“THE ‘WORD’ WORKS”
Saint Mark 7. 31-37
The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity: 26 August Anno Domini 2007
Fr Watson
The problem? Sin. You are broken. You don’t “work”The most expensive and well designed audio microphone, if it’s defective, won’t pick up sounds. The finest tape recorder imaginable can’t record if it’s hopelessly busted. A computer CPU, the micro-circuited, silicone-chipped, artificial brain can’t process and “understand” if it’s been infected by a virus.
Computer neophytes are warned: “do not open strange attachments; they could wipe out your hard drive.” Adam was warned: “do not eat of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the Garden, for in the day that you do so you will die.” The woman and her husband “opened” up the deadly “attachment” and the program is now infected. You are infected. Your brain, your conscience, your rationality, your decision making no longer work as they were designed and factory installed.
The problem? The man had been born deaf. He couldn’t hear. It didn’t matter how hard he “tried” or worked at correcting the situation, the defect, he was deaf. His “deciding” to become a hearing individual had no more chance of success than someone born with only one hand “deciding” to grow another on the deformed stump. It would not have mattered on bit how wise the words some Pharisee spoke may have been; the man could not hear. The man could not understand. The man could not open his lips to reply.
Deafness was real then and it is real today. Deafness is defect. The brokenness of one’s “senses” as well as the imperfections of one’s body and mind is what naturally happen to a “system” that is internally infected.
Man was created in God’s image and was meant to live forever in perfection. Man was not meant to be deaf. Man was not meant to wither, decay, break down and die. The problem? Sin. You are broken. You are deaf.
There is sonic deafness that some are born with; that happens to some by way of accident; and that usually affects everyone who lives long enough. But there is spiritual deafness that destroys everyone born of woman. Everyone is born deaf to God. Everyone is born pagan and without the necessary spiritual senses to either see or hear God. This means that everyone is born dead, for without God there is no life. This is a darkness and soundlessness that cannot be corrected by the one who is dead; by the one who is deaf. A lamb does not get itself pulled out of a crevice; a baby does not get itself changed or fed; an unconscious person in a burning building does not get up on their own and escape the flames. The solution? A Rescuer.
This liberator of the lip and restorer of the ear is Christ. This Christ is God and Man. This God has His own throat, larynx and lips. This God has His own eyes, fingers, nose and ears. This is Christ is both the designer and maker of the senses. Jesus didn’t ask the deaf mute to do anything. The man was not capable of doing anything. Oh? But don’t people have to believe to be saved pastor? Jesus does what needs to be done and gives what needs to be had. The Word does everything. That’s why it’s called Grace, Love, Good News.
The poor wretch didn’t have to study his Hebrew Bible or memorize anything. He didn’t have to pray real hard or send money in to the “television ministry” [sic]. Jesus fixed him. Jesus with hands, feet, eyes, ears, beard, sweat, breath, voice and touch healed him. The Lord used a very physical and earthly means. Could God have liberated the man from the bondage of deafness and dumbness by a mere “thought” or divine “look?”But Jesus chooses to use His hands and His Word. It’s messy and it’s personal. Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears. These were the fingers of God, attached to the same hands and wrists which would be punctured by spikes when pinned to the Wood. Jesus spit and then touched the man’s tongue with the spit of God, water from the rock that brings life, refreshment and joy. And God spoke. The man didn’t hear the Word “Ephphatha” with his own cooperation or intensity but rather the Word of God, the creative Word of God, did what it said—“be opened,” it did. Jesus had indicated where that Word of God would go—into the man’s ears and upon his tongue. Jesus by His Word, and, since He is the “Word made flesh,” by His Body & Blood, broke the chains which had imprisoned the deaf/mute from sinful birth.
You were born deaf. You were born dead. You were born imprisoned, naked and filthy. Jesus departed from the region of Tyre, Sidon and Heaven itself, and came through the midst of time and space to you. Jesus came not to the Sea of Galilee but to the sea of the Baptismal font. There He met you corpse and gave it life. There He met the little deaf dummy and made it a real live boy. There He spit and spoke Himself into the water and stuck His Word, His Self, into your ears. There He traced with His finger His sign, His Bloody Crucifixion for your sins, both upon your head and heart. Because Jesus always had His ears open to the Word and Will of His Father’s Commandments, your ears can now be free from the wax of sin. Because Jesus hung on the cross dying from the pain of your sins, your deafness; because His ears remained open to the jeers, taunts, blasphemies and curses of sinful men and women, your ears can now be free to Hear His loving calling of your name.
And here again today, the God/Man does the same forgiving, loosing, opening, remitting and strengthening by the same Word. In the Holy Communion you will have His finger tips, His Body on your tongue, opening your spiritual ears and voice to believe in His forgiveness and to sing and confess His praise.
And here again, NOW, the God/Man does the opening and loosing and life giving: “Ephphatha, that is, ‘be opened’ your sins are forgiven—
In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost