By Judy Villanueva

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. (Mark 7: 31-35)

My husband and I got stuck recently.  It reminded me of the definition of insanity,  when you try the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome.  In this case, we each tried again to explain our points of view and once again we ended up at a stalemate.  “Maybe if I say it this way or louder or, if I wave my arms and jump up and down?”  Nope.  It didn’t work.  We could not hear each other and were both left kind of sad and stuck with the unresolved matter between us.  Now what?  As I read the story of the deaf and mute man, I begged Jesus to place his hand on me and my dear husband, to open our ears and fill our mouths with grace.  

I’ve read this story many times over the years and am always amused at the way in which Jesus heals this man.  I smile every time I picture Jesus putting his fingers into the man’s ears and, get a little grossed out at the part when He spits and touches the man’s tongue!  As I meditate on this passage today and curiously ponder Jesus’ methods of healing, it occurs to me that this kind of touching is very intimate!  It’s NOT a hand on a shoulder or even an embrace. 

It’s a couple of fingers in a couple of ears!  It’s NOT holy water, but holy SPIT on a tongue!  It’s invasive and it startles me. 

This was not a “Go, your faith has healed you” moment but rather, an “I’m going to move in uncomfortably close and touch the places that are hurting you, that are closed  — or dead!”

Do I want my hearing restored enough to allow Jesus to invade my personal space?  Will I permit my Savior to poke around my soul  sufficiently to purify my heart and mind?   I desperately need to hear Jesus say, “Be opened!” to the closed and wounded places within me. 

Only He can help me hear with a freed soul and only He can loosen my tongue to speak with words of grace. 

No sooner had I begged Jesus for help than my husband walked over to where I was sitting and offered me his presence and a willingness to try again.  We did and, this time, we heard one another and felt the power of God’s deep sigh command us to be opened, “Ephaphatha!” Yes, the love of Christ is invasive and startling, confronting and healing,  patient and powerful — and always aimed at our freedom!

“Lord, I need your fingers in my ears and spit on my tongue!  Thank you for knowing me intimately and hearing my pleas for freedom.  Thank you for helping me to see, hear and speak.  Amen.”

What about you?

Do you need God to sigh and say over your life “Be opened”?  Do you have a sense of your need?

Are you aware of how or where your hearing might be blocked?

Can you hear God say “I love you”?   Can you hear his corrections, confrontations, or words of encouragement?

Are you willing to let Jesus move in uncomfortably close in order to touch the places in you that need healing?

Worship