Basic Questions

1. Identify as completely as possible the person in need (e.g., age, ethnic origin, religion, gender, social status).
   Deaf man who could hardly talk.

2. What was the immediate, obvious need?
   Deaf man who could hardly talk.

3. Who took the initiative in effecting the healing?
   The person in need? Others? Jesus?
   How was it expressed?
   The man was brought to Jesus. The people begged Jesus to place his hand on the man.

4. Describe the actions or process leading to the healing; that is, what was said (e.g., questions, requests, commands) and what was done (e.g., approaching, following, touching, publicly/privately), and by whom?
   The man was brought to Jesus. The people begged Jesus to place his hand on the man.
   Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears, spit and touched the man's tongue, said "Be opened".
   The man began to speak plainly.
   Jesus commanded not to tell of healing.
   People were amazed and spread news of Jesus' healing.

5. Did the person in need or someone else verbally express faith? Non-verbally? Describe how and by whom faith was in involved in this healing.
   The man was brought to Jesus. The people begged Jesus to place his hand on the man.

6. What were the evidences that the person was healed?
   The man began to speak plainly.

7. What were the reactions to the healing?
   People were amazed - news spread.

8. What in this narrative led Jesus to minister healing to the person in need?
   The man was brought to Jesus. The people begged Jesus to place his hand on the man.

Digging Deeper

1. Is there any significance about where this healing took place?
   Among gentiles.
   Jesus took the man aside. This could have been to respect the man's privacy.
   This also could be to keep news form spreading too fast - the messianic secret. Read     The Messianic Secret

2. In this passage, the word translated "deaf" in Mark is kophos (Gk), whereas the same Greek word in Matthew 9:32-34 is translated as "mute" or "unable to speak". In this passage, the word translated "could hardly talk", "unable to speak" or having an impedement of speech is mogilalos (Gk). Still another word, alalos, (v37), is translated as "mute" or "dumb". Is there a connection between deafness and being unable to speak?
   If you can't hear - it is difficult to speak plainly.
   Spiritually, something cannot be given out that is not taken in.

   How does this lesson apply to Israel? To us?
   To Israel - they twisted the Scripture because they could not hear it correctly, for they did not acknowledge Jesus as Messiah.
   To us - unless we know the Lord, we are deaf and dumb spiritually. When Scriptures are read and ears are not open to hear the truth, then they cannot be plainly spoken.

   Does Jesus heal the illness(es) as two or as one?
   It seems as if he treats them as two - he touches both places. When he commands "Be opened" both things are healed and the man speaks plainly. Here again Jesus is concerned with wholeness.

   What keeps us from hearing?
   Our own agenda.
   The influence of others.

3. What comments or instructions did Jesus express after the healing?
   Jesus commanded not to tell of healing, but news spread anyway.

4. What lesson(s) have you learned about healing from this account?
   Read     Keep Your Ears Open

   Spiritually, something cannot be given out that is not taken in.

   Some people may need to be brought to Jesus for healing.

   Jesus is concerned with wholeness.

   Jesus respects a person's privacy/dignity.

   Listening and being open are a choice.