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Departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 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 the man. And Jesus took him aside from the multitude, and put His gingers into the man's ears, and He spat and touched the man's tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, Jesus sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,ø that is, “Be opened.” Immediately the man's ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and mute to speak.”(Mark 7:31–37)
Deafness and speech impediment go together. If one cannot hear, they usually have a hard time speaking. If the ear is impaired, then it usually affects the tongue as well. The proper functioning of the ear is necessary for the proper functioning of the tongue. The man in our Holy Gospel for today was not only deaf, he also had an impediment in his speech.
The point is that we must be able to hear before we can speak. An infant, for example, learns how to speak by listening. They first become familiar with hundreds of words before they ever learn how to speak. The hearing of those words helps them to later speak.
Jesus often times said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Why was Jesus so concerned about hearing? Because faith comes by hearing the Gospel. St. Paul asks the question, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” (Rom 10:14”. The answer is that they cannot. First there is the hearing of the Gospel, then there is faith in the heart that God raised His Son from the dead, and then there is the confession that “Jesus is Lord.” If we avoid the hearing of God's Word, then it negatively affects faith in the heart and the confession of Christ.
What are you listening to? What are children and youth nowadays listening to?
In the Garden of Eden, Eve listened to the devil's words. She ate the forbidden fruit. Then Eve said to Adam, “Eat this fruit” and Adam listened to Eve's words and he also ate.
The devil attacked their ears and then out of their mouths came lies. Plus, they blamed God and each other. Adam and Eve's sin affected all of us.
Who caused the man in our reading for today to be deaf and mute? The devil caused this man to be deaf and mute. The devil through the temptation of Adam and Eve brought sin and death into our world. Who was the cause of St. Paul's “thorn in the flesh?” It was “a messenger of Satan.”
The devil caused our ears by nature to be imprisoned and our mouths to be bound. By nature our ears and mouth are closed off and calloused toward God. The impediment of our hearing also causes and impediment in our talking and praying. The noise of the world and the voice of Satan keeps us from hearing the Gospel and our speech back to God is slurred, garbled, and turned inward by sin.
What are you listening to on the radio, iPod, or Mp3 player? What kind of music is going into your ear and out of your mouth?
We commit sins of the ear when we do not remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy and when despise preaching and His Word. We commit sins of the mouth when we misuse the name of the Lord our God and when we curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by God's name.
No wonder Jesus looked up to heaven and “sighed.” Jesus not only sighed over the fact that the man in front of Him cannot hear or speak, but He also sighed over the result of Adam and Eve's fall into sin. Jesus grieved over the falleness of creation. Jesus mourned over the ruin and the suffering Satan brought into the world and in our own lives.
Our prayer this morning was “O Lord, open my lips” — our lips which are by nature imprisoned. When God opens our lips then our mouth will naturally declare His praise — declare what He has done. Our prayer this morning was “Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord.” Deliver me from the bondage of Satan. I cannot deliver myself. I have no free will to open by plugged ears or to loose my tongue. I have no power over sin and nor can I raise myself from death. O Lord, only you can deliver me from the bondage of sin, death, and the devil. Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord.
Those who brought the deaf and mute man to Jesus knew that only Jesus could deliver their friend from the bondage the ear and the mouth. For Jesus is the promised Messiah. Jesus is the one who the prophet Isaiah spoke saying, “It that day [in the day of the Messiah] the deaf will hear” (Isaiah 29:18).
So, Jesus took the man aside from the multitude. Jesus doesn't want to make a show. This isn't for the TV and the tabloids. What Jesus does is so different from the so–called celebrity “faith healers” of our day. Jesus never sought celebrity. And he doesn't use the misfortune of others to draw attention to Himself. He is completely there for this man.
Jesus uses a bit of sign language. Jesus deals with this man according to his own language. Jesus takes his fingers and puts them in the man's ears. Then Jesus spits on his fingers and touches the man's tongue. The One who participated in creation touches that which is broken. The Great Physician is at work. Jesus is 'hands on' not distant and removed. At one time he even touched a leper. Jesus is not afraid to get His hands dirty.
Then, looking up to heaven, Jesus sighed. Again, He agonized over the fall into sin. Then Jesus said, “Ephphatha” that is, “Be opened.” Immediately the man's ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed and he spoke plainly. This man was not only released from his physical ailments, but he was also made whole in body and spirit. An exorcism took place. Jesus set this man free from his bondage to Satan. Jesus is setting him free from that hellish prison. Jesus shattered the chains by which the evil one held this victim.
But this freedom did not come without a price. You see, in order to release us from the captivity of Satan, Jesus must put Himself under that captivity. All the sins of the ear — listening to gossip and lies were put on Jesus. All the sins of the mouth — cursing, swearing, lies, and words of unbelief were put on Jesus. Adam and Eve's sin, the sin of the Israelites, the mute and deaf man's sins, your sin and mine was put on Jesus.
Jesus is a hands-on God taking our flesh and sin upon Himself and dying upon the cross. Jesus' hands which once were put into the man's ears are now pierced. Jesus' mouth from which once came healing saliva is now parched and dry. Jesus asked for a drink because there is no saliva left in His mouth.
This is your Jesus, covered with blood and crucified upon a cross all done for you and for your salvation. Don't be offended. This is love that the Father has sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for sin.
Jesus' words from the cross, “It is finished” are like the words “be opened.” Three days later, the words “He is risen” are like the words “Be opened.” Christ's victory on the cross and over the grave means that Satan has been defeated. Sin is paid for and heaven is opened.
The words “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” are like the words “be opened.” At your baptism an exorcism took place. Satan was cast out and room was made for the Holy Spirit. It is interesting to note that in some baptismal rites during the early church the pastor would put his fingers in the ears of the person being baptized and would say “Ephphatha” and then he would put salt on the person' tongue.
Do you agonize over the Old Adam within you? Do you struggle against the devil's tempting words? Then remember that you are baptized. Christ's “Ephphatha” was spoken upon you. You are redeemed with the blood of Christ and washed clean in the waters of Holy Baptism.
The words “I forgive you all your sins” are like the words “be opened.” This Gospel is put into your ears in Holy Absolution and in preaching. You are released of all your sin. Then in Holy Communion He touches your tongue with His body and blood. Jesus is still a hands-on God.
Jesus' words are always life creating and powerful. They always accomplish what they say. They remove sin. They cleanse the heart. They refresh and restore us. They bring to life.
Stanza three of a hymn we just sang put it this way:
Lord, Your words are waters living
When my thirsting spirit pleads.
Lord Your words are bread life giving;
On Your words my spirit feeds,
Lord, Your words will be my light
Through death's cold and deary night;
Yes, they are my sword prevailing
And my cup of joy unfailing!(LSB 589)
We don't know their names, but whoever brought the deaf and mute man to Jesus brought him to the right place. Bring your children to the baptismal font. Bring them to Sunday School and to worship. Come yourself so that you may hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest Christ's life saving word. Bring your friends to the Divine Service so that they can see, hear, believe, and confess that in Christ there is the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus does all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak. He does all things well. He died upon the cross for our salvation and He rose from the dead. He does all things well. His Gospel is preached. Ears are opened and the impediment of our tongue is loosed.
Our Lord put His Word in my ears and He has opened my lips to preach His Word. He puts that very word into your ear and then your mouth now shows forth praise in liturgy and hymn. It confesses the faith. Again, hearing and speaking go together. First the ear and then the mouth. What you hear flows off your tongue back to God in prayer and praise. Jesus still does all things well. He makes us hear the Gospel with the ear and confess the faith with our mouth.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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