Reflection: Jesus Makes Us Hear and Speak

There are at least three elements that add mystery and color to this gospel passage from Mark.  Why mystery? Because, in the first instance, Mark offers no explanation why Jesus left Tyre and went through Sidon as on his way back to the Sea of Galilee (V.31).

Some bible scholars actually go as far as to question whether Mark knew his geography, because it seemed illogical for Jesus and his disciples to travel to Sidon, which is north of Tyre, on his way to the Sea of Galilee which is south of both Tyre and Sidon.  In effect, what happened was that Jesus went north to go south.  But Mark was right because there was a mountain range between Tyre and Galilee and there was no trade route between these two regions, while a trade route linked Sidon to the Sea of Galilee. That is why Jesus went north to go south.

How long this journey took is not explained.  Some bible scholars suggests that Jesus took this longer route to give him quality time with his disciples, so he could teach them and explain to them the deeper meaning of the parables he had been preaching.  More importantly, his intention was to prepare them for the challenges that lay ahead, which will culminate in the greatest event in the history of mankind.  In the case of the deaf man who was brought to Jesus, it is common knowledge that persons suffering from deafness also suffer from some speech impediment that could cause them embarrassment.  By taking the man aside, Jesus not only showed compassion, but consideration for the plight of the deaf man who had difficulties communicating with others. Remember that sign language was non-existent in those days.  The passage tells us that Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears, then spit, touched the man’s tongue with his spittle, and looking  up to heaven with a deep sigh, said to him, “Ephphatha!” which means “Be opened” (vv.33-34). At that point the poor man’s ears were opened, his tongue loosened, and he spoke.

Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the 6th century explains this miracle thus: “The Spirit is called the finger of God.  When the Lord puts his fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, he was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”  What was also significant was Jesus’ action of looking up to heaven.  It was not just to implore the aid of the Father, but also to acknowledge that his power flows from the Father.  When the deaf man spoke, the crowd could only sigh with amazement. This brings us to the third situation – the people themselves, who witnessed the miracle and exclaimed, “He has done all things well” (v.37.) This could actually be equated with the events relating to the creation of the world in Genesis when God looked at everything and said: “It is good.”

The question we should be asking ourselves is:  Have we been touched by the finger of God?  How have we been living our lives after we have been touched by the Holy Spirit? Can we say that we have been saved from our sins? (Mk 16:15). Can we also honestly say our souls are at rest? (Matt 11:28).   Are we now at peace (Jn 14:27) or are we still in the world? If we are still struggling with our relationship with God, perhaps we should look into our hearts.  Is it possible that we are laboring through the practice of our faith because our hearts and minds are distracted by concerns that hinder us from developing a deeper relationship with our Creator? Often, we are like the deaf man, oblivious to of the Gospel of Christ. We go to mass regularly, but our minds wander.  Some people even grumble that they get nothing out of it, anyway!  Imagine trying to withdraw money from a bank where you have made no previous deposit. It is the same with our spiritual lives. We need to invest time, talent and treasure in order to harvest the blessings that come from the source of all good.

Nothing is impossible for the Lord (Gen 18:14),  but a lot depends on how open we are to his grace, and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who showers us not only with his spiritual gifts but brings us to new life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).

Jesus has shown us that like Peter, we too, can walk on water but only if we have faith. Like Lazarus, our spirits and souls can be raised back to life if we draw closer to him who is the source of life.  We can hear God’s word and proclaim it to the world, only if we will allow the Holy Spirit to move and take control of our lives.  Then and only then can we say that Jesus has done all things well in our lives, as we stand ready to open your eyes to see the beauty of his salvation and proclaim the glory of His Kingdom to all.

Reflection Questions:

1.    If you are reluctant or unwilling to use your gift of healing for the betterment of your fellowman, how can you start exercising this gift?
2.    Knowing that there nothing impossible with God, how much of your time, talent and treasure can you use so that others may know more about the healing power of God?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
September 9, 2012 (Sun)        Isa 35:4-7/ Ps 146:7-10/Jas 2:1-5/ Mk 7:31-37
September 10, 2012 (Mon)     1Cor 5:1-8/ Ps 5:5-7,12/ Lk 6:6-11
September 11, 2012 (Tue)     1Cor 6:1-11/ Ps 149:136,9/ Lk 6:12-19
September 12, 2012 (Wed)    1Cor 7:25-31/ Ps 45:11-17/ Lk 6:20-26
September 13, 2012 (Thu)     1Cor 8:1-7,11-13/ Ps 139:1-3,13,14,23,24
September 14, 2012 (Fri)       Nm 21:4-9/ Ps 78:1,2,34-38/ Phil 2:6-11/ Jn 3:13-17
September 15, 2012 (Sat)      Heb 5:7-9 or 1Cor 10:14-22/Ps 31:2-6, a5,a6.20/Jn 19:25-
27 or Lk 2:33-35

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!”