“Are you listening to me? Do you hear a word that I’m saying?” How often does a parent say that to their children, or one spouse to another? Sometimes we have selective hearing, and only hear what we choose to hear with family members, friends, or co-workers. Selective hearing is usually not a good thing for having healthy relationships with others. It is definitely not a good thing to have with God. Let’s look into today's Scripture reading from the Gospel of Mark.
As our passage begins, Jesus and His disciples had just returned from a brief trip to the Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon, where He had cast a demon out of a Gentile woman’s daughter. They were now back to the regions around the Sea of Galilee. The people here were familiar with Jesus, and whenever He was around, people brought their sick family and friends to Him for healing. This day, some people brought to Him a man who was deaf (vs. 31-32). The man also was unable to speak clearly. Little children learn to speak by imitating the sounds that they hear. If they can’t hear clearly, or not at all, then it is very difficult to learn to speak clearly. Being deaf, this man could only make unintelligible sounds. This man’s family and loved ones brought him to Jesus, desiring that He heal him.
Jesus took the deaf and mute man off to the side, away from the crowds. Then He did something that might seem a little odd to readers of the Gospel. Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spat and touched the man’s tongue (vs. 33). What was Jesus doing? This man was deaf, either for quite a while, or possibly from birth or infancy. He would not have heard anything about Jesus, or know who He was. His family and friends would have heard about Him, as that is why they brought him to the Lord, but the deaf man would not know who this stranger who took him aside was. At this time there would not have been anything but very primitive sign language, unlike today where we can communicate fairly clearly with the deaf. At this time communication would have been just very basic gestures. This man may very well have been afraid. What was this stranger going to do to him? Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears possibly as a sign that He wanted to bring healing to his deafness. The same with touching his tongue.
As we continue reading, we see that Jesus sighed (vs. 34). He was saddened by the illness and handicaps that had come to mankind because of the Fall of Adam in the Garden. All sickness and disabilities have come due to Adam and Eve’s sin. Jesus felt compassion for this man, stuck in a world of silence, and the great degree of isolation his deafness brought.
Jesus then spoke the word “Ephphatha”, which means “Be opened”. He commanded the man’s ears and tongue to be opened, to be able to hear and speak clearly. Immediately his hearing returned, and he could speak (vs. 35). The crowds all saw what happened, and they proclaimed that Jesus did all things well (vs. 37). However, Jesus asked the people not to talk about this healing. He didn’t want to be seen simply as a miracle worker. He didn’t want the people to miss His real message of salvation and having a relationship with God.
What about us? We may not be literally, physically deaf, but are we listening to God? Are our ears opened? Does Jesus have to say to us “Ephphatha”? Do we hear what He says to us through His Word, the Bible? Jesus didn’t want the people at that time to come to Him only for healing, or for physical food, and that is true today, as well. We must not be so concerned about what Jesus can do for us that we forget to listen to His message.
Are we sitting in church, or while reading the Bible, and our mind does not hear what God is trying to say to us? Just like someone who is physically present, but not hearing a word that is said to him, we block God’s voice from our ears. We’ve become spiritually deaf. Ephphatha! Jesus tells us today, “Be opened!” Hear God’s Word of salvation, and then hear what He wants us to do. Let our tongue be opened, as well, to tell His message to others.
No comments:
Post a Comment