Ephphatha!

Be Opened!

“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.”

                                              Mark 7:32-35

This is one of my favorite Bible passages. One reason is that I love the word, 'ephphatha'. How, exactly, do you say that? And secondly, because it is in the tradition of what I call the 'organic Jesus'. I find this side of Jesus, the side that spits in the dirt and makes mud for blind eyes, the side that touches another person's tongue with his own saliva, breathes on them, sighs and sticks his fingers into their ears, this earthy Jesus, most intriguing.

I also like the message here: 'Be opened!' Be opened, not closed. An open heart is the way to experience the truth of Jesus' message—be opened, be healed. When you see a person who does not look like you, instead of closing down and crossing the street, be open to them. Realize that they may have something that you don't. Even something that you need. The very act of wanting to cross the street contains a lesson if you are open to it.

In these days of blatant incivility, open your heart and be willing to listen to what others have to say, even when their manner of delivery is less than respectful. Someone has to demonstrate courtesy and kindness in order for others to learn it. Why not you? Why not me?

Jesus' message hasn't changed. He still expects us to be open—even when it is most difficult. If Jesus can put his own saliva on the tongue of a deaf man, who according to the cleanliness laws of his time, he shouldn't even have touched, surely we can treat each other with respect. Surely, we can be open to hearing without condemning others simply because we don't agree with them. 

Ephphatha! Be opened!

                                            In the spirit,

                                              Jane