Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

September 9, 2018 

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 35: 4-7a

Psalm: 146

Second Reading: James 2: 1-5

Gospel reading according to Mark 7: 31-37

+

Homily:

Jesus has had nothing to do or had not changed the minds and hearts of the Pharisees and scribes who came to him.  They became more stupor and did not listen to his wise sayings or teaching (to his wisdom), but made them resolved to obey more the precepts of their elders rather than God.  He was not able to convince them, so he decided to leave that place, in silence and in secret.  “Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of Decapolis” (Mk. 7: 31). Since he can no longer pass through any Jewish cities, because he became popular to the ordinary Jewish people but unpopular to the Jewish leaders and elders in Jerusalem for they ostracized him, he made a detour, he used the long road to reach the Sea of Galilee. From Tyre he went up north to Sidon (20 miles from Tyre), passed by into the district of Decapolis to arrive at Sea of Galilee, just not to be seen by the crowd.

When he arrived there, people saw and recognized him and the news of his coming went through every corner of that town.  One of those who learned Jesus’ arrival was the friends/neighbors of a deaf and mute man. “And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and beg him to lay his hand on him” (Mk. 7: 32).  They knew Jesus can heal many infirmities and maladies so they begged him to cure their deaf and speech impaired friend/neighbor.  They have belief that by just laying his hand on him and he will be healed from his impediments.

So that nobody could see how he cured the deaf man (at the same time mute) and that no commotion, tumult, uproar among the people will happen, he brought the man away from the crowds.  “He took him off by himself away from the crowd.  He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ – that is, ‘Be opened!’” (Mk. 7:33-34).  There was no magic or incantation and manipulation in Jesus, only faith and belief to the healing power of God his and our Father.  He performed a miracle.  He put his finger into the man’s ears, he spitted his saliva to his hand, rubbed it on his hands and touched the tongue of that man, he raised his eyes to heaven and prayed to his Father almighty and then pronounced the word, “Ephphatha!” that means to say, “Be opened!”  And the man’s deafness and speech problem were cured.  “And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly” (Mk. 7: 35).  Miracle happened to that man who has faith in Jesus, as well as his friends/neighbors who believed in him.

To avoid commotion, disorder, mix-up emotions, misunderstanding, and even intense escalation of the event that had happened, on the part of the friends/neighbors of the cured deaf and speech impaired man and the crowds, Jesus told and said to them not to make known to others what had happened to their friend/neighbor. “He ordered them not to tell anyone.  But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it” (Mk. 7: 36).  On the one hand, Jesus wanted to have an unnoticeable works of mercy and compassion to his people, he did the works of God in silence and in secret.  But no good things can be hidden from the eyes and hearts of men who are in need of empathy and kindness.  The more he keeps to himself the works of God, the more they become known.  On the other hand, moreover, the more they were told to keep it in silence and in secret to themselves, the more they broadcasted it to many people they have met.    

The people who heard this (good) news were amazed and startled. “They were exceedingly astonished and they said, ‘He has done all things well.  He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak’.” (Mk. 7: 37).  They could not imagine that a person with disabilities (such as deafness and speech defect, and at his age) was able to hear and speak. To God, anything is possible. There are no impossible things that God cannot do, especially to men and women who have faith; who believe in the power of God, the almighty Father, to the generosity of the Holy Spirit, and to the love of our Lord, Savior and Healer, Jesus Christ.