Mark 7:31-37
31 Jesus then 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 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.”
Summary
God told Israel from the very beginning to evangelize the world. Even though they had that qualification, they failed to realize it, and so they were sent off as slaves, sent off as captives, made into subject nations, and scattered throughout the whole world.
▣ Introduction
1. Do welfare work.
2. The disabled (1.2 billion worldwide, 2.64 million in Korea) – this is a great field.
3. The deaf (460 million worldwide, 400,000 in Korea) – among the disabled, the deaf are the people on the front line who can also evangelize the world. They cannot hear and cannot speak, but they can communicate. This is the message being given here. When Jesus commanded the deaf man “Be opened!” both his ears and his mouth were opened.
v. 32 – “the people brought him and begged Jesus” – it cannot be done without someone’s help.
v. 33 – “he took him aside, away from the crowd” – if we have no concern for these people, they become abandoned souls who cannot hear the gospel. Jesus gave them the blessing of Ephphatha.
▣ Main
1. Root cause – “aside” (verse 33) – Jesus opened what had been closed at the root. It could not be done by human strength, so he took him aside and made him leave the crowd.
1) Destiny (verse 33) – he completely overturned his destiny. He made him leave the crowd. Do not depend on people; experience the root-level power that comes from God.
2) Spiritual DNA – “he put his fingers into his ears and touched his tongue” – Christ changed his spiritual DNA.
3) Closed spirit – “Be opened!” – he completely opened a spirit that had been closed.
▷ For the more than 1.2 billion disabled people, unless something is changed at the root, it will never do.
2. The old thing – “sighed” (verse 34) – this is something old. It cannot be done without experiencing Christ.
1) Genesis 3, 6, 11 – having fallen into Satan’s trap for a long time.
2) Acts 13, 16, 19 – having fallen into Satan’s mold for a long time.
3) 6 things – having fallen into the six snares of Satan that unbelievers fall into, for a long time.
▪ Satan’s strategy – it is old because one has been completely caught in Satan’s strategy. That is why Jesus sighed.
▷ Christ said, “Be opened!” Even now, if Christ blesses your work for just ten seconds, amazing things happen. God is stirring up our church to make it a landmark that saves the dying. Save the disabled and the deaf.
3. Today’s closed thing (verse 35) – no matter how much covenant and blessing have come, unless today’s closed thing is opened, it will not do.
1) Fulfillment (the disabled) – the moment Christ said “Ephphatha!” it was fulfilled. Many disabled people need to have their spiritual eyes opened. You are not disabled. The truly disabled are those trapped inside this (see Main 2). Those who do not know God’s blessing and are captured by the flesh are the truly disabled.
2) Problems, trials, crises (verse 36) – all problems, trials, and crises have been overcome. That is the proof.
3) The door of the future (verse 37) – it must be opened. If God’s plan is certain, there is nothing to hesitate about.
▷ We must become a church where children are trained to their hearts’ content, and where the disabled come, are trained, and are turned into evangelists.
▣ Conclusion
1. Land’s end – RT, TCK, the disabled – our land’s end is the Remnant. It is the TCK. The further end of the land is the disabled Remnant. We must make them into evangelists.
2. The world’s talented people – the world’s talented people who do not know the gospel are the truly disabled. They must be saved.
▷ If someone has been living the life of faith for a long time and remains unchanged, that is disability.
3. The older generation – our older generation truly needs to receive grace.
Transcript
From the very beginning God told Israel to evangelize the world. They had that qualification, but they failed to realize it. So they were sent off as slaves, as captives. In the end, because they failed to realize it, they were made into a subject nation and scattered throughout the whole world. If Jesus were in Seoul right now, what would he do? You know what he showed us during his three years of public ministry. Jesus probably would not have gathered people to hold some kind of festival in a large open lot, but would have called together people in difficult circumstances. Our church is a church that has received blessing, but because God knew we would not realize it, he stirred us and had us move to Jangji-dong. That is a place meant purely for welfare work. Honestly, we did not go there intending to do welfare work. We went thinking we might be able to have a sanctuary there, but it turned out to be a place for welfare work. We had no choice but to do welfare work, even though it weighed on our conscience. But now, though God has permitted this, people keep raising objections and telling us to leave. The fact that that land sold is a miracle. We have to do welfare work with that. That is the law. Through this, God has opened our eyes.
Ephphatha Missions
The word “Ephphatha” means “Be opened.”
▣ Introduction
1. Welfare
So God showed us three things, and the first is: do welfare work. This does not mean this is the only thing to do, but it means to do this. From now on you must pray about it.
2. The disabled
Among them are the disabled.
(1.2 billion)
Looking at current records, there are now about 1.2 billion disabled people on earth. That is a lot, isn’t it?
(2.64 million)
In Korea alone there are already more than 2 million. 2.64 million. That is the figure that has come out.
3. The deaf
Among the disabled, who is it that is first in priority, the one who can still evangelize the world? It is the deaf. In some respects the deaf are not even counted among the disabled. Why? Because they can go and come and do everything. They just cannot hear and cannot speak. But they can communicate fully. God is giving you all a tremendous message through this, right now. When Jesus commanded that deaf man to be opened, both his ears, his eyes, and his mouth were opened.
I originally had no interest in these matters (Introduction 1 and 2); I had no interest in the deaf. I came to know about the deaf through Pastor Jeong Eun-ju. As she confessed from her heart, she had given birth to a son, and that son could not speak. So she began to pray in earnest. Just imagine how much she prayed — she even gave up her business to devote herself to ministry, to that extent. Then one day at the airport, she introduced me to her son. At that time I said this: “This is a disciple God prepared to be able to evangelize the deaf.” That is what I said. And sure enough, he became a pastor — and not just any pastor. This person can use Korean, Japanese, English, and sign language. Isn’t that amazing? Through that friend I came to meet Pastor Choi Deok-geun. His parents are deaf. And he understands the deaf so well and helps them.
(460 million)
Right now there are more than 400 million deaf people worldwide. 460 million.
(400,000)
Currently in Korea alone there are 400,000. I have seen the workers who can save these people. Through them our church came to meet Pastor Song Jae-rim. These are workers who carry the gospel. Our church has shown little interest so far. But right now, through this person, there are enormous numbers here — over a billion disabled people waiting — this is truly a great field.
[ 32 – The people ]
Today in verse 32 it says this: “People brought them.” Verse 32. “People brought a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking to Jesus and begged him to lay his hand on him.” When I read this passage, I thought, “Ah, that’s right!” I was quite surprised. Even blind Bartimaeus cried out without anyone’s help. Because he could just shout out. And as you all know, the woman with the issue of blood also pushed her way in to Jesus and grabbed the hem of his garment on her own. But this deaf man could not do it without someone’s help. Someone had to bring him and speak for him, or it would not have worked. Someone, whose name is not even given, brought him.
[ 33 – Took him aside ]
But there is something even more important said again in verse 32. Verse 33 says, “Jesus took the man aside, away from the crowd.” That is what it says. Jesus took this deaf man aside. And he made him and these people leave the crowd. It is not a difficult statement, but it is a part we need to pay close attention to. If we have no interest in these people (Introduction), what happens? Before these people can become great figures, they cannot even hear the gospel.
Back when we were just starting our church plant in Busan and it was beginning to grow, a certain church in Choryang came to us. It was a church for the deaf. They asked for our help. The pastor of that deaf church asked for help, and we wondered how we could help. In truth, the deaf have a very hard time. They cannot even give offerings, so what is needed is something that can help educate and support them. So I asked, “What denomination are you with?” I asked. It turned out to be a church belonging to a large denomination that is very zealous in Korea. So I asked, “Doesn’t your denomination help you?” I asked this. That friend, sounding somewhat embarrassed, said something bitter to me. “They don’t really help the mute,” he said. Marginalized — to put it simply, abandoned. “Is that so? Then we will help as much as we possibly can.” That is what I said.
When people show no interest in someone, that person becomes a completely abandoned soul. Jesus took him aside and gave him the complete blessing of Ephphatha. When I look at Pastor Choi Deok-geun, Pastor Jeong Ju-won, and Pastor Song Jae-rim, I think, those people are exactly the ones who received the blessing of Ephphatha. Isn’t that so?
▣ Main
1. Root cause “aside”
Why is that? What does it mean that he took them aside, made them leave the crowd, took them aside separately? Jesus opened what had been closed at the very root. It could not be done by human strength. He took him aside and made him leave the crowd of people.
1) Destiny (33)
What does it mean, this root-level blessing? He completely overturned his destiny. “He left the crowd.” In verse 33, he made him leave the crowd. You must keep this firmly in mind. You who are deaf, you who are disabled, do not depend on people; experience the root-level power that comes from God. People brought him there, but Jesus made him leave the people and took him aside separately, and worked directly himself.
2) Spiritual DNA
Today, look here — he put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue and said “Ephphatha” — what does that mean? Christ changed that disabled man’s spiritual DNA.
3) Closed spirit
And this — he simply said “Be opened!” He completely opened a spirit that had been completely closed. For the more than 1.2 billion disabled people, what is most needed? Unless something is changed at the root, it will never do. God will not leave those who hold onto this covenant alone — why? Because these people cannot be reached in any other way.
2. The old thing “sighed”
Look again. Today, at the moment Jesus was healing this man, it says he looked up to heaven and sighed. Here (Main point 1, “root cause”) it says “he took him aside.” Picture Jesus’s actions. He avoided the crowd of people who had brought this man, and took this deaf man aside separately. And having seen that, it says “Jesus sighed.” Why is that? Because it is something old. That is why nothing but Christ will do. Without experiencing Christ, it will not do. How old is it? Isn’t this exactly it?
1) 3, 6, 11
It is old because he has fallen completely into Satan’s trap.
2) 13, 16, 19
It is old because he has fallen into Satan’s mold.
3) 6 things
It is old because he has fallen for a long time into the six snares of Satan that unbelievers fall into.
What is this? It is a person who has been caught in Satan’s strategy completely, for a long time — seeing this, Jesus sighed. Christ said, “Be opened!” Even now, if Christ blesses your work for even just ten seconds, amazing things happen. You must believe now — you are prepared now to receive these tremendous blessings. Look at the path God has walked with us up to now. Right now, starting from a Seoul with no church building, God has brought us this far. Isn’t that so? The elders who long for the gospel are gathered here. The servants of the Lord who truly hold onto the gospel and are not shaken are gathered here. Isn’t that so? You must open your eyes wide. Right now, tremendous talents are gathering here from abroad and from within the country. So God is stirring us to make a landmark that saves the dying. Save the 1.2 billion disabled and, here in Korea alone, more than 400,000 disabled and deaf people.
And in verse 31 it says this. Verse 31 says, “Jesus then left the vicinity of Tyre again and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis, and people brought to him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking and begged him to lay his hand on him.” That is what it says. But the amazing thing is in verse 35 — with just the word Ephphatha, “his ears were opened, and his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak plainly.” That is what it says.
3. Today’s closed thing
No matter how much covenant and blessing have come to you, unless today’s closed thing is opened, it will not do. Isn’t that so? No matter how great a blessing has been prepared for you, if you keep it closed today, you will never realize it. The moment Jesus spoke, it was opened. In the name of Jesus Christ — that is why we pray.
1) Fulfillment
The moment Christ said “Ephphatha,” it was fulfilled. What does this mean? It is extremely important. It must be taught to the disabled. You are not disabled. The truly disabled are those trapped inside this (see Main point 2). What is the truly disabled? Those who do not know God’s blessing and are captured by the flesh — that is the truly disabled. In our church, open the spiritual eyes of many disabled people. “You are not disabled” — that is it. Jesus proclaimed that. Just like that, simply. To put it simply, picture the scene. He had brought people along, then sent them all out and took him to a place with no one there, put his fingers in the man’s ears, touched his tongue, and shouted “Be opened, Ephphatha!”
2) Problems, trials, crises
What is even more interesting is verse 36. “Jesus warned them not to tell anyone, but the more he warned them, the more widely they spread it.” This is important. Jesus said “do not speak of it,” but “they spread it even more widely.” All problems, trials, and crises were overcome — that is what this means. They are witnesses to it. It was somewhat awkward for Jesus to have people talking about him. Jesus told them not to, for fear it would cause him trouble, but they proclaimed it all the more zealously. Verse 37 says, “Everyone was amazed.”
3) The door of the future
And they said, “How on earth can this be happening?” This is a door opening toward the future. If you have closed this door, you must open it. If God’s plan is certain, there is nothing to hesitate about. Isn’t that so? Even a passing child would see and know what needs to be done here. Even if you all think you have no idea, you must know what kind of Remnant God is sending here to Immanuel Seoul Church right now. So while everything else matters, if our children go out into the world and can no longer pray, have no spiritual strength, and know nothing at all — that will not do. That simply will not do. If it comes to it, we must drag them here by force if necessary. Once children go outside, their situation is quite different from yours. You all at least have lived within a period of grace, having received training and worship. The time our next generation is running through now is not that kind of time at all. It is complete darkness. That is exactly why now is the opportunity. There is no more reason to hesitate. This is the opportunity. That is why I have even asked our elders to do something. I told them to build a dormitory down there where children can sleep. So that children can come, sleep there, pray here, and be trained to their hearts’ content. A church where the disabled can come and be treated like human beings. A church where the disabled come, are trained, and turn into evangelists. See how this (Main point 3) becomes disability. These people go out and begin to spread the gospel with all their might.
▣ Conclusion
1. Land’s end – RT, TCK, the disabled
Where is our land’s end? Our land’s end is nothing complicated. There is no need to think of it as difficult. It is the Remnant. Our land’s end is the Remnant TCK. The further land’s end is the disabled Remnant. We must make them into evangelists. You must firmly grasp this as a covenant.
2. The world’s talented people
What we truly need to pray for are the many talented people of the world who do not know the gospel. They are the truly disabled. They must be saved.
3. The older generation
If you have lived a life of faith for a long time and had a child, and that child grew to about age five and then stopped growing — isn’t that disability? Isn’t that right? By the time they are ten, they should be the size of a ten-year-old, and by the time they are twenty, they should grow to the size of a twenty-year-old. If someone who has been living the life of faith stays the same as they were long ago — that is what disability is. Many of us in the older generation need, as a final matter, to receive grace. Someone once sent me a message on KakaoTalk. It said, no matter how difficult it must have been for them — a genuinely good person — “my husband has become so hopelessly addicted to alcohol, and living with him is really hard.” That was the message. Of course, that husband does not seem to be a believer. I know that person somewhat. He is truly a good person. So I sent this reply: “Your husband has not fallen into drink — he has lost himself and is wandering, unable to find his way.” That is what I said. It is a pitiful thing. That is why he fell into it — because that is the only place left to fall into. How many such people are there — just one or two? They are disabled. They have fallen completely into it. They have lost their way entirely. Some children, going abroad, fall into drugs like this and end up dying. How many of them are there? That is now a spiritually disabled person who has lost their way. This must be done.
God will surely bless our church and all of you. Why? Because that is not the precious thing. Do not be deceived — he will use you. Why? Because getting answered prayers and money are not the important things for us. Once God firmly establishes the covenant, he is bound to provide. May this be a devoted worship service with real meaning, in the name of Jesus our Lord. Let us pray.
Prayer
God, we thank you for the grace you have given us. Please open our spiritual eyes truly to realize what belongs to you. Please let this become a landmark where many disabled people, in both body and spirit, can be healed. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.