Ephphatha!

Again, Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished, and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mark 7:31-37)

Where do we see injustice, vulgarity, and insults?  Who is guilty of crudeness, crassness, and flaunting the law. Are we not paying attention to deceivers and those who speak not the truth but lie?  What is our response?

Many of us are deaf.  We refuse to hear.  Many of us are mute. We refuse to speak out and voice our opinions consistent with Jesus’s teaching and commandments.  We are silent as lambs and let the wolves prowl and threaten.

Jesus groans and tells us: “Ephphatha!!”  “Be opened” refers to our hearts and minds, not just our tongues and ears.  Feel Jesus’s fingers and welcome his spit.

Deacon David Pierce