Living in the Spirit
September 5, 2021
Scripture Reading:
Mark 7:24-37
Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.‘ –Mark 7:31-37
Hearing or otherwise being able to take in information is essential for personal wellbeing and community engagement. I understand why the witnesses were so impressed with Jesus’ returning the deaf man’s hearing. The story may have an even deeper meaning. Jesus came to us to open our ears of faith to hear and follow his message, God’s message.
Phrases like he has ears but does not hear, appear multiple times in the Bible. For example, Isaiah 6:9, And he said, ‘Go and say to this people:
“Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.”
The speaker, often a prophet, says, “You are not listening to God’s messages” and thus are not following God’s ways. Jesus came to open our spiritual ears so that we can receive and act on God’s messages.
We believe what we want to think, hear what we want to hear, and do what we want to do, whether it has anything to do with our relationship with God or not. We identify the idols that fit our desires and commit ourselves to them completely. Social media seems to be in a race to see who can distract the most people. That is not social media’s fault. It is our fault when we seek wholeness in all the wrong places.
These days of being isolated from much of the world have had many negative impacts, but we can turn that around by using this time to examine ourselves with God’s help. What is God calling me to do? Where am I investing my talents and gifts? Are the activities I do drawing me closer to loving like Jesus or driving me away from God? Finally, what am I going to do about any revelations I hear?
Prayer: O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be*. Amen.
*First verse of O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go by George Matheson Gohttps://hymnary.org/text/o_love_that_wilt_not_let_me_go
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.