Sigh

There are so many interesting features to the story of the deaf stammering man on Mark 7, not the least of which is the "sigh" that Jesus let out. The scientist say the reason humans sigh is to reset the breathing patterns that are getting out of whack and keep our respiratory system flexible. That is a little too scientific for me, though no doubt a sigh might serve this physical purpose. I doubt the kind of sigh we see here originated in the lungs. This kind of sigh originates in the inner man. Notice Mark calls it a deep sigh. Life threatens to knock the breath from us, the breath of our souls. We despair to see what we see. We struggle with the experiences of life and express our difficulty through sighing. Jesus dealt with the effects of the Fall of man in every healing service. Damaged people came one after another after another to be healed. There was no end. The line stretched around the earth and back again. Was there no end of the sick people in Israel? It seemed that no one was untouched by the effects of sin in the world. For every physical defect Jesus saw He knew that the sin defects were even more serious. Jesus ministered to damaged people. Day in a day out ministry produces the sigh.

This word is used in a more intense way in Mark 8:12 in response the Pharisees who came to him seeking more signs in order to test Him. At their request Jesus gave this non verbal cue. He let out a deep sigh. "Why does this generation seek for a sign?" I personally don't see this as an angry sigh, but a profoundly sad sigh. How He wants them to "get it" and they do not. How He wants to gather them as a hen gathers her chicks and they would not be gathered. (Matt.23:37) It is the sigh before the cry. Paul says we groan or sigh awaiting the redemption of our bodies (Rom.8:23) along with the creation itself. Perhaps some of our natural disasters are no more than the earth sighing. Even the Spirit sighs with groans too deep for words (Rom.8:26) as he interprets to God what we cannot say. While in this body we groan longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling (2 Cor.5:2). Life tugs at our tent pegs, and we fear we will be left exposed and naked. We long for what is mortal in us to be swallowed up by life (2 Cor.5:4). This groaning is what God heard from Egypt when he delivered the Israelites (Acts 7:34) and it is what Christian leaders feel in their grief when their flock will not be persuaded by them to follow where they lead (Heb.13:17). When the sigh turns to complaint we are told to stuff it (Jas.5:9).

So much is spoken in this one word "Sigh" to help us understand Jesus and how He thinks. He is touched deeply by what he experiences in man. He is burdened like a horse whose load is sometimes too heavy and constant, and needs to let out a large sigh, expanding its chest to take in a large amount of air and then letting it out. For some reason we often feel better after the sigh. Perhaps we do reset the system taking in more needed spiritual oxygen to get us through another day of living in a Fallen world. Sigh.......