First Reading: Is 35:4-7
Second Reading: Jas 2:1-5
Dear friends, we are in the twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time. In the gospel we have passage about Jesus healing a deaf and dumb. This is a miracle, rather an extraordinary miracle performed by Jesus to reveal His identity and power. In the first reading, we have a prophetic message from Isaiah who promises restoration to the exiled Israelites. The few verses we have in the reading are a small portion of a long poem about Israel’s deliverance from Babylonian captivity. This passage also foretells what would happen during the visitation of the Lord as Messiah – the day of the Lord or the day of Messiah. This passage tells that the healing of physical ailments and removal of practical struggle for water in the dry Palestine land will mark the arrival and the presence of the Lord amidst them. People can find the day of Messiah when they witness extraordinary physical healing happening amidst them and their practical struggles are lifted. The gospel passage of the day shows that all these promises are realized in Jesus. Thus, Jesus is the one whom the Israels have been waiting for.
Jesus in healing the deaf and dumb man makes some gestures which are not necessary for Him to do so. We know the faith expression of centurion; “Lord, I am not worthy to have come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Mt 8:8). And indeed, Jesus heals the servant of the centurion through mere words from a far without even encountering that ailing servant. Jesus words are enough to execute miracle. If so, why does Jesus carry out some gestures in this miracle? There are several things to consider in this miracle. Firstly, Jesus performs this miracle in a pagan city (Decapolis) to show that He is Lord of lords (Mk 7:31). What pagan gods could not do for their people is now being done by Jesus. Thus, the power and authenticity of the pagan gods are put into question. Secondly, this miracle is performed at the behest of people other than that suffering man (Mk 7:32). The community shows interest in the healing of one of their brothers who is suffering and in need of God’s mercy. This gives us a teaching to pray, intercede and bring other needy people to the Lord. The faith of the community is helping the other person to come to faith. Similarly, our faith in Jesus should lead others to the Lord. Thirdly, Jesus takes the man privately to perform a healing. Jesus’ personal encounter with the ailing man brings healing. We do not know whether that man also had faith in Jesus just like other people who had brought him to Jesus. The real conversion takes place when a person encounters Jesus personally. This we witness in our day-to-day life. Many people attend prayer meetings and healing gatherings, but only very few get healed in those gatherings. Why? Although message is addressed to all who attend those gatherings, it is only who personally listen to the voice of the Lord amidst those loud noise of praise and acclamation get healing. Physical presence alone is not enough. Emotionally participating in the prayers and worship alone is not enough. One needs to listen to the voice of the Lord in silence and allow the Lord to do His work in him/her. Remember, kingdom of God is about conquering the hearts of the individual, not conquering the masses. Individual conversion and encounter with the Lord is must for every Christian to build a strong faith and form fortified convictions.
Lastly, Jesus opens the ears of the deaf and tongue of the dumb through his spittle and pronouncing of word ‘Ephphatha’. The spittle marks the merging of the spirit of the Lord into the spirit of that man which causes renewal. Just as God put His spirit into man during creation, now also He sends His spirit to renew the heart of man. The word ‘Ephrathah’ meaning ‘be opened’ is not just a command to release a man from deaf and dumb ailments. It is also an imperative command for a man to be opened to the voice of the Lord and to the voice of his surroundings. People who had heard about Jesus brought this poor man to Jesus. Thus, hearing makes us to act. Today we need to the listen to the voice of the Lord and goodness of the Lord in the lives of various people. Hearing about the sufferings of others will enable one to express empathy for them and bring them to the Lord in prayer and reach out to them in other possible ways.
We use earphones to listen to the audio. Earphones help us to be away from the noise of the surroundings and focus on the audio that we are listening to. We need that earphone to listen to the voice of the Lord without distraction. We need that earphone to listen to the voice of the needy people amidst jarring noise of pride and deception. Where can we find that earphone? It is in the silence of one’s heart and in the silent presence of the Lord in the Eucharistic adoration. Let us be opened (Ephphatha) to the voice of the Lord to hear the voice of the poor amidst the noise of the rich. In the second reading St. James says that God has chosen the poor to show forth His riches (Jas 2:5). These poor are not just people who are materially poor but people who maintain low status and remain humble in all circumstances. Let us be one of them. May God bless us to be opened.
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