Jesus took him aside in private away from the crowd and put his fingers into his ears. He spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, Jesus sighed and said, “Ephphatha.” This word means “Be opened.” Immediately the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
The man’s lack of hearing impedes his speech and silences his voice in the conversation of the human community. Once Jesus looses his tongue and calls him into speech, he cannot be silenced nor can his friends. They tell everyone the amazing healing the man has experienced.
This miracle story shows us that God wants wholeness and freedom for people. It shows Jesus reaches out to include the marginalized. It invites us to identify who is silent in our society.
Who can you listen into speech?
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More from Sunday By Sunday and Sister Joan:
“My sister Jan has lived out Sunday’s gospel. When by two she hadn’t learned to talk, our parents took her to the ear doctor and learned she had almost no hearing in one ear and less than half in the other ear. Language and thought could have been locked within her as it was in the man in Sunday’s gospel. Our mother began 16 years of perpetual phonics lessons to get Jan to talk and talk clearly and correctly…”
Read the rest of this story here (pdf)!
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mighty GOD my savior & strength,,heal me!!!!In the sweet name of Jesus..amen and amen!!