplan tells the story of a man named Bob Gersani,
and Bob, the subtitle of the book is
The U.S. Government's Greatest Humanitarian.
And the reason he gives him this exceptional title
is that Bob had this incredible influence throughout his life
working for both USAID and the State Department.
He gathered information and he made recommendations
that affected world events,
public policy decisions,
made their way all the way up to U.S. presidents,
especially during the Cold War.
Of course, we could probably find many people
who've done exceptional things.
What was surprising about Bob
was the fact that he was unexpected and unequipped.
He'd had incredible learning disabilities,
and so he was unable to finish high school.
I believe he dropped out around the 10th grade.
And he was running in these circles
that were filled with people who had graduated
not just from college,
but from elite colleges and universities.
He was way in over his depth from a worldly perspective.
He was someone who was traveling in third world countries,
often separated from communication for weeks at a time,
and yet had a very sensitive stomach.
And so you can imagine the sort of things
that that brought on him.
In addition to that,
he was in many ways emotionally fragile.
And yet, despite all of his handicaps,
all the things that held him back,
he was able to have this incredible career
all around the globe.
Why?
Well, Bob had a few secret superpowers,
and one of them was this.
He had this incredible ability to work with people
and connect with them.
He was able to exceed all the things we might expect
because he understood things that no one else did.
He would go and interview dozens, if not hundreds,
of people in different countries
so that he could have access to information
that no one else in the State Department had.
He would sit with them for hours.
He knew exactly how to build rapport,
and he knew, more than anything,
how to be a great listener.
That was the superpower that allowed him
to punch so far above his weight.
He didn't judge people based on their education.
In fact, he commented that often,
it was those who were uneducated that he found intelligent
and full of information.
During his interviews, he developed these techniques
that he would use to be able to learn as much as he could.
One of them was he insisted on privacy
with everyone he interviewed.
If possible, it was just him and the person
and maybe a translator
so that he could build trust with them
and get the information that he needed.
Now, he also had this other trick
that I found fascinating,
that as he worked with these individuals,
most of the time, he didn't speak the same language
that they did.
And so he had to use these translators to communicate.
And he had something that I would never have thought of,
which is that he wanted to make sure
the person he was talking to trusted the translator.
Well, how can you make sure
that someone trusts a translator
when you don't speak their language?
He would do it by sign language.
And so he would ask questions like this.
What was the first thing that you heard?
And then he would tug his ear
so that when they heard the translator say it,
they would know that it was an accurate translation.
And he would say,
what was the next thing that you saw?
And he would pull at his eye
so that they would know
the translator was saying the right thing.
He might talk about that person running
and he would pump his arms
so they would know
that what was coming across was accurate.
Because of that, because of his skill,
because of his care for people
and building their trust and rapport with them,
despite all his handicaps,
this man was able to affect the course of world events.
It was because of his care for people
and his sensitivity with people
that he was able to do things
that other people with greater skills,
perhaps in education,
were not able to accomplish.
It's that tremendous skill with people
that we observe with Jesus here in this passage.
As we pick up in verse 31,
he's continuing his tour of the Gentile area
that we saw last week
when he was in the region of Tyre and Sidon.
He goes north to Sidon,
which is also a Gentile area,
and then heads to the area of the Decapolis,
which may sound familiar
if you were with us when we were in chapter five,
because that was the section
where he met that man who had an unclean spirit.
And you'll recall in that story,
the spirit said,
I'm not just one,
I'm legion,
there's many of me.
And Jesus allows the spirits
to go into the pigs
that run down into the water.
The end of that story
is when then Jesus tells that man
to go and tell his town how he was healed.
And if you remember,
he is an overachiever.
He doesn't just tell his town,
he tells the entire Decapolis.
He goes throughout the entire 10 city region,
making sure everyone knows how Jesus healed him.
It should not surprise us then
that as Jesus returns to that area,
this story has had an effect.
People in that region know
what Jesus has done in the past
and what he's capable of in the present,
which is why this group, verse 32,
brings to Jesus a man who's deaf
and had a speech impediment.
Jesus' response here
is to use the same tactics
that we just talked about with Bob Gersani,
his tactics of building this trust
and this rapport with this individual.
First, we see verse 33,
Jesus cares about being in privacy with this man.
He takes him off by himself away from the crowd.
This helps us understand
that Jesus is not interested in putting on a show.
Instead, he wants to meet this man
in his humanity without any tricks or gimmicks.
Jesus is meeting this man
not as an attempt to show his power off
to a great crowd,
but instead to minister to this man
personally and specifically.
It's not just that, though.
He also uses sign language with this man.
Remember, this is someone who cannot hear,
and so that answers the question
of why we haven't seen Jesus
use this method of healing before.
He hasn't had to.
Those he's healed in the past
have been able to hear and understand
what Jesus is doing here.
Jesus, though, knows that this man
is going to need more,
and so he acts out with his hands
the miracle he's about to perform.
We see him in verse 33.
He puts his fingers into his ears,
which is his way of saying,
you know, these ears are stopped right now.
I'm going to unstop them.
He puts his finger onto his tongue,
which is his way of saying,
I'm about to fix your speech.
And so don't miss what Jesus is doing here.
Jesus cares so much about this man,
he is not another number
to be touched and healed.
This is a man that Jesus is meeting personally,
making sure that he communicates
in a way that he can understand.
And in case we get pulled off track,
I want you to know the power here
is not in Jesus' actions.
He is not performing some sort of magic trick
in the touching of the ears and the tongue,
and we know that for a couple reasons.
First of all, Jesus has not had to do this before.
We haven't seen Jesus do these other things
in his prior healings.
Also, we know it because of verse 34,
which tells us what actually happens.
Jesus looks up to heaven,
which is a sign of his reliance on God, his Father.
The last time we saw Jesus look up to heaven
was when he prayed to bless the food
at the feeding of the 5,000.
And then it's his command,
this ethvatha,
this order to be opened,
that's what results in the healing.
In other words,
Jesus is doing whatever he can
to draw close to this man.
He's doing everything he can
to take down the barriers
that separate him from someone
who cannot hear communication
and cannot give communication.
This is an individual who is locked away
in his own reality,
cut off from the world in many ways.
If you're anything like me,
as you've grown older
and as you've watched others age,
you've learned that there are
two kinds of doctors in this world.
There's the first kind of doctor
who cares a lot about making money.
There's the second kind of doctor
who cares a lot about you.
Now, don't hear what I'm not saying.
I'm not here to rag on doctors.
We could say this
about all sorts of professions.
You could say it about pastors
if you wanted to.
But I bring up doctors here
because we have seen Jesus before
as the great physician.
There's the doctor
who wants to get you in and out.
He's not careful to look at your records
or your sheets
and know what's happened in the past.
He's not bothered to spend
too much time talking to you
because he's already seen it before.
And before he talks to you,
he knows what he's going to prescribe.
Then there's the doctor
who cares deeply about you.
He wants to understand
exactly what your experience
has been like,
what's unique about the struggles
that you are facing
and the way that he can help you the best.
For him, you are not another number.
He's not trying to get you in and out
so that your copay hits as fast as possible.
Brothers and sisters,
Mark chapter 7 verses 31 through 37
is telling us that Jesus
is the second kind of doctor.
Jesus is not here
because you are another number in his system.
He is not interested in this man
for what he can gain by him
in showing a display
to the crowds of his power.
No, Jesus is interested
specifically and individually
in this man.
Jesus in his healing
and his salvation
is specifically,
individually interested in you.
Jesus is the doctor
who cares deeply
about each and every one
of his patients.
And in case we were in any doubt,
we see in verse 34,
not only does Jesus look up to heaven
relying on the power of his Father,
we also see that he sighs.
When Jesus sighs in the Gospels,
it is a sign of his grief
and frustration
and anger
at the brokenness of the world.
It is a sign of how upset he is
about the disease
and sickness of sin.
Jesus is actually moved
by this specific individual
in this Gentile territory
in the fact that he cannot hear
or speak.
And he's interested in that
more than what the crowds
might know or see.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is the one
who draws near
and cares about you
individually,
personally,
specifically.
No matter what your story is,
if you are a Christian,
that is true of you.
God's grace to you,
his drawing near to you
might have been as simple
as providing a church
that is in your part of town
where your language is spoken.
God's grace in meeting you
might have been
in providing you
with your actual parents
who actually taught you
about Jesus,
which is not a small thing.
God's grace to you
might have been
that you were suspicious
of Christians
and hurt by the church,
and God brought
the one person
that you trusted
and respected
to talk to you about it.
God's grace to you
might have been
that you didn't get it,
and he finally brought
someone who could explain it
in words you could understand.
God's grace to you
might have been
that you were hurting
and suffering like this man,
and you walked into a study
in a group,
and someone said
the right words
that finally got through.
God's grace to you
might be
that you're rebellious
and hard-hearted
and cynical,
and God arranged
the circumstances
of your life
in such a way
that he finally broke you.
God's grace for you
is personal
and specific
and careful,
and that's every story
with Jesus.
Jesus came to be able
to make you here
if you're a Christian.
If you're not a Christian,
this right now
might be God's moment
of moving towards you.
That, perhaps,
we hope,
is why you are here
with us now.
That like the blind man,
Jesus is moving closer
to touch you personally,
specifically,
privately,
powerfully.
That is who Jesus is.
And so we see
Jesus' care.
We also see,
this will sound familiar,
this man's great need.
He is utterly helpless.
Verse 32,
other people have to bring him
to Jesus.
Verse 32, again,
he's deaf
and he cannot speak.
He's so helpless
that Jesus has to invent
some rudimentary sign language
to have a hope
of communicating something
to him.
Verse 34,
and don't miss this,
Jesus commands him
to do something, right?
Ethophah,
be opened,
is a command.
It's telling.
And Jesus has to be the one
to give him
the power to obey.
Jesus doesn't just command him
to see,
Jesus causes him to see.
Don't miss that.
That is one of the
spiritual principles
that's the baseline
of Christianity,
that what God commands,
he also empowers.
The obedience he expects
is the obedience
he enables.
Moralism tells us
just obey.
End of discussion.
But it provides
no power.
The gospel says obey
and comes along
with the engine
that fuels it.
God empowers our obedience
by his spirit,
through his promises,
just like in this man
as he commands his eyes,
his ears to be opened
and his mouth to be loose,
he's the one
at the same time
providing the power
for that to happen.
Brothers and sisters,
if you're a Christian,
that is the same thing
that has happened to you.
God commands obedience
that only he can enable
and empower.
as he meets you personally,
specifically,
carefully,
he is the one
who is giving you
what you need.
You are so helpless
that you can't do anything
unless God performs
a miracle.
You are so helpless.
You cannot respond to God
unless he performs
a miracle.
And so we've been asking
this question,
who Jesus is,
and what we're finding out
in this passage
is we're actually incapable
of answering it
unless God gives us sight.
We're asking a question
that's impossible for us
to conclude.
We won't be able
to see it,
grasp it,
apply it,
understand it,
live differently
unless God is the one
who comes and performs
a miracle in our hearts
and our lives.
We, together,
this morning
and every Sunday
when we open up God's word
are doing something
that is actually impossible
unless God comes
and helps us.
That's why at the beginning
of every worship service
I pray that God
would send his spirit
to us in the prayer
of invocation
that he would help us
because we know
that unless there's
a miracle
we are wasting
our time together.
Unless God works
powerfully in our midst
to help us see
and hear
and understand
we will not be able
to change
or grow.
And so how do we
respond to Jesus?
We respond to him
by recognizing
the helplessness
of us
and those around us.
We are spiritually dead
without God's intervention
in our lives.
We are not
as clever
or independent
as we'd like to think.
If you're a Christian
there is nothing
that you have
that is not by grace.
That's what Paul tells us
in 1 Corinthians 4.
If the gospel
does nothing else
if the gospel of Mark
has no other effect on us
it should do this
it should remove us
far away
from the land
of self-congratulation
and pride.
Many people think
that this story
appears in Mark
and appears in none
of the other gospels
because Mark
is the record
that comes from
the apostle Peter.
In the next chapter
chapter 8
we're going to see
that the apostle Peter
thinks he gets it
and he doesn't.
And so many people
think that this story
shows up in this place
in this gospel
because Peter is saying
this is what had
to happen to me.
This is what I was
why I couldn't see
or understand Jesus.
It was this
sort of radical
transformation
that had to take place
in my life.
As we look
at the world
around us
sometimes
it is tempting
to say
how could those
people be
so stupid?
Don't hear
what I'm not saying.
It is good
and right
to lament
the sin
and evil
and brokenness
of this world
and
apart from
God's grace
we are no
better.
It is only
because of a miracle
it is only
because God
has touched
our ears
and our tongue
that we are able
to see what we see.
And so there's
a posture
of humility
and grace
that comes
to the world
around us
even as we grieve
and lament
its wickedness
and sin
and evil.
Because we know
that we stand
apart from it
only by God's
grace.
If you're not
a Christian
you can hear
and listen
all you want
and it will
make no difference
unless God's
grace
his powerful
miraculous work
in your life
penetrates
your heart
and your life
and your mind.
And so you can pray.
There's a reason
that you're here.
Nothing happens
by accident.
And you can pray
that God's power
would be at work
in your life
that he would cut
through the things
that you can't hear
and understand
that he would
unstop
your ears
that you would be able
to finally see
and understand
and believe
Jesus for who he is
and all his power
and beauty
and holiness.
It is Jesus
ultimately
who is able
to do that
for us.
The things I say
in other words
have no impact.
They are powerless.
They are futile
unless God
is at work.
Unless God
chooses to use
my words
as his
instrument.
Christian.
So if you're
not a Christian
you can pray
that God
would make
these things
effective in your life.
That he would
open your eyes.
If you are a Christian
you can pray
that God
would continue
to open your eyes.
In two weeks
we're going to look
at another healing
and we're going to
talk about that more.
There's going to be
a man who sort of
sees
doesn't fully see.
It's going to be
a picture
of what it looks like
to be
a Christian.
Finally I want you
to recognize
not just that
we are blind
also those
around us
are blind as well.
Do you want
to see your friend
come to know
and follow Jesus?
Do you know
someone
who thinks
they're okay
spiritually
but they're not?
What's the best
thing you can do?
Yes,
speak to them
but even more
than that
pray that God
would be at work
in the words
you speak.
God is the one
who must
perform
the miracle.
Ask that God's
supernatural work
would be shown
by his power.
Last week
and this week
you may have noticed
that a lot of my
application is that
we pray.
Why?
Because that's the way
we talk to God
now.
Jesus is not
with us physically
he's with us
spiritually.
The disciples
could go up
to Jesus
and see him
and ask him.
We now
go to God
in prayer
and ask
in the same
way.
The best
illustration
the clearest
explanation
is worthless
if it falls
on deaf ears.
God
and God
alone
is the one
who unstops
the ears
of people.
He's the one
who unstops
our ears
he's the one
who unstops
the ears
of those
around us.
So we look
to him
we pray to him
we trust in him.
That's exactly
what we've already
sung this morning.
I invite you to
look with me
at page four
of your worship
guide.
We sang
about Jesus
as the one
who meets us
verse one
Jesus ready
stands to save you
full of pity
love
and power.
That's the doctor
who cares
about you.
That is the doctor
who sighs.
And then
the next
last verse
if you tarry
till you're better
you will never
come at all.
Come to Jesus
now.
Let him
heal you.
you are deaf
Jesus
is the one
who has
to give you
hearing.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus
is the doctor
who cares
about you.
He comes
into your life
personally
and specifically.
How do we respond?
God
we recognize
how helpless
we are
without God
and his power
in our lives
and we throw
ourselves
on his mercy.
Let's pray.
our father
in heaven
we praise you
and thank you
for the work
that you have
done
that you are
doing
and that you
will do
in our lives.
We thank you
for the grace
that you've
offered to us
that you give us.
We ask that it
would abound
more and more
that we would
grow
in our ability
to see
and hear
and understand
and believe
that you
are our good
and loving
Lord and Savior
the doctor
who cares for us
who heals us
who saves us.
We ask these things
in the mighty name
of Jesus Christ.
Amen.