Pentecost 16
September 6, 2009
Mark 7:31-37

Often when Jesus healed someone, he touched them or took them by the hand. Sometimes he spoke a special word like "Talitha koum" or "Ephphatha." Today he speaks and touches in a special way to heal a deaf man who had a speech impediment.

The man was deaf, so he could not have "heard" about Jesus. And so his good friends who had heard the stories about Jesus, brought him to Jesus and begged Jesus to heal him. Jesus took the deaf man aside, away from the crowd. Jesus was not performing circus tricks to entertain the crowds. Jesus was sensitive to the feelings of the man and did not want to embarrass him because of being deaf in front of everyone. The man could not hear, so Jesus did some special sign language for him. "Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven (This would be a prayer, and a sign to the man that the healing is from God.) and with a deep sigh (a word spoken from the depths of Jesus' heart) said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means "be opened!" (in Aramaic)). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly."

When Jesus spoke the word "Ephphatha," the deaf man should not have been able to hear it. Yet, when Jesus spoke "Ephphatha, Be opened," the man did hear it. The command of Jesus healed him completely and immediately as the word was spoken. And seems that it was heard not only the formerly deaf man, but it seems that it was heard by many people all over the village. Because that word not only opened the ears of the deaf man, but also opened the ears of the village people, and also their hearts. They saw in Jesus a wonderful prophet from God. And just as the man's tongue was loosened, their tongues were loosened also. They also began to speak clearly, "This man does everything well!" Jesus kept telling the people not to tell anyone, "But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement." "This man does everything well!" Maybe the power that healed the man's speech also spilled over into them, so that they couldn't stop speaking the good news!

Deafness is a disease of the ear, but there is a spiritual sickness of the heart that will not listen to the Word of God. In Mark 4:12, Jesus speaks of this and quotes from the Prophet Isaiah 6:9, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, "they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!"

There is an old saying, "There are none so blind as those who would not see." We could also say, "There are none so deaf as those who do not want to hear." People shut their ears to things they don't want to hear. Sometimes that is good if it is a loud noise or the talk of a fool or the voice of temptation. But there is a stubborn streak in people that will not listen to wisdom. They prefer their own imagination about God, for example, rather than the clear revelation about God in the Bible. They prefer not to hear the words that condemn their sin. They do not want to hear words that will upset the customs of their family. People are afraid to hear the Gospel, I think, because if they do, they will have to change their lives. And that is hard to do when there is no support from family and friends. That is why it is so frustrating for missionaries, evangelists, and friends who want to speak the Good News. We can talk, but people don't want to hear.

No, I think it is worse than that. It's not that they don't want to hear, it is that they cannot hear. Sin makes so much noise and static that the Word of God does not penetrate the heart. For example, when a boy is listening to cartoons on TV, or when a man is watching a game on TV, and mother says, "Dinner is ready, come and eat," the boy or man does not hear her. "Come to the table. Didn't you hear me?" And the boy or man honestly says, "No, I did not hear you." They are so absorbed in the TV that they honestly do not hear mother calling. Sin is the same. We get so absorbed in sin that we do not, cannot hear the Gospel. And even if we do hear it, it doesn't make any sense. When Jesus was on trial before the Jews and before Pilate, he spoke no words in his own defense. At that time, no matter what he might have spoken would not have been heard correctly by those who wanted to kill him anyway. But the next words of Jesus from the cross have power to penetrate our hearts. "I thirst. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Today you will be with me in paradise. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It is finished. Father into your hands I commend my spirit." [John 19:28, Luke 23:34, Luke 23:43, Matthew 27:46, John 19:30, Luke 23:46] These are words that speak of forgiveness, love, and salvation. God was not deaf to Jesus. He heard his cries. When Jesus said, "It is finished," he meant that the work of salvation was finished, completed. Our sins had been forgiven.

We who have heard those words, now speak those words. Our words are filled with praise and thanksgiving to God. "He has done all things well," we say. It is a fulfillment of today's Old Testament reading, Isaiah 35:4-5, "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy."

In the Gospel lesson, friends brought their deaf friend to Jesus. In Chapter 2, friends brought their paralytic friend to Jesus and let him down through a hole in the roof. Parents plead for their sick children. It is no accident that Christians pray for their family and friends who are sick or suffering. With loosened tongues, we naturally pray for those who have not yet heard the Word of God in their hearts. God hears our prayers, and speaks his word, his word of love, healing, and salvation.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church