One of the horrible aspects of modern warfare is the taking of hostages. At this moment we know there are hostages locked inside dark tunnels and having no contact with the outside world. Being under the mercy of their captors, they have no idea if and when they will ever be released. They are powerless regarding their fate.
Today we meet a man who was held hostage. He was stuck in a “cave” of silence because he was unable to hear or speak. Since there was no cure for his disease, he, no doubt, assumed he would be locked into his “cave” for the rest of his life (Mark 7:31-37).
“Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his fingers into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him ‘Ephphatha!”—that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.”
Though the physicians of the day had no cure for deafness, the people knew that Jesus did. They had the faith to believe that if Jesus laid his hands on the man, he would be healed. Not wanting to make a spectacle of the man, Jesus took him for a walk away from the crowd. He had compassion for the man and wanted to respect his privacy. Go was not looking for a “prop” to demonstrate his miraculous powers; he was reaching out to his suffering child who was locked in the darkness of his impediment.
Rather than put his hand on the man’s shoulder and saying a prayer, Jesus went beyond this. With an intimate gesture, he put his hands in the man’s frozen ears; then Jesus took spit from his own mouth and touched the man’s tongue Finally, Jesus spoke one word in an authoritative voice: “Ephphatha!” and the man’s hearing came back as well as his ability to speak in a normal voice.
Jesus’ approach to the man bore the signs of intimacy—a loving Father reaching out to help and love his lost son. Privacy, the fingers reaching inside the man’s ears, and the shared spittle. These were the actions of a caring doctor more than ones of a miracle worker standing on a stage trying to amaze a crowd. Finally, the presence of God inside Jesus spoke one simple word of command rather than a lengthy prayer. The healing happened!
As a result, the people were also touched.
“They were exceedingly astonished and said, ‘He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
In the first reading today (Isaiah 35:4-7) we hear words spoken to a people held hostage by the threats of an invading army.
“Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication…”
Each of us is being held hostage in some way. We may feel the oppression of The Enemy or a world that turns is back on God. We may be afraid to speak up and are deafened by our own anxieties and securities. Whatever our condition we hear Jesus saying, “Be strong, fear not, your God is coming.” We may feel the way some hostages feel or the way the deaf man felt that there is no hope for us. Jesus tells us that he is with us, reaching out as our Savior to set us free. Whatever form our deafness may take, Jesus wants to set us free.
Our deepest bondage is sin. Jesus sits in confessionals all over the world right now waiting for hurting people to receive his personal attention. His one word of command, spoken through the priest, is all we need to set us free. Let us not delay in seeking his merciful help.
