“DELIVERED WELL!”
Saint Mark 7. 31-37
The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity: 14 August Anno Domini 2005
Fr Watson
The Word came to the Sea of Galilee that day. The prayer "Make haste, 0 God, to deliver me," the prayer of the defective human being; was answered! The Word came to the "water." A picture of how our Lord works, for indeed, "Baptism is...water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's word." Continuing this "washing of rebirth" picture, note that "they brought to Him..." Friends, loving this deaf mute as themselves, brought Him to the Word even as parents bring their own new-born deaf mutes to the Word when they come to the font. The reason is always the same: "Make haste, 0 God, to deliver me."
God's mighty and efficacious Word always delivers. But He gives even more than "audibles," He gives Himself. Though a simple sentence, phrase, or word spoken by the Lord would have more than sufficed, they begged Him to put His hand on the deaf mute. He was touched by the very flesh of God, the touch of the Holy Righteous One, in Whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. Oh what it must have been like, what it must have felt like, to have been touched by the flesh of the Christ. But then, you all know what that is like! You felt; you feel the disease. You know, you believe the only cure.
Deafness and mute-ness are the result of sin; so are arthritis, acne, asthma and anemia. Because of sin there is cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's and autism. Because of Adam's sin, and your sin, there is a world of deafness and tied-tongues. "We do all things badly." Those born into sin and those who are unbelievers can hear only their own voices, thoughts, wills and desires. They are barraged by an idiotic, non-sensical monologue of "me." Sin also produces mute-ness. The spiritually dead are not only deaf, but also incapable of speaking the truth about themselves or of confessing the Love and Righteousness of the Lord.
Since deafness and mute-ness and their ilk are all unrighteous fruit of unrighteous people, the only answer and cure is Righteousness. Righteousness comes only from the "Righteous One." "Make haste, 0 God, to deliver me." The healing and restoration come from God's Word, from God's Word made Flesh. The "finger of God" goes into your ears cleansing them from all blockages. This is the same finger of God which inscribed the Torah on the Tablets, which served as the inspired pen of the prophetic authors. The "water of God," water from the mouth of the Christ, His own saliva which waters the Holy Mouth of the Son who speaks the Words, points to the water found in every font. God speaks to the ears of unbelief and sin, "Ephatha," be opened," and it is done! Jesus' life, suffering, passion and death, were one united action of "Ephatha." Jesus words, His Body and Blood, command with the authority of love "be opened," be free from impediment, be loosed from silence, be free from curbs, be strong, vibrant and eternal.
Jesus healed physical infirmities. Though not everyone who was a deaf mute was healed, the man in our text was. It was proof that the Lord was, and is, the Lord of life, health and restoration. It is a guarantee that one day all believers will have all of their diseases banished, healed, loosed and opened.
Deafness, mute-ness, mean-ness, covetousness, lying, lusting, stealing, cursing, grumbling and all other diseases of the human body & soul are only the symptoms of the underlying malady of sin. Only the defeat of sin insures the existence and vitality of said body & soul. Only Jesus' Perfect and Holy Body, Soul, and Blood given in a life of obedience, given in a death of payment, defeats sin. As the Catechism rightly reflects the truth of the Word, "where there is forgiveness of sin, there is also life and salvation."
On that day so long ago, Jesus began an assault on all the brokenness that sin has caused. His breaching of the devil's prison-house culminated in His final "loosing" and "opening" on Calvary. All of this touching, anointing, healing and freeing entered into the lives of this gathered group of victims, slaves, and terminally ill patients through the Word personally applied to you...by His fingers cupping water over your infant heads [ I BAPTISE YOU IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY GHOST---EPHATHA! ]; by His saliva, mouth, words remitting and loosing you of your guilt and making you a sweet smelling fragrance to the Father [ I FORGIVE YOU ALL YOUR SINS IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY GHOSTT---EPHATHA! ]; His touch, His flesh, His Righteousness given to you [ TAKE EAT THIS IS MY BODY FOR YOU; TAKE DRINK THIS IS MY BLOOD FOR YOU---EPHATHA! ]
"Make haste, 0 God, to deliver me." "He does all things well."
In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost