Today Jesus teaches. Wait, Pastor, there was a healing in this text! Yes, I know, but today Jesus teaches. Jesus strides on to this gentile crowd, and He doesn't just do a miracle, He teaches. He teaches about what is important, how love should be shown, and we will see how we ourselves ought live and show love. Listen.
Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged Him to lay His hand on Him. There’s a few things to note here. First, let us note this man’s problem. Can’t hear. Can’t talk. Think on what that would mean. Think what happens in your life when the hearing goes – how you get cut off from other people, how you can’t understand what is going on around you. And think on what happens when you can’t speak well – it’s hard to let people know what you need. The lines of communication break down. That’s the situation of this man. Even surrounded by the crowd, by people who wished him well, he must have been terribly isolated. He possibly was quite confused when people suddenly come and grab him and drag him out.
Also, these verses sort of make you wonder about the motives of the crowd. We’ve seen people ask Jesus for healing before – parents pleading for their children, the Centurion for his servant, friends lowering a man through the ceiling, even people for themselves. There’s that direct tie to the person asking and the person receiving. There doesn’t seem to be that sense here. It’s almost as though these people just want to see a miracle, see if this Jesus is all He is cracked up to be – and they are thinking, “Well, what can we have him do? I know, let’s go grab old deaf Bob and see what this Jesus can do.” Go on Jesus, lay Your hands on Him, let’s see what you’ve got.
And taking him aside from the crowd privately, He put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. Is this not fascinating? Here you’ve got the crowd hankering for a miracle, to see what this Jesus can do. And what does Jesus do? He takes the deaf man off privately. Away from the crowd. This miracle would not be a spectacle. It would not be some type of Dog and Pony show. Lesson 1 today teaches us about how God works, how He operates. When God shows care, when God shows love – He shows love. Jesus, when He heals this man, has as His focus – the deaf man. Jesus doesn’t do this miracle to impress the crowd – He isn’t like last week’s Pharisee bragging of what He does. No, when Jesus acts, His focus is on what He’s doing. If people were just coming to see a show – that wasn’t going to happen. Jesus was going to do what is important – Jesus was going to show love, not worry about entertaining the crowds.
And then, once Jesus has pulled this man to the side, He touches the man’s ears, and not just touch, but reaches into the earhole and pokes around. And He spits, and touches his tongue. And at first glance, that seems kind of strange. There’s a man who needs healing Jesus, this is no time for charades or hand gestures. Yes it is, it is precisely the time for hand gestures. Why? Because the guy is deaf – he hasn’t heard the crowds begging for him. He doesn't know what is going on. So Jesus takes him away privately, where there’s less confusion, where there aren’t people jostling him around. And when Jesus has this man’s attention, see what Jesus does. He touches the man’s ear. The man can feel, and Jesus by touch says, “This is about your ears, your hearing.” Then Jesus spits, and touches the man’s tongue. “See, this is about what comes out of your mouth, this is about that tongue that misfires.” Jesus lets the man know what is going on – what personal, direct love and care!
And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” Lesson 2. Jesus is always praying before miracles. At the feeding, He gives thanks. Before other healings He prays in a loud voice. Before the miracle of the Lord’s Supper, He gives thanks. And He does so here. It’s not a long prayer. Jesus simply sighs. Luther once said that the best prayer is simply the heartfelt sigh of a Christian, because God knows exactly what it means. Here, Jesus gives us an example of this style of prayer. Just something to think about when you are struggling with words when you are praying – don’t worry about struggling – God knows what is going on – sigh, say “Thy Will Be Done” – maybe the entire Lord’s Prayer, and go on with life trusting that it’s in God’s hands.
And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more He charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And Jesus heals the guy. And Jesus takes him out back to the crowd, and the deaf guy can hear, he can talk. And the crowds are astonished. They see what has been done, and they are amazed. And so they start running off to tell people, and Jesus says, “wait, don’t go off running, don’t go off talking,” but they do anyway. So, why does Jesus tell them not to go tell anyone? Is Jesus being shy here? No, this is Jesus just being practical. The people were already pretty revved up, waiting to see a miracle, and then they just explode. And do you know what comes next in Mark’s Gospel? The feeding of the 4000. Thousands of people come running – but they don’t bring anything to eat. They come running, but not prepared. Jesus wants to teach – in fact, He’s going to teach for three days – but in their haste, these folks end up not being prepared. We know the feeding of the 4000 thousand, it’s going to work out, but still, we shouldn’t be going off half cocked. There's lesson 3. Receive your blessings from God, but receive them, shall we say gently? Calmly? Think before you run off in excitement? Perhaps receive them in peace – the Peace of the Lord be with you always. That way you can enjoy them safely.
Of course, we do understand why the people are so excited. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Think on Genesis. And it was Good. Creation restored. Things made the way they should be. The crowd gets this, they are excited because they see that Jesus isn’t some showboat, some huckster, He’s from God putting things back the way they should be. And we know this too – we know these miracles just lead up and point to the great miracle that Jesus would do, the great fixing of creation, when He goes to the cross and pays the penalty for sin, when He rises from the dead and restores our relationship with God. The crowd gets it, the crowd understands that something more than they were expecting is here for them. And that fuels their excitement and eagerness.
You know, for what could pass as just another simple healing, there's a lot going on in this text. You've got this demonstration of personal love and care; Jesus isn't a one size fits all healer. His gifts aren't generic. Indeed, even today, His gifts to us, His blessings of body and soul that we get aren't generic. We have a wide array of talents and skills here. We should remember that. So much of our culture and our world try to push us to a bland sameness. Watch the same shows, listen to the same music, cookie-cutter houses with the same trendy clothes – and we even have folks saying that there should be totally equal outcomes for everyone – we all get the same. That's not how Jesus works. That's not how God operates. He creates with a wondrous diversity, and He gives unique gifts. And because we are different, we are dealt with uniquely. That's the beauty of the Holy Spirit working through the Word. We all hear the same readings and hymns, the same sermon – but the Spirit will deal with everyone here individually – you'll take, get things from the service that the person next you to won't. And that's wonderful.
And this ties to lesson 2. Jesus prays. This is why I encourage you all to pray, and to pray this week. In the Church we do have prayers together – the collects in the service collect the thoughts of the lesson into prayers, and we have the prayer of the church which is broad and covers stuff. But this week, you will see things, you'll hear things – things that others won't. Open up your lips and pray over them. If you want to drop me a line about something I'll be happy to pray with you and keep things in my prayers, too – but you all here are God's Holy children, Baptized into the Royal Priesthood. You all get to pray too. God hears you. Pray over what you hear and see. Pray before you act, even something simple. You are holy people living holy lives – don't forget that when you walk out those doors.
And that's a tie into lesson 3. You know God's love for you. Don't run off half-cocked. Don't jump into the panic and anger and dire and drastic hullabaloo of the world. You are a forgiven and redeemed child of God. Jesus has died for your sins and forgiven you. There is nothing in this world that can happen to you that Jesus will not fix and undo, and come the resurrection and life everlasting, the junk of the moment won't even be a footnote – for the former things, the former junk, will no longer be remembered. Christ Jesus has won you peace now and eternally, and He will see you through all challenges you face now, for all of your earthly days. And you're placed here now, in this life, as Christ's instrument of love – where He works in you and through you to care for your neighbor. Pray and show love – and even if people make a hash of things (like this crowd does for Jesus), well, that just means you'll get to pray and show love in a new circumstance down the road. But you're still forgiven, you're still loved by God – and nothing can change that. You have peace in Christ, you have patience as a fruit of the Spirit. Relax, receive God's blessings, pray, and then share those blessings as you can with others. Hear and speak. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth with declare your praise. Receive the gift and use it as a good steward. And it's all good in Jesus.
We need to remember this. We need to remember that it is all good in Jesus, especially in these wicked days, especially as our own sinfulness tries to deafen us to the pleas and needs of our neighbor, where doubt and intimidation would silence us. But no, Jesus has opened your ears with His Word and Spirit, and He has forgiven you, and He has put His Words of forgiveness and peace on your lips, He has placed countless blessings and gifts in your hands – and you are authorized by God to use those gifts this week in service of your neighbor and to the Glory of God's name. And no, all the sin and stupidity in the world can't stop that, thanks be to God! In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
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