And they brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. (Mark 7:32-35)
“O granny, what big eyes you have.”
“All the better to see you with, my dear.”
“O granny, what big ears you have.”
“All the better to hear you with, my dear.”
“O granny, what a big mouth you have.”
“All the better to eat you with, my dear.”
The conversation between Little Red Riding Hood makes an important point: eyes, ears, and mouths have a purpose.
As we consider a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and Jesus who opened his ears and released his tongue so the man spoke plainly, I want you to consider that what you hearing now, and have heard since the Lord began the church service, and what you have been saying, is the most natural thing to hear and say this side of the resurrection.
God gave you ears so you could hear Him.
God gave you a mouth so that you could talk to Him.
Your ears and your mouth have a purpose. This is the place where that purpose is most perfectly fulfilled all week long.
It should be the end point, reminding you what your ears and mouth should have been doing.
It should be the beginning point, renewing your ears and mouth to begin again for the week ahead.
Before our Lord opens the mans ears and releases the man’s tongue, He takes the man aside, puts his fingers into his ears, spit, touched his tongue, looks up to heaven, and before saying “Be opened,” our Lord sighs.
It is a sympathetic sigh. A compassionate sigh. The sigh you make when you see someone you love quite hurt – even if it’s their fault.
Our Lord did not intend His creation to need hearing aids nor to be deaf. Ears were meant to hear.
Our Lord also did not intend His creation to listen to others more that Him. Ears were meant to hear our Lord and delight in His Word.
Adam and Eve delighted, though, the devil’s word. They were deceived. And all we who have followed after them were by sinful nature deaf to our Lord’s Word.
Our Lord sighs as many still do not hear Him. Some even block their ears. Jesus is consistently found saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
This is admonition for you, of course! Hear him! Over and above the world and your flesh, hear His good commandments.
This is comfort, over and above the condemnation and accusations of the devil, hear Him! His forgiveness. His promise that heaven is opened.
And this is reality! His Words are creative. Jesus’ Words “Ephphatha! Be opened!” opened mans ears. Jesus’ Words, “I baptize you! I love you! You are mine!” opened your deaf ears to hear Him.
You’re His disciple. That means you listen to Him. You learn from Him. And in all things, you trust Him to lead you.
And you say that. Your tongue has been released to speak back to Him what He is speaking to you. To keep saying the truth of His Word even when you’re not fully believing it, you keep speaking because you know what’s true even when you don’t think you see that it’s true.
He has opened your ears to hear Him and you now know He is the truth. Over and above all other teachers in the world. Over and above your sinful flesh which is trying to teach you what is best. Over and above the devil who is trying to teach you what you deserve. You say with a released tongue, “My Lord has opened my ears! I hear Him! That’s why the Lord gave me ears!”
You say, “Jesus is Lord,” because the Holy Spirit has released your tongue.
His Words are powerful. His Words are creative. And He is more than Words, too!
Jesus, who took this deaf and mute man aside, allowed Himself to be forsaken on the cross, pulled completely aside away from all humankind and even the Father Himself. All so that He might take you aside to Himself and say, “I love you! You are mine. Now you can go back to the crowd now that you remember that again.”
Jesus, who placed his fingers in the man’s ears, had His hands nailed to the cross, removing once and for all the record of your sins. “Place your finger here…” He invites Thomas. Do not disbelieve, but believe!
He who spat on the ground, was spot on in shame to cover your shame!
He who looked up to heaven now sits at the right hand of God and pleads for you, prays for you, intercedes for you.
He who sighed in sympathy still sympathizes with you in your suffering.
And He who said, “Ephphatha!” that is “Be opened!” opened heaven to you forever, brings heaven to earth right here, and opens your ears again to hear His Word.
Having ears opened, we hear Him!
Having tongues released, we praise Him!
Ears and tongues have a purpose. So hear this so that you might be reminded what one of the primary purposes of the tongue is for now:
Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ….Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Eph. 4:15, 29)
O, dear saints. What opened ears you have! All the better to hear the Lord with!
O, dear saints, what released tongues to you have. All the better to speak plainly with.
May the Lord, who will place His very body and blood on your tongue continue release it to do what it should do naturally, pray, praise, and give thanks to Him and speak the truth in love to build up for others. Amen.