"Ephphatha" ('Eφφαθα)
This Sunday we have yet another set of beautiful readings properly chosen to help our meditation. I believe that the readings are turning our attention toward the issue of the EAR and the TONGUE. This will be our focus as they are fundamental to Isaiah in the first reading (35: 4-7a), and Mark in the Gospel (7:31-37).
Now, we have to be aware that we are reading from the first part of Isaiah, properly towards the end of the first part of Isaiah. Here, the author tells us about the promise of salvation of Israel. The message of the promise of salvation includes four (4) groups of people — the blind, the DEAF, the lame and the MUTE/DUMB.
In Isaiah, we are told that the salvation will also include the opening of rhe the ears of the deaf (v. 5b) and that the tongue of the mute will sing for joy (v. 6b).
This passage from Isaiah, I propose, has to be read with the whole issue of the Emmanuel, the issue of the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem after the exilic period, and infact, the whole Messianic period in mind. With this promise of salvation, we become men and women of hope, rather than of despair. We become people of faith and are made a believing community who, even through the strains and exiles of life, are assured of salvation. Life can overwhelm all of us, but even in the middle of chaos we thirst for a deeper peace, for salvation.
The issue of the DEAF and the MUTE/DUMB is very important as it contains not only a message of hope and restoration, but one that will help us predispose ourselves to the message itself.
Know that the man healed in the Gospel is not only DEAF (κωφὸς - kōphos), but also MUTE. This man cannot HEAR and cannot SPEAK properly . It will be good to see Isaiah's prophecy making sense and coming to fruition in what Jesus is going to do to this man. Jesus performs a rite and says "Ephphata" (be opened). Mark's Gospel is not interested in the cause of the deafness and dumbness, like Luke's Gospel may be.
Realize that one who cannot hear and cannot speak is not only facing a great difficulty with hearing the Word of God, but may not be a good disiciple. A disciple is first instructed and then goes to proclaim. He learns by LISTENING and seeing.
A careful introspection will inform us that we are also deaf and and have an impediment in speech just like the man in the Gospel. We therefore have to be opened to God's Word in heart.
The sense organs do not only bring out something, they also take in. We have to be prepared to listen carefully to God's word. It is when we listen that we can announce with our tongues. We cannot speak properly if we do not listen and if we are deaf. We carry no message on our tongues if we are deaf. We cannot be good disciples if we do not listen carefully to Christ as he instructs us daily in his Word.
We who can hear and speak have a great task of witnessing and making known God's message of salvation.
St. Paul tells us that "faith comes by HEARING, and HEARING by the Word of God" (cf. Romans 10:17). It only makes it that faith is acquired when we hear or listen to the Word of God. This faith is to be announced. In this endeavour, we must try to treat all men on the same scale. Do not discriminate and make distinctions.
Happy Sunday.
Good one there bro.
ReplyDeleteThanks. God bless you.
Delete