Mark 7:37
And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
After traveling from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon through Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee, Jesus healed a deaf man with an impediment in his speech so that he heard and spoke plainly, and the witnesses were beyond measure astonished that everything had been done well. He does all things well because his character is flawless and perfect in beauty and his works are wholly good, wise and sufficient to reveal his perfection in people. He is a personal, sympathetic Saviour who compassionately heals suffering mothers and children, so that those helped praise and glorify him. God does everything well and rightly for good in goodness, mercy, love, wisdom and justice, even when his dealings seem mysterious and his purposes unfathomable, including permission of sickness, pain and bereavement for a wise purpose. This is reason for good courage, cheerfulness, peaceful trust and happy assurance about the future instead of worry, fret, murmur or despondency, resting in his hands and praising him whether he gives or takes away.
The Miracle in Decapolis
Coming from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon through Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee, Jesus healed a deaf man who stammered and had an impediment in his speech. He made the deaf hear and the speechless speak plainly, and the people were beyond measure astonished and declared that He has done everything well. Their words express overwhelming amazement at His work.
He took the man aside from the multitude, touched his ears and tongue, and looked up to heaven. He sighed over spiritual deafness and refusal to acknowledge the Redeemer. At His command speech was restored, and though He charged them not to publicize it, the man spread the news.
The passage stands together with Matthew 15:29-39, Matthew 16:1-12, and Mark 8:1-21 as the Gospel record of the healings by the Sea of Galilee, the feeding of the multitude, and the dispute over a sign from heaven. This work in Decapolis prepared the way for the gospel there, so that the people later flocked to hear the message of salvation.
Christ Who Does All Well
Even those in his own country who did not believe in him were compelled to admit that everything he did was done well, for his character was without flaw and perfect in its beauty, standing as a perfect pattern of righteousness that knew nothing of idleness or self-indulgence. He is a personal Saviour who sympathizes with humanity, who loves and who gave himself, and that goodness is seen in his compassionate healing of suffering mothers and children. Those who are thus helped by him respond by praising and glorifying him.
His works are wholly good, as was shown when he healed the deaf man and gave him power to speak plainly. He is all-wise and all-sufficient, and he came into this world in order that his perfection might be revealed in human beings. Through his grace, imperfect men and women can reflect the beauty of that character and do all things well, rather than remaining imperfect and incomplete and bringing forth disorder. By that grace they are fitted for faithful service, and at last will hear the welcome to enter into the joy of their Lord as good and faithful servants.
The same certainty that his deeds are wise and good holds when sickness comes and it is uncertain whether there will be healing or continued service. At such times his people are to trust him and accept his plans as right.
Trusting His Goodness in Trial
He does all things well, and rightly, and for good, in goodness and mercy and love and wisdom and justice, even when His dealings seem mysterious and His purposes unfathomable, because He knows what is best. For His child this is reason for good courage and cheerfulness in God, for peaceful trust and happy assurance about the future instead of worry, since He blesses and comforts and gives strong consolation and peace. To rest passively in His hands and believe He will do all things well, committing self and all into His hands and resting in the love of God, ready to go wherever He directs, is the fitting response, with praise for His good dealings.
He reveals Himself even in the night season in tender compassion to encourage trust in His love and sympathy, and His goodness and mercy call for patience while waiting for His salvation. Affliction is therefore to be met with patient waiting for His salvation, with His praise kept in the heart and on the lips because the Lord is good. In dark and discouraging times He is working out His will for His people's good and providing the strength and understanding they need to serve Him faithfully, so believers in trial and in pain and difficulty can trust His care and ability to meet their needs.
In directing personal life and an uncertain future, He knows what is best and calls for leaving oneself wholly in His hands in trust when facing separation and not knowing what will come, looking forward to meeting in the mansions above to enjoy the presence of Jesus together and making calling and election sure. After praying for one suffering pain and sickness, the case can be committed to Him in trust that what He does with it will be right. In long, trying nights of nervous pain and sleeplessness this means trust without complaint, continuing to petition Him for restored health to bear testimony while remaining content if He has other plans, because He knows what is for personal good and for the good of His people.
He watches over His children with tender, mother-like compassion, and He is love and is good even when His servants are weak, perverse, sinful, helpless, sleepless, and unable to dress or care for themselves. Affliction therefore gives no cause to fret or murmur in word or thought, but calls for trust that He will restore health for continued testimony. This belief carries through long months of helplessness and suffering far from home undertaken in the path of duty at great cost, overcoming regret and a sense of forsakenness and discouragement as the enemy's work, putting away tears and despondency and doubt and refusing to look on the dark side, leading, live or die, to committing the keeping of the soul to Him who died. When He lifts the weary above infirmities and makes them truly well, better than for years, it is the Lord's doing and calls for praising His name and looking to Him and trusting in Him.
Even when faith and trust are sorely tested by bereavement, including death taking a dear son from his parents' embrace or the closing of the eyes of a loved one, such loss comes only by His permission and for a wise purpose that may not be fully understood at the time, yet it remains true that He does all things well. It requires not murmuring or charging Him foolishly, but blessing His name when He takes away as well as when He gives, since Christian hope is not in this world.