Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 35:4-7 - James 2:1-5 - Mark 7 (31-37)
Jesus was on his way back to Israel through the region of the Decapolis, a Gentile area on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. He was approached by a group of people who came to intercede on behalf of a person in need who could not speak for himself. They believed that Jesus had the power to heal, and they wished to have him heal their friend, who was both mute and deaf. Such an affliction at the time of the New Testament was an isolating and lonely existence as the person would be cut off from all meaningful communication with no means to alleviate his plight. Without the assistance of modern day treatments and devices, his life exposed him to persistent and incredibly grave inadequacies that he faced without a semblance of even rudimentary purpose. These circumstances set him apart from society and left him in a world of silent desperation.
Jesus took the man to a place removed from the presence of the crowd, a gesture which he often did when healing on an individual basis. This was no doubt an affirmation and protection of the person’s dignity and was wholly rooted in the depths of Christ’s compassion for the embarrassment of the sufferer who endured such a debilitating affliction; it was an encounter that required the utmost sensitivity on the part of Jesus because this ailment was so extreme. Jesus was deeply concerned about this person who was totally unaware and disconnected from reality; he did not have the means to communicate either in a verbal or auditory capacity; no doubt he had lived a solitary life devoid of any substantive contact, and if made a spectacle in search of healing he would have struggled with what might be seen to some as exploitation and/or ostentation. Jesus was not looking for fame or acclimation. His eyes saw suffering, and his heart responded with love and mercy. In this very human encounter, humanity is graced with divinity.
The element of touch often accompanied the miracles of Jesus and would be particularly poignant in this case because it would signify a deep communion with the person in question. Reaching out with a touch would have been necessary since the man could not hear or speak. And so, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears, acknowledging that he was well aware of the malady that would eventually result not only in the miracle of hearing but through the imposition of spittle, also in speaking, as he touched his ears and his tongue. The sequence goes on with Jesus calling upon his Father, who was always at the center of his human contact, and looking up to heaven, he breathed a deep sigh. Recognizing the gravity of this meeting, he gently spoke the word “Ephphatha,” which means “be opened.”
The miraculous healing of deafness and the equally amazing gift of speech brought about an awesome recognition that prompted the crowd to proclaim in response: “he has done everything well.” This also echoes the words of Genesis, “God saw that all that he had made was good,” and the words of Isaiah, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come to save you.” “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Perhaps we have, at times, been deaf to the voice of God; perhaps we have been silent when called upon to be open to God’s spirit working in us. He is the Christ, the Messiah, who will continue to do all things well and will make salvation ours for the asking. Do not be deaf; do not be silent; proclaim Jesus as your lord and savior. Be open to God working in your life because no matter how long or arduous the journey, the end is always good. “All will be well, and all manner of things shall be well” because Christ is God, and Christ is good. Be open then to the incredible and awesome presence of Christ. Hear him whisper, “Salvation is my promise, and it is far stronger than any miracle and more enduring than any healing.” It is the promise of forever, and we cannot be deaf or mute to its glory.
“Ephphatha!” “Be opened” to our God.
Sr. Anne Daniel Young, OP
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