Mark 7:31-35
31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.
32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.
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.

On many occasions when Jesus consented to perform a miracle, his motive was compassion. His heart went out to the sick, the infirm, the stricken, especially if they are old and had suffered the burden of incapacity for many years.

There is something else in the story that it would not be easy to miss. Jesus begins his journey in the region of Sidon and comes to the Decapolis, on the eastern shore of the Jordan, where he meets the deaf-mute. These regions have something in common: they are both pagan territories. Yes, Jesus comes first and foremost for the lost children of Israel. But his compassion knows no bounds. His miraculous love transforms the lives of the pious and the outcasts as well - tax collectors, Samaritans, gentiles, even the hated Romans!

If this passage only talks about Jesus' physical healing it is not related to most of us because we aren't deaf and mute. There are many who have physically sound ears and mouth but unable to hear and talk. They are so called spiritual deaf and mute. Who are spiritual deaf and mute? They are those who hear and see but can't perceive and understand. For example, Jesus talked about his death and resurrection to his disciples again and again. But his disciples couldn't understand what Jesus spoke about. Because of their human thinking and personal dream they couldn't understand and accept Jesus' death. They could finally understand the meaning of his death after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. But for a long time they couldn't understand and accept even though they heard the same message again and again. They were like spiritual deaf and mute.

In this case, the mute and deaf man's friends also exercise their faith. Here we find Jesus anticipating a personal commitment also to the process of healing. He personally touches him and encounters him with his power. This miracle also emphasizes a personal quest for the operation of faith in our relationship with God.

Let us pray to God for mercy for being dumb and deaf spiritually.