Opened Eyes and Ears

Well, her eyes and ears were opened, but she sure did need her face and hands
cleaned up after helping Bagogo bake brownies!

Scripture:

Mark 7:31   Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. ³² They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³ He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴ Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶ Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. ³⁷ They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Observation:

Jesus had been ministering around the region of the ten cities of the Decapolis. More than likely he had been trying to spend his time teaching and didn’t want to be too distracted by the events of healing. It is in this moment, however, that a man is brought to him who has a problem speaking. With physical gestures he touches the man and then speaks in Aramaic so that the man could understand. 

This story takes us to Isaiah 35:5 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;”

This is a vision of the people of God returning from exile and learning how to become God’s holy people. This imagery, assigned to the healing of a Gentile man speaks volumes as it shows the ways in which Jesus is reaching beyond the boundaries of Judaism and touching the world. Now, the Gentiles are able to walk in God’s holy way. 

This is also a foreshadowing of the time when Peter will announce his huge leap of faith, recognizing Jesus’ true nature. It is deaf Peter who will hear and dumb Peter who will talk. 

Application:

Day after day as I journey with the Lord I seek his face. I want to know the Lord more and have greater understanding of his ways. Constantly I seek to live a life of holiness rooted in the holiness of Jesus Christ. However, the more that I get to know Christ, the more that I realize what I don’t know. I am blind and I am deaf. I am the one in need of the miraculous touch so that I can see and hear clearly, recognizing Jesus Christ in his fulness. When this happens then I am welcomed into koinonia with the Triune God and there I am transformed by God’s holy presence. 

In just a few weeks we will be into the Christmas season and this normally includes listening to the songs of Handel’s Messiah. There we will hear the Alto recitative: 

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.  

(Isaiah 35: 5-6)

This is all within the context of preparing the way of the Lord, and this includes the highway — the way of holiness. With opened eyes and ears, we can find our way back home to our holy God who transforms us into a reflection of his holy image. 

Prayer:

Lord, I pray for opened eyes and ears so that I may proclaim you with greater clarity in this world. Amen.