Gospel of Mark, chapter 7:35

The similarities between the external senses of seeing and hearing, and the internal attributes of knowing and obeying are central to understanding many of the healing miracles in St. Mark’s gospel. St. Mark wrote to a community of believers under persecution. In this situation, speaking up for Christ was a very dangerous thing. It could cost you your life. The story of the deaf-mute in Mark 7:31-37 is aimed at those Christians who were afraid to witness to Jesus because they would not trust in His word. They were deaf to the words of Jesus and that is why they had a speech impediment in speaking about him. There is a striking parallel between the deaf-mute in today’s gospel and Jesus’ disciples. The man can neither hear nor speak properly. The disciples do not clearly hear the message of Jesus either, and this causes an impediment in their preaching and witness. They, too, need healing. Thus, Jesus took the deaf-mute aside in private, away from the crowd, and He conducts an elaborate ritual:

(1) He takes the man aside. (2) He put his fingers into the man’s ears. (3) He spits and (4) touches the man’s tongue. (5) He looks up to heaven and (6) he sighs. (7) He issues the healing command, “Ephphatha,” which means, “be opened.” Why does Jesus go into all this detail? Probably because the early church was beginning to develop their rituals of anointing through which believers would experience healing. After experiencing healing, nothing could stop the true believer from witnessing to Jesus. The deaf-mute received Jesus’ healing, and he was able to speak plainly, and all who heard Him “were completely amazed.” (Mark 7:37).

Do you realize that you are also deaf? Does it occur to you that you do not yet fully understand the message of Jesus? Is that not the reason why so many Christians have a speech impediment and the people of this age no longer understand them when they try to communicate the Good News? As individuals and as church we need to ask to Jesus for healing. And this can happen, far from the hustle of crowds, in the privacy of your heart.

Fr. Hugh Duffy