Read Mark 7:31-37
One of the reasons Jesus went so far away from the influence of the Pharisees and scribes was to lower the intensity that his mission and message was causing. The inevitable tension would eventually give way to outright hatred on behalf of the religious leaders. In buying more time Jesus had gone to Tyre and Sidon and now coming back through the vicinity of Decopolis, but the crowd found him again with many needs.
Jesus moved this deaf man away from the crowd. Jesus’ desire to lower the intensity was was less than the compassion he felt for the hurting. Jesus healed him anyway. And of course, the news of his healing and his popularity continued to skyrocket. Overwhelmed and amazed. The Kingdom of God was breaking into our world and was on collision course with the powers of this world.
Those in power are threatened by the breaking-the-mold type of characters like Jesus. And the powers that be usually find a way to crush such radical reformers. This pattern would reach its zenith with Jesus. But God would use even this evil for ultimate good. He always does.
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