"Ephphatha!"

Readings: Isaiah 29:17-21, II Corinthians 3:4-9, Mark 7:31-17


In our world today, we're ovewhelmed with sound. Quiet is at a premium. Ask anyone who has ever had to deal with hearing aids and they'll tell you just how much noise and sounds there are in everyday life. Zeroing in a particular voice becomes nearly impossible with all the competing sounds. Add to the cacophony of voices all the electronics meant to "enhance" our life experiences and just about the only thing a hearing-impaired person wants to do is shut the batteries off in their devices.


Silence. Sometimes it is golden.


Today's readings, however, deal with a different kind of silence...too much silence. Deafness and muteness. And Jesus' wonderful, miraculous power to mix some mud with his holy gift of healing and the utterance of the word "Ephphatha!" which means "be opened" to a deaf and mute man, allowing him to hear the precious voice of Jesus and to give him verbal thanks (Mark 7:31-37).


This makes me think--at times, aren't we all in need of ephphatha? How many times do we turn the "deaf ear" to situations around us where we could be of some use? More importantly, how often do we turn that "deaf ear" to God's direction for our lives? We talk ourselves out of becoming involved, telling ourselves it's none of our business, it would require skills we don't have, etc. However, 2 Corinthians 3: 4-5 tells us "such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we were competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." If our hearts are true, God will lead us through whatever challenges we encounter when we practice ephphatha to others' needs.

So, today, tomorrow, this week...let's think about whether our hearing impairment is caused by our ears simply not working as efficiently as they used to or if it's really us choosing to not hear. And, when we need that boost of confidence, remember that "in that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll" (Isaiah 29:8). No matter how much our physical ears don't hear, we'll always be able to hear the whispers of our loving God.


Peace be with you.