Ephphatha

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Ephphatha

Open     Unlocked

Touching     Unblocking     Releasing

Laying His Hand On

Receptivity

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Mark 7: 31 to 35

Jesus left the area of Tyre and passed through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the area of the Decapolis.

Some of the people brought a deaf man to him who had a problem speaking and implored Jesus to lay His hand on him.

Jesus took him away from the crowd so that they were alone.

He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue.

Jesus looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, "Ephphatha"---that is, "Be opened!"---And at once the man's ears were opened, his speech was perfect, and he spoke clearly.

Reflection

We encounter Jesus doing an amazing miracle in this passage from Mark. A man who can't hear or speak clearly is brought to Jesus.

The people in this town have heard about Jesus. They know that He has done some powerful healing in His ministry.

It is interesting, however, that Jesus pulls this many aside. He is not trying to show off in front of the crowd.

Jesus is very physical in His approach---the way He puts His finger in the man's ears and touches his tongue after spitting.

Jesus also groans before this miracle is done. We get the impression that this was a challenging miracle for Jesus.

Then Jesus utters the Aramaic word Ephphatha and prays that this man might be open. Immediately he is cured.

Such a compelling story. We are amazed at what Jesus can do.

It leads us to reflect on our own relationship with God and with others. How open are we to the gifts that people bring to us?

Jesus reminds us that we need to be willing to enter into the lives of those God sends to us and not to turn away from their needs. Do we really listen to others or are we more involved with our own concerns?

We are also made aware of those times when we did not speak out against an injustice or evil that we saw. We took the easy path and were quiet. We did not want to upset anyone.

Jesus is the antidote to all of that. He wants to heal us and to help us truly encounter others and to use all the gifts that He shares with us.

The immediacy of the cure is striking. There is no waiting period here. Jesus can heal us instantly.

The touch of Jesus transforms!

1. Has Jesus ever touched your tongue to speak out against evil?

2. What are the ways that you would like to be transformed by Jesus to become more Ephphatha----more open?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)