September 05-6, 2009. 14P.
I was reminded when I saw the cover of a paperback book “Deconstructing
Penguins” that sometimes when you are reading a book, it’s good to remember
WHY the book was written. Mark (1:1) says he wrote to tell about the
Savior; the Messiah; the Son of God. Then he goes on to record His life of
immediate action. Jesus is the servant of God Who works in word and deed to
draw all people to Himself. One high-point of the book is (8:29) Peter’s
confession. But the climax is the cross and the resurrection.
Jesus keeps breaking thru and into the closed lives of souls. He opens
up lives to draw them into companionship with God and with other people. He
does so by the power of His Word.
This chapter began with the Pharisees saying He wouldn’t do anything
right. He would not even force His disciples to baptize their hands
according to traditions.
After curing a desperate woman’s daughter and this deaf man, people say
Jesus does ALL things well (Mark 7:37). We believe He continues to do all
things well, not just morally but in all measurements. His life
demonstrates God’s love for us and to us and thru us.
This report begins in a big crowd of people. They were bringing people
to Jesus for Him to heal them. It seems they had heard of Jesus and wanted
a show.
Mark spoke of a man here who could not hear or speak. He lived in
isolation; alone. It is hard to imagine what that was like; now we have
sign languages. He was probably not a Jew. How could he come to faith in
Jesus if he could not hear (Romans 10:7)? Not only was this man outside the
covenant, it seemed out of the question for him to come to faith. There was
nothing he could do by his own reason or strength to believe in Jesus or
come to Him.
We don’t know why they brought this deaf man to Jesus. But we can be
thankful that they did. Too often, we see people with problems and we
sinfully think THEY need to clean up their act (Mark 10:14) (or WE need to
fix them) before they can come to Jesus. No matter what the motive, we can
learn from them. Just bring them to Jesus and let Him do the fixing. As
James says, we should show no bias or partiality: show love to all and
bring all to Christ. They showed faith by their works (James 2:18), as we
should.
God does the opposite of what we sinners expect. He does not work a
public marvel, set up an event, or advertise His goodness by healings (then
go to a commercial break ☺) in CG marketing terms. He took the man aside,
privately, and told him what God would do by way of action language. Jesus
was going to do what ONLY the Messiah of Isaiah 35 could do: total healing.
Our world, even our nation, is like those Gentile areas. We add and
take away form God’s Word, mix it with other things, and judge it by our
standards. So MUCH of the world is outside of God’s covenant of Christ’s
cross! Humanly speaking, the world is deaf to God’s message of forgiveness,
it won’t come on it’s own, and we are isolated from God and from each other.
“And looking up into heaven” Jesus reveals the source of all healing,
the source of creation and preservation, God the Father. He gives a short
groan (Romans 8:26). That sigh tells Christ’s compassion for us and all
people who have had lives wrecked by Satan (paraphrase from Luther).
God touched the parts scarred by sin. He reveals our need for healing
when His Law touches our sore spots: hidden sins, longterm aches,
misbeliefs, fears, hatreds, bigotries, and so many others. He wants us to
understand where it hurts, what causes it, and Who heals.
In a film or magic show, at this point, comes some magic word or Harry
Potter phrase. But Jesus is NOT a magician. He does not point us to the
healing, but to God’s work of compassion behind it. He says a single,
simple word for all to hear: even the deaf man.
I don’t think we can really feel the shock this man did. It was not
just his physical ears that were healed, but his brain was rewired instantly
to be able to not just hear sounds but understand a language he had never
heard before! And he spoke it clearly! Just as God’s Word spoke creation
into existence, He spoke life into Lazarus (John 11:43), He speaks life into
dead souls today in Holy Baptism: God’s Word spoke a complete hearing into
this man.
The first voice he heard was Christ’s. It’s the same “first voice” all
believers will hear when Christ calls us into heaven’s gates, where we shall
be totally healed. (Isaiah 65:17).
Jesus did not want them to talk about the miracle, so He commanded them
to be quiet. He wanted them to tell about His salvation. But the more He
told them to not focus on the miracle, the more they did: just as some
today focus on a healing, the growth of a church or a centennial, or some
other earthly thing. God had opened ears to hear His Word, but they still
listened to themselves and focused on themselves.
By original nature, we are all spiritually deaf and dumb. God must
speak His “Ephatha” into our souls. He must open up the line of
communication between God and us. He must “rewire” our souls to believe and
understand His salvation. He must continue to strengthen us by ears and
mouth – thru His Holy Word and thru Holy Communion. And He does! Not with
mighty miracles and spectacles, but privately and personally, calling each
of us by name and putting His Name upon us as His own children.
Jesus cares today for those whose lives are deaf to His Word and
salvation. He sends evangelists, missionaries, and fulltime pastors to care
for His people. But He sends YOU to search for those who are deaf to His
salvation, might, glory, and peace and bring them to Jesus to be restored to
what God wants them to be.
He heals you of your hatred for others (1 John 4:20). He gives you
what you need to serve others in faith (Ephesians 1:4, 2:10). He works both
the desire and the ability to serve (Hebrews 13:21) and most vitally, He
works in us to hunger and thirst for His righteousness (Isaiah 55:1; Matthew
5:6): to desire more for our ears, and mouths, and souls. He opens your
ears to hear the needs of others (Deuteronomy 15:7, 11, Psalms 34:15, 112:9,
etc.) and your tongue to tell them the Good News about Jesus.
Mark wrote his Gospel to fill and open the ears of a deaf world in the
Name of Jesus so they could be saved.
God continues opening closed ears, hearts, mouths, minds, and souls by
the power of His Word. May you and I rejoice in His salvation in the cross
of Christ, and proclaim to the world the wonders of His forgiveness. Amen.
Isaiah 35:4-7a; James 2:1-18; Mark 7:31-37
Psalm 28:1-2, 6-7, antiphon 8
O Lord, let Your merciful ears be open to the prayers of Your humble
servants, and grant that what we ask may be in accord with Your gracious
will: thru Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
Pastor Michael Harman,
St. Peter LCMS - Newell, IA
vacancies at ...
Immanuel, Pomeroy
First Evangelical, Fonda
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