Today’s Gospel: Then
he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of
Galilee, through the region of the Decap'olis. 32 And
they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and
they besought him to lay his hand upon him. 33 And
taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his
ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; 34 and
looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Eph'phatha," that
is, "Be opened." 35 And his ears were opened,
his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And
he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more
zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished
beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well; he even makes the
deaf hear and the dumb speak." Mark
7:31-37
Reflection: They brought him who seemed to be a hopeful case
of a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech.
What
is the difference between the deaf and dumb and a person put out from among the
people? Not much as it amounts to almost the same. We do not know how many of
these who brought him to Jesus may have teased him and made fun of him for his
deformity? We do not know how his own parents may have treated him. He may have been shamed for no fault of his. On
his part he could not freely express his pain and sorrows to those around. There
may have been no one who would understand him perfectly.
It
was like being perennially under the Law of Moses which isolated a person from
among the community: “But the Lord said
to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be
shamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp seven days, and after
that she may be brought in again." So Miriam was
shut up outside the camp seven days.” Num 12:14-15
Jesus using his spit and taking him aside from the people
are significant actions that communicate the healing he offers to those who
experience rejections and go through the isolation on account of the
insensitivity of people.
Prayer: They
abhor me, they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of
me. Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me… Job 30:10-11
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