Ephphatha
Pentecost 16 (9-23-06)
Rev. Steven D. Spencer, Pastor
Mark 7:31-37
31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the
midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then they brought to
Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to
put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His
fingers in 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 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his
tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they
should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they
proclaimed it. 37 And they were
astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes
both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
[Mute mode on]
(The
words are mouthed by the pastor but not spoken.)
Grace, peace and mercy from God our
Father and our Lord who is the Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Our
text today is from the Gospel lesson especially these words: 33
And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears,
and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed,
and said to him, [Mute
mode off]
"Ephphatha,"
that is, "Be opened." 35 Immediately his ears were opened, and
the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.
Dear
fellow redeemed,
You might have guessed it, the whispering, the hushed
tone in my voice was to give you an idea of what this deaf-mute man experienced
that day. Here was a man who could see a person speaking yet couldn’t hear a
word. He was in a silent world living accursed. He couldn't hear a child’s
laughter or take joy in a sparrow’s song. He'd never heard the simple tones
and words of a chanted psalm, nor the strum of string instrument. He hadn't
heard his mother’s spoken words of, “I love you” nor his father’s prayer
at night. If he had gone to the synagogue, it would only be to watch a man
speak. But how would he know the Word of God? Was there a message for him ...
for a deaf man? If the communication was meant for him, if there was to be an
application to this man, if there was good news for this man, well as the saying
goes, it fell on deaf ears.
This
man’s plight is even more pitiable. The man had a speech impediment. He
couldn’t speak to his friends, he couldn’t tell a physician what his
symptoms were. He couldn’t shout for joy at the birth of a sibling, he
couldn’t join in the congregation’s singing of praise. This man living in
the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee, this man with deaf ears and a muted tongue
lived on a silent planet. A great chasm separated him from the others in this
world. Oh, there were those who cared for the deaf and mute man, but they
couldn't open his ears and loose his tongue. That is only something God can do.
When
we are born who are we more like, the people with all their facilities intact,
or like this poor deaf-mute man? In relation to God, we come into this world
exactly like the deaf-mute man. From the moment of conception, we are sinful by
nature, enemies of God. We are not able to hear His Life Giving Word. On our own
we are not capable of uttering anything pleasing to the Lord. The spiritually
deaf don't hear God and not only are they incapable of doing so; they desire to
plug their ears. The spiritually mute have nothing honorable to say to God and
thus they ignore Him and His Word.
These
two, spiritual deafness and spiritual dumbness, combine in an awful, ungodly
duet of silence. The one who does not listen to the Invocation of baptismal
grace is not able to sing the “Amen.” The person who has no Confession of
sin hears no forgiving Absolution from the Lord. The one who closes his ears to
the Introit does not join the congregation in confessing the Creed. The child,
who rejects the hearing of the Word, does not sing the “Hallelujah” in
anticipation of the Gospel. The one whose ears are closed to the preaching of
the Word also has choked prayer. There is no Benediction for those who have
never heard of the Agnes Dei ... of Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the
sin of the world. Such a man, such a woman, such an infant needs to hear the
Word of God’s promise ... to have their ears opened and tongue loosed. That is
only something God can do.
Into
this silent world came Jesus, God become flesh. Departing from the region of
Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea
of Galilee. A man is brought to Him who is deaf and has a speech impediment.
Jesus takes him aside. He put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and with the
saliva touches his tongue. Looking up into heaven, He sighs, and says,
“Ephphatha,”-“Be opened.” Immediately his ears are opened and the
impediment of his tongue is loosed, he speaks plainly. This is only something
God can do.
The
first word that the man ever heard was the Word of Good News from Jesus.
“Ephphatha, be opened.” This man experiences a whole new world because of
the Word spoken by the Creator of the universe. He is now able to listen to the
reading of the 23rd Psalm, to hear someone say “I love you,” to
listen to the rain, to hear the great “Shema” - “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God; the Lord is One” (Deuteronomy
6:4). In addition, the man’s tongue was loosed and he was able to speak and
chant and sing. What a joy! Being able to respond with a simple, heartfelt,
“thank You” and to join in the singing and the confessing and the praising.
What a joy!
Have
you ever wondered why Jesus spat and then applied the saliva to the man’s
tongue? It sounds pretty disgusting doesn’t it? Is it anymore disgusting than
eating someone’s flesh or drinking their blood? Yet when Jesus gives us His
body and blood, He gives us both His manhood and His Godhood. When the
supernatural comes in contact with the natural, something extraordinary happens,
death is replaced with life. God always uses death to bring forth life. Through
Holy Baptism you are submerged into death to be joined to Christ. You were
spiritually dead through baptism you die to sin and are raised to life in Jesus,
literally joined to Him.
When
the deaf-mute couldn’t hear, couldn’t speak, Jesus spat and using His own
saliva and touched this man. Through baptism Jesus has touched you and your ears
were opened. The Kingdom of God has been opened for you through this washing of
water with the His Word. For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of
Christ (Romans 10:17). So through baptism you are a child of God and an heir.
What a joy, you have been touched by Jesus.
Why
did Jesus do these things? That may seem like a silly question, but it really
isn’t and the answer is the same both for the man on whom Jesus performed a
miracle and for you in whom Jesus performed a greater miracle. The reason why
God creates ears in the first place, why Jesus opened the man’s ears, why He
caused you to hear the Word of Life in Baptism and why the Lord has given you
ears is the same.
Before
you hear the answer of why Jesus has created and opened ears, listen to what is
not the answer. God did not give you or your children ears in order to hear
words of ridicule (“You’re stupid. I hate you.”). He did not give you a
mouth to speak these words and if they are ever uttered from your mouth then you
are sinning and need to confess yours sins. He did not give you or your children
ears to hear or mouths to speak false doctrine so that the ears are filled with
lies.
The
reason why God has created and opened ears is to hear the Gospel ... the Good
News of Jesus ... He is true God begotten of His Father from eternity and true
man, born of the virgin Mary ... living a perfect life in your place, enduring
the assaults of Satan, suffered the wrath of God on account of all your sins,
paying the price for every sin of the mouth, ear, mind and deed. Then He was
crucified. Jesus declared from that cursed, barren tree upon which He was
willingly nailed, “It is finished” (John 19:30), it is the same as saying to
heaven, on our behalf, “‘Ephphatha!’ That is, ‘Be opened.’” People
hear this Gospel and the doors of heaven are opened. Ears who hear such Good
News prompt mouths to respond, “Thanks be to God. ‘He has done all things well.’”
In the words of our Hymn today vs. 3(TLH #296
verse3)
Lord, Thy words are waters
living, Where I quench my thirsty need;
Lord, Thy words are bread life-giving, On Thy words my Soul doth feed.
Lord, Thy words shall be my light, Through death's vale and dreary night;
Yea, they are my sword prevailing, And my cup of joy unfailing.
Ephphatha!
What a wonderful word, Ephphatha. The man’s ears were not just opened for that
day and then rendered deaf and mute again. Jesus opened the man’s ears and
loosed his tongue, intending them to be opened and remain in that condition so
he could hear the Word and in response, speak of this Good News. He wants the
same from you and me. He has created faith in your hearts through the hearing of
His Word, bringing you and your children into His Church. The Lord intends for
you to remain in His Presence from the first day that He opened your ears in
receiving the Good News until the day you depart this life to be with Him in
Paradise. “He has done all
things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”