Mark 7:31-37

Mark 7:31-37

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, lead me not into temptation. Subject me not to the test. Help me overcome the temptations of everyday life so that I may be your faithful child and be docile to the inspirations of your Spirit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Another Healing in Gentile Territory: In the Gospel, Jesus left the district of Tyre, but is still Gentile territory. He has exorcised a demon from a Gentile woman’s daughter, and now he heals a deaf man in Gentile territory. This is fitting since Jesus is reacting to the heated exchange with the Pharisees and scribes over the tradition of the elders. Jesus is anticipating the mission to the Gentiles that his disciples will carry out after his death and resurrection. “Unlike in his prior reception in the Decapolis, when the inhabitants begged him to leave their territory (5:17), now the people bring him a deaf and dumb man. Presumably the mission of the Gerasene no-longer-demoniac met with significant success (5:20)” (Huizenga, Loosing the Lion, 183).

2. The Meaning of the Healing of a Deaf Man: One of the main themes in the “Bread Section” of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 6:33-8:26) is the lack of understanding of Jesus’ disciples. The healing of the deaf man and later of a blind man (Mark 8:22-26) have a symbolic meaning: the healings symbolize the opening of the spiritually deaf ears and blind eyes of Jesus’ disciples: Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?” (Mark 8:18). The healings Jesus performs mean that the prophecy of Isaiah 35:5-6 is fulfilled: “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing.” Originally, Isaiah’s prophecy refers to the joyful return of the Judeans from exile in Babylon. By placing the healing of a Gentile between the two bread miracles, “Mark is hinting that the Gentiles too are now heirs to these blessings. Previously deaf to God and mute concerning his saving deeds, now, in response to his mighty works of healing, they are able to hear his voice and sing his praises” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 147).

3. The Sacramental Dimension of the Healings: The healings of the deaf man and the blind man are both very graphic and physical. In the first, Jesus spits on his fingers and places them in the man’s ears and touches his tongue. In the second, Jesus spits on his fingers and hands and puts the spittle on the man’s eyes. Jesus could have healed without these gestures and by his word alone. In the healing of the deaf man, there is a combination of a physical gesture, saliva, touching the ears, and a powerful word: “Ephphatha! Be opened!” This combination anticipates the Sacraments of the Church, which often combine something physical, such as cleansing water, the laying on of hands, bread and wine, or anointing oil, with words to attain their spiritual effect.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, open my ears to hear your words of everlasting life. Open my eyes to see all things with the eyes of faith. Loosen my tongue to sing and proclaim your glory and your salvation to all nations.

Living the Word of God: How attentive am I to the Word of God? Are my ears and eyes open to God’s Word? What has God been saying in the depths of my heart this year? Can I start to look ahead to the season of Lent next week? What is God asking of me?