Mark 7:31-37
St. Mark writes that: Jesus 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.
When this man was born, his parents and family and neighbors rejoiced. Every safe delivery of a child–especially in that place and time–is a blessing from God. The Bible says that children are a heritage of the Lord.
Over the first months of life how they must have delighted in this child. But it was only as he grew up, perhaps not until he was two or three that his parents began to suspect that something was wrong with their precious child-- and then finally they learned the sad truth–he couldn’t hear or speak.
As we view this scene from a distance of thousands of years and thousands of miles, it’s difficult for us to get caught up in the personal tragedies of just a few people long ago and far away–it’s hard to feel emotionally connected.
Even when we hear of modern tragedies it’s hard to really connect with what’s happening unless it comes close to us with the loss of our own family and friends.
We simply hear too many of these stories and we become used to them. We can watch the latest reports of military casualties and famines and natural disasters and simply click the button on the remote when we become tired of it. We even explain these tragedies away by telling ourselves that this is just the way that the world is–that suffering and death are natural.
But God says something very different. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and called it good. He created the seas and the plants and the animals and humanity and called it good. In the beginning—in God’s good creation--there was no suffering or death.
What this was like we cannot understand because we have no frame of reference for a world without suffering–seeing, as we do, nothing but death and evil all around us.
But the world has not always been this way- and it is not the way that God intended it to be. He did not intend for there to be birth defects or famines or terrorist attacks or any of the tragedies we see and read about every day on the news. The world is not supposed to be this way. And yet it is-- and there is no escaping from it.
We shield ourselves from this painful truth and we do a pretty good job of keeping the harsh realities of this world at an emotional distance until it comes close–like it did for this man and for his family and friends and neighbors.
For them, the broken-ness of this world could no longer be ignored–it had come directly into their homes–into the lives of their loved ones-- and so they came to Jesus for help. St. Mark writes that:
Taking the man aside from the crowd privately, Jesus put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
I am immediately struck by the differences between Jesus and the Benny Hinn charlatans of this world. No wild gyrations. No silly screaming. No diamond rings or Rolex watches, fancy hairdo’s, satellite TV broadcasts or million dollar homes.
Just a simple man who commands the waves to be still and they are--who says to the ill “be healed” and they are--who commands lifeless bodies to rise and they do.
The miracles that Jesus performed served as a sign for the people that day, and for us this day, and it’s this: the One who spoke at the beginning and called light and life into existence-- entered into his creation -and by that same powerful word brought healing and restoration and new life to that which was broken by sin.
In this, Jesus is a very different kind of God than the world offers up to us to believe in. In the face of suffering and death, the lodges offer the Great Architect who with cold, calculating efficiency orders the universe according to his design–each of us merely a cog in the wheel.
Philosophers both ancient and modern offer us the prime mover who set the universe into motion and then went off to do more important things than helping his poor creatures. Islam offers us a god of death and terror.
But Jesus is very different indeed. He is the One who entered into the broken-ness of his good creation to make things right. He is the God who cares about his creatures enough to suffer and die with them.
We see his compassion and love and goodness that extends to each individual as Jesus confronts this one little piece of suffering in one little out of the way place with a deep sigh.
That sigh communicates much! This man’s suffering was the Lord’s suffering. Jesus did not keep his suffering at arm’s length, but entered into the midst of it and was affected by it. Our God is a God of compassion and mercy who is moved in his inmost being to help his creatures.
One other clue as to goodness and love of Jesus is not so clear in the text but it is there nevertheless. Jesus performed this miracle in the very same area where he was once driven out by the people because they didn’t like that he helped a demoniac by sending his demons into their herd of hogs.
It is in that same area that this healing takes place. Despite their initial rejection of him and their love for material goods rather than the healing of God, Jesus didn’t wash his hands of them–he didn’t say “forget you”--he kept on loving them–desiring to bring healing and wholeness and new life even to these sinners who had rejected him.
That is the story of our good and gracious God from beginning to end. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God could have said, “enough’s enough” and destroyed the whole thing and started over—but he didn’t. As his ancient people abandoned him time and time again he could have washed his hands of the whole sorry mess and said “I’m done with you”—but he wasn’t. The countless times we have sinned and disappointed him he could have said “that was your last chance”–but he doesn’t.
Instead of giving up on us, he comes to us again and again with healing and forgiveness and the opportunity to begin again with a new life. That’s what the deaf man received that day–nothing other than a new life. And yet Jesus didn’t want it publicized. St. Mark writes that:
Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
As compassionate as Jesus was-as sympathetic to even one man’s suffering--his primary mission in his first coming was not to heal every disease, cure every birth defect, raise every dead person, or feed every hungry person.
These miracles served their primary purpose in identifying who Jesus really was–true God in the flesh–the Messiah sent by God to cure the root problem that led to the world’s broken-ness and misery-and that was sin.
Jesus could have healed every sick person, raised every dead person, fed ever hungry person-- but he would still be doing it right down this very moment and would do so forever.
Now I know that for those of us who have recently lost loved ones or who have loved ones suffering from various illnesses–that sounds very good indeed! But then what? Some other disease and some other tragedy–forever and forever without end.
Jesus could not–would not act in such a heartless way. The solution to the broken-ness, misery, suffering, and death of this world would have to strike at the root problem–at the sin of the world-- not just the individual symptoms-and the solution would cost the life of God’s son.
A great miracle took place that day in that man’s life but a much greater miracle was still to come for all people. Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world, the broken-ness and sinfulness of all people everywhere in every time and place and carried them to the cross on Calvary.
His suffering and death there brought us healing–real healing-- for our real problem: sin and Satan. His glorious resurrection three days later was the proof and promise that the best is yet to come for us.
When Jesus comes again we will be given a new, resurrected life. A life unencumbered by the effects of sin–no more suffering, no more sickness, no more death. A new, perfect life that never ends–just exactly what God has always intended for us from the beginning.
What a blessing this is and what a blessing to share! The man who was healed was brought to Jesus by those who cared for him. We have the exact same responsibility and privilege.
All around us are those who need to be brought to Jesus. All around us are those who need to hear about the good things Christ has done for us. All around us are those who need the healing that comes through Jesus
I pray that we would have the same compassion as our Lord and reach out to those who need his healing touch; that we would turn aside from the temptation to ignore the suffering all around us; that we would see in each person that we meet an object of God’s love and concern and that we would bring others into his presence where there is forgiveness and healing and new life. Amen.
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