‘He Came Unto the Sea of Galilee, Through the Midst of the Coasts of Decapolis’, Mark 7. 31.

‘He came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis’, Mark 7. 31.

The closing verses of Mark chapter 7 tell us of the second visit of the Lord to Decapolis. By comparison with chapter 5, it seems that the Lord took a different route in this instance. On that former occasion, the converted demoniac had begun ‘to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him’, 5. 20.

In the context of this chapter, it is clear that the Lord has been deep in Gentile territory, cp. 7. 24-30, but the reception He received in the area of Decapolis this time was different. Chapter 5 verse 17 indicates that ‘they [the people of Gadara] began to pray him [the Lord] to depart out of their coasts’. Here, ‘they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech’, 7. 32.

Here is a man who could not have heard of the Lord. Neither could he have clearly expressed any desire he might have had to meet the Lord. He was completely dependent upon others, and they led him to the Lord. What a blessing that they brought him to the Saviour! What an example for all of us. Our task in the gospel is exactly the same – to bring people to the Lord.

Whilst it would be easy to be critical of these concerned friends in their desire that the Lord might ‘put his hand upon him’, v. 32, we must remember that a tactile approach was preferable for a man for whom words meant very little. Hence, this is the method used by the Saviour, and He touches the very areas of the man’s malady – his ears and his tongue. There is also a demonstrative element in the Lord’s actions. He looked ‘up to heaven’ as an indication of the source of the blessing that would follow. But we note that it was also very personal – ‘he [the Lord] took him aside from the multitude’, v. 33.

In our desires to reach the lost, may we emphasize the personal nature of salvation, pointing to God as the only source of true blessing.