Jesus heals a deaf man

[jsimms615]

In Mark 7:31-37 it tells a story of when Jesus was in the region of Tyre. There a group brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and spoke with difficulty. Instead of simply saying a word it says that Jesus put his fingers in the mans ears and touched his tongue with saliva. He then commanded for his ears and tongue to be opened.
I am curious about this healing because in this same chapter earlier in verses 29 it says that a woman's daughter was healed from demon possession who wasn't not even present when Jesus healed her. I wonder why Jesus healed this man in this way. Why the "deep sigh" in verse 34. It seems it was a difficult thing from first appearances, though I know nothing is difficult for Jesus.
I'm not doubting, I just found it curious that he healed in this way. Was this for the man's benefit that he was healing?
J

 

[Beasley]

Looking at the other places where the word for 'sigh' is used, it seems to connote a deep longing for something in most cases. The root word sometimes means to make a stand. I'm not sure how to say this, but I believe that Christ preformed miracles mostly using the power of the Spirit. I would speculate he was locking on to his power source so to speak.

Remember in Hebrews, He offered himself up to death and endured the Cross by the power of the Holy Spirit. And I think you are right about the saliva and the touching, that it was probably for the man's benefit, rather than a necessity.

 

[jsimms615]

Looking at the other places where the word for 'sigh' is used, it seems to connote a deep longing for something in most cases. The root word sometimes means to make a stand. I'm not sure how to say this, but I believe that Christ preformed miracles mostly using the power of the Spirit. I would speculate he was locking on to his power source so to speak.

Remember in Hebrews, He offered himself up to death and endured the Cross by the power of the Holy Spirit. And I think you are right about the saliva and the touching, that it was probably for the man's benefit, rather than a necessity.

I was looking up the word sigh and it just says that the transliterated word is stenazo which means to groan, complain or a sigh. Used only 6 times in the N.T..
Matthew Henry had some good insight that I hadn't thought of before. He said if you notice in verse 32 that those who brought the man to Jesus did not ask for him to heal him. They asked for Jesus to lay hands on the man. That is necessarily the same thing. They presented the man to Jesus and allowed him to respond to him on his own terms.
The second thing is that in verse 33 Jesus took the man away privately. Rather he looked up to heaven and gave God the Father credit for healing the man.
Matthew Henry says the sigh was Jesus' way of expressing pity and sympathy with the human condition.
J