“…Some people brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and could hardly talk and they begged Him to place His hand on the man…. Jesus looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha’ which means, ‘Be opened!’”

Several years back Josh could hear well enough, but over the years he stopped listening or only listened to those he wanted to hear. He plugged his ears with his I-Pod, kept his face in front of a computer or TV screen. He stopped listening to his parents, teachers and anyone who didn’t agree with him. He closed off the world- he was deaf to the world. When he spoke he spoke of things that no one could understand- his language spoke of video games and internet slang. Pam grew up hearing but she, too, over the years had become deaf. She only heard what she wanted to hear- she hardened the ears of her heart. If people didn’t think like her, talk like her, and see things the way she did, she often whispered that there must be something wrong with them. It was her way or not at all. And there were others; they weren’t so much deaf but confused. There was so much sound out there- so many voices and noise coming from every direction; they blocked out sound- stopped up their ears- because they were confused and then became afraid. They need to hear a clear voice that offers real and trustworthy direction, calm, and even peace- yes, peace.

How many of us have made ourselves deaf- shutting out the world? How many of us have sinfully and selfishly stopped up our ears to the needs of others and even the Words of God? How many of us have become confused by all that is out there? How many of us need a clear voice that offers real direction and peace?

Then Jesus returned to the area of the Decapolis. That is the area where earlier he had healed a man possessed by a legion of demons. That story is back in chapter 5. After Jesus had healed the man, freed him from demon possession, Jesus told him to go and tell how much Jesus had done for him. It is recorded that all the people were amazed. (Mark 5.1-20) And now Jesus has returned to the same area and the people are coming to him. Did they hear from the once demon possessed man or his family? However they heard, the word about this Jesus had been spreading: He talks of the love and grace of God and he heals people by and through His touch.

However they heard, several friends brought their Deaf friend to Jesus. This man could not hear and never having heard he could not speak and when he did try to speak it made little or no sense. They brought their friend to Jesus hoping that He could help.

The people begged Jesus to place His hand on him….Jesus led the man away from the people to be alone with him - face to face with the One who could do something- face to face with the One who could offer real and lasting help.

Jesus desires the same for you and me - for all of us. He wants to lead us away, if only for a moment, from a sinful and fallen world that He might minister to us and help us- that he might unstop the ears of our hearts and give us something really worth saying. Yes, He commands us to worship and be in fellowship together, but He also desires that we meet with Him in prayer and study of His Word. It is by and through that Word that He speaks to us, calms us, gives us real directions and peace. Now if we are too busy to meet with Him then we’d better rethink what we are doing, for nothing should make us too busy to meet with God.

Now Jesus took the man away from the others. He did not shout louder and louder or exaggerate the Words with His lips; all that would do no good. Sometimes we do that- thinking all people hear the way we do, learn the way we do, worship the way we do or at least they should. No, many people hear, learn, and worship differently even if they are not Deaf. Shouting won’t help; it is an encounter with Jesus they and all of us need most of all.

Jesus spoke to him in a way he understood. He used sign language. He put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit (exposing His tongue) and touched the man’s tongue. Jesus, who was as John tells us in his Gospel, the Jesus who was the Word in flesh appearing(John 1.14), Jesus who with just a few Words had caused a huge number of fish to rush into Peter’s nets, five loaves of bread to feed thousands of people, and a little girl to be raised from the dead ( Lk 5.1-15; Mk 6.30-44;Mk 10.21-24 &35-43), He is the One- this living Word- the prophet Isaiah foretold us would open the eyes of the blind,…the ears of deaf would be unstopped,… the lame would leap, …(and) mute tongues would shout for joy (Is 35.5, 6), (Jesus) by His deep sigh signed to the deaf man that He was about to do something for him- do something miraculous.

There is a popular sign in sign language. It is the sign for “I love you.” It is formed with your palm facing out and by extending the thumb, index finger and little finger (the middle finger and ring finger remain closed). It is an abbreviation of the letters: ILY.

God has a sign for “I love you” it is the cross. It was out of love that Jesus allowed His hands and feet to be pierced with nails and his head to crowned with thorns. It was out of love for us that Jesus hung on the cross taking the full punishment for our sins. It was because of love that He said, “Father, forgive them.” It was out of love that Jesus rose again that we would know that in Him our sins are really forgiven. It was out of love that Jesus rose again to life, promising that whoever believes in Me will have eternal life. It is out of love that the Holy Spirit lives within us that we might be able to really hear the comfort and peace of the Word of God and by it have real direction for our lives. It is because of the love of God that Jesus comes to us in a very real way in, with and under the bread and wine of communion; there He takes hold of us so we would know that he is really with us - not far away in heaven.

Jesus said to the man, “Ephphatha, (this means, “Be Opened !”) when Jesus did this, the man was able to hear. Jesus says to us in our baptism, “Be Opened!” Jesus says to us by and through the hearing of His Word, “Be Opened!” By the Spirit poured out upon you, hear My life-giving Words. At that the man was able to hear, and more amazingly he was able to use his tongue to speak clearly a language which he had never heard. Ponder that. He spoke plainly and clearly a language he’d never heard. It is a miracle for him and a miracle for us that we would really know this Jesus is the Messiah.

Jesus does that for us. He not only opens our hearts to hear the things of God but He opens our mouths that we might speak to others about the love of our God who saves us not by what we do but by what He has done.

At this miracle the people were really amazed. The people said, “Jesus does everything in a good way. Jesus makes Deaf people able to hear and Jesus makes people who can’t talk now talk. WOW!

Did you know that we too are born Deaf- Deaf and dead to the things of God. We need someone to bring us to Jesus or bring the Word of Jesus to us that He might open the ears of hearts to the justice and grace of God- to open our hearts to the stable, the teaching of Jesus, the cross and the empty tomb. All around us are people, some who have never heard, some who have stopped up their ears and others that are confused and scared - they need someone to care enough to bring them to Jesus. This bringing may happen by and through Bible studies and by and through bringing them to church. They need us to love them enough- love them as Christ loved them- (love them enough) to share Jesus with them. But how will they hear if no one tells them….

Amen