The Son of God Declares, “Ephphatha! Be Opened!”

16th Sunday after Pentecost, 9/12/21 Mark 7:31-37 The Son of God Declares, “Ephphatha! Be Opened!” I’m sure you’ve been in this situation in your life, probably more times than you care to recall. You’re talking with someone, such as a casual friend, and they’re sharing with you the details of an event that happened in their life. And you realize that this event meant a great deal to them and so you’re politely, but only mildly, interested. However, the number of details that this person is sharing with you is making your mind numb. You begin to tune them out. You wish that this conversation would end immediately. You even begin wishing that you were somewhere else. In fact, you have better things to do, and you begin to become agitated. But the details don’t stop. Your friend drones on. In this instance, the details detract from the story being told. But there are instances in which the details are incredibly important. When law enforcement authorities tape off a crime scene, they do so in order to preserve the evidence so that evidence technicians can retrieve every detail, every bit of evidence that will be helpful in determining what crimes were committed and who committed them. Thirty-five years ago, some of us here today watched in horror as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off. Something had gone terribly wrong. An investigation into the cause indicated an O-ring failed, a relatively minor detail in the overall structure of the space shuttle and the advanced technology used to build and launch it. But that detail was critical to a successful launch, and it failed. Details. One of the reactions to the account before us this morning from Mark 7 is that Mark, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, shares a remarkable number of details. In fact, as you think through the miracles of Jesus recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the account of this miracle probably shares more details than any other. Are all these details really necessary? For instance, listen to Matthew’s account of this miracle, “Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them all” (Mt. 15:30). One sentence. That’s it. So why would Mark’s account, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, contain a host of details? Because the theme of Mark’s Gospel is to show that Jesus is the Son of God. By word and deed Jesus showed that he was true God. That’s exactly what Mark relates to us in this account. It’s been said that God is in the details. And that’s certainly true in the account before us this morning. The Son of God declares, “Ephphatha! Be opened!” and that’s exactly what happened. And it happened not only for this man whom Jesus healed, but it also happens for us. Let’s see how. If you agree with the statement that God is in the details, then it would be good for us to spend a few minutes contemplating them. Mark informs us that Jesus travelled to the Decapolis. That’s the area just southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had been there once before, not too long ago. Do you recall what happened on that visit? He drove out a legion of demons from a man and sent them into a herd of pigs, which then dashed headlong into the Sea of Galilee. The people were amazed, but asked Jesus to leave. This time, however, they welcome him with open arms. In fact, they brought to Jesus a man who was deaf. Imagine not being able to hear, and unable to communicate with a structured sign language or through the use of mobile devices. Not being able to hear left him unable to grasp what was happening or what he wanted to know but couldn’t. Communication with others was extremely difficult for him. What’s more, Mark informs us he could hardly talk. The Greek words Mark uses indicate that he spoke with difficulty, likely the result of his deafness. He was unable to hear others speak and he couldn’t hear himself speak, so he spoke with a great deal of difficulty. So, the local people brought him to Jesus to place his hand on him. That’s an interesting detail as well. We know from the Bible that Jesus healed people without touching them. At times he merely spoke words. In fact, he performed miracles of healing for people who weren’t even present before him. But the people in the crowd must have considered that, in order for Jesus to heal him, he would need to place his hand on him. But Jesus did much more than that. Mark informs us that he took the man aside. I can see two reasons for doing so. One, this man, because of his deafness, was likely often confused about what was happening, and all the more when there was a crowd. So, Jesus took him aside. Two, it’s apparent that Jesus wants to pay individual attention to this man. Quality time. He intends to make a deep impression on him. And the actions Jesus then took confirm that intention. Mark states, “Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears.” This man was unable to be certain what Jesus intended to do for him. By placing his fingers in his ears, Jesus declared to him that he was going to address the man’s inability to hear. He must have been overjoyed. “Then he spit.” That might make you a little uneasy. Where did he spit? Mark doesn’t tell us. I don’t think that Jesus spit on the man or on his own fingers. I think he spit on the ground. But why would he do that? Again, to indicate to this man his intentions. Jesus was going to address his difficulty speaking as well as his inability to hear. And then Jesus sealed his intentions. He touched the man’s tongue with his fingers. The man’s questions and doubts about what Jesus was going to do for him melted away. What he had daily longed to do—to be able to hear and communicate with people—he was about to be able to do, all by the mercy and power of Jesus, the Son of God. And then Jesus “looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means, ‘Be opened!’).” The look up to heaven helped the man know the source of power Jesus was about to display. And the sigh of Jesus likely indicated how deeply Jesus wanted to help this man. “At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak plainly.” I imagine his first sentences were filled with thanks and praise to the one who had just performed this miracle—his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And the people in the crowd joined him, “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Now, I want you imagine that Jesus decided to come to Centerville today instead of the Decapolis. In fact, imagine he decided to meet with us right here inside Resurrection Lutheran Church. And he gave every indication that he was willing to do miracles of healing. How would you respond? I imagine that only the very young among us this morning would pass on that offer. The rest of us would be lining up in this center aisle in order to have Jesus heal us. After all, is any of us completely healthy? The fact is, many of us are dealing with chronic health issues. They might not be as debilitating as deafness or leprosy, but we all have something with which we could use the help of Jesus. I know I have several issues I’d consider asking him to heal or correct for me. How about you? And if he did, imagine not only your physical reaction, but also your spiritual reaction. You’d be free at last from what ails you! How wonderful! How amazing! And the fact that he displayed his almighty power in front of you and in you would cause you to place your confidence in him all the more, wouldn’t it? After all, he has just shown you by his miracles that he is the Son of God and your Savior from sin. Surely that would impact your faith positively! But the biblical record doesn’t necessarily support that conclusion. What do I mean? Perhaps several weeks earlier Jesus had miraculously fed what might have been 12,000 people. And their response? They turned away from him and rejected him as their Savior. Countless Jewish people witnessed his miracles but rejected the truth that he was the Son of God. So, instead of imagining how witnessing a miracle of Jesus today would impact your faith, contemplate the miracles he has already performed in you and continues to do so. I’m talking about the miracle of working faith in you. He has already opened your ears to his word. He did that when he brought you to faith and made you a child of God, likely at your baptism. He opened your heart to love and trust in him as your only Savior from sin. In fact, he lives in you by faith in him. You talk about a miracle! In a few minutes his body and blood will be really present with you in the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. You talk about a miracle! And it’s all due to the fact that the Son of God declared to you, “Ephphatha! Be opened!” Had he not done that, you and I would still live in the darkness of sin and unbelief. Mark’s account of this miracle closes with the report that the people were amazed and praised Jesus. “He has done everything well.” Instead of looking for Jesus to do something amazing for you, consider what he has already done. He made you his own by sacrificing himself for you. He rose again to assure you that you are his own forever. During this week, make it a point to tell at least one person what Jesus means to you. Amen.