Mark 7:31-37; 2
Corinthians 3:4-11; Isaiah 29:17-24
In the Name of the Father and of the
+ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Two little eyes to look to God; two
little ears to hear His Word; two little feet to walk in His ways; two little
lips to sing His praise; two little hands to do His will; and one little heart
to love Him still.
Perhaps some of you have sung or read
this little hymn to your children or perhaps you remember it from your own
childhood. This hymn teaches us that God has given us our eyes, ears, feet,
lips, hands, and heart that we might praise Him with our whole lives as a
living sacrifice. But too often are our eyes focused, not upon God, but in
greed and jealousy or lust upon what belongs to another. And too often our ears
are tuned, not to God’s Word and His Will, but to the siren song of the world
and its values and ideals. And too often our feet are upon a path that leads us
away from God and His way. And too often do our lips utter lies and curses and
blasphemy instead of singing God’s praise. And too often our hands are taking
from or harming our neighbor instead of serving our neighbor and glorifying
God. And, need I ask you about your heart? For, what does Jesus say about your
heart? Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual
immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
In at least one way the deaf mute man in
today’s Gospel lesson was better off us. At least his lips and tongue were not
spouting off lies, curses, and blasphemy. However, not only could he not sing
God’s praise, neither could he hear God’s Word. But, he was completely in
silent bondage and he had to be brought to Jesus for healing. Apparently the
deaf mute was born this way. Similarly, each of us is conceived and born in sin
and is likewise unable hear the Word of God and to sing His praise until we are
brought to Jesus in Holy Baptism and He speaks His “Ephphatha,” that is,
“Be opened” upon us.
Ephphatha is the very Word of creation which is creatively powerful
to bring into existence that which it speaks ex nihilo, out of nothing. Ephphatha
is God’s “Let there be…, and there was.” Thus, when Jesus speaks “Ephphatha,
be opened” to the deaf mute, He speaks His creative Word and He opens ears
that have never heard and looses tongues that have never spoken, and the result
is praise of the Lord of Creation, the Word of God made flesh, dwelling amongst
us, Jesus.
But you should note that, though Jesus’
Word was sufficient to open the ears and to loose the tongue of the deaf mute,
Jesus graciously touches the man with His own flesh and blood hands and shows
Him the Creator’s love. First He took the man aside in private, and then He
put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. These
actions were for the deaf mute himself and not for the crowds. It was an act of
tenderness and love to a man who could not hear the Word or speak a plea for
help, let alone praise God. Then Jesus looked up to heaven, He sighed and
said to him “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” For, the creative Word of
God the Father in heaven alone produces ears that can hear and lips that can
sing.
The healing of the deaf mute clearly
demonstrates the divine monergism of God in justification, conversion, and
faith, that is to say, these works are God’s work alone and they involve no
cooperation from sinful men. Thus, it should not be surprising that the early
church connected this Gospel account with the Sacrament of Holy Baptism since
the deaf mute, unable to hear or to speak from birth, was completely passive in
receiving Jesus’ gracious Word and sacramental action. Indeed, a part of the
ancient baptismal rite is called the Ephphatha. That very word Ephphatha
was spoken by the priest as he touched both the ears and the mouth of the
baptismal candidate. It was only after the opening of the ears and the loosing
of the tongue that the baptismal candidate was then asked to renounce the
devil, all his works, and all his ways and to confess his faith in the
Apostle’s Creed.
A similar expression from Psalm 51 is
utilized at the beginning of the Matins liturgy as we chant together, “O
Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth will show forth Thy praise.” Since
Matins is the first office prayed upon waking in the morning, these first
words uttered at the beginning of the day are a confession that, apart from the
Lord’s merciful action, our lips cannot praise Him. Traditionally,
Matins would be prayed daily, even before the Divine Service on Sunday
mornings, so that, each and every day, God would be invoked to restore us to
baptismal purity and grace so that we are able to sing His praise. Indeed, the
idea of a daily return to our baptisms is what is behind Luther’s exhortation “In
the morning when you get up, make the sign of the holy cross and say: In the
Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Then Luther instructs us to repeat the Creed
and the Lord’s Prayer and to pray the Morning Prayer. All of this is, in a
sense, a return to our Holy Baptism and to God’s gracious forgiveness and life
which He gave us in Holy Baptism however long ago.
When it comes to justification, being
made right with God, and when it comes to your conversion and even faith
itself, you are like the deaf mute in today’s Gospel, and you are like the
newborn infant or even an older candidate in Holy Baptism, you are passive.
Your justification, conversion, and faith is a new work of God’s ongoing
re-creation by His powerful, life-bestowing Word. He creates life where there
was only death. He opens ears that could not hear His Word. And He looses
tongues to sing His praise. Or, as the children’s hymn puts it: Two little
eyes to look to God; two little ears to hear His Word; two little feet to walk
in His ways; two little lips to sing His praise; two little hands to do His
will; and one little heart to love Him still.
The objectivity, the externality, the extra
nos (outside of us) nature of our justification, conversion, and faith is
not a hindrance to our faith, but it is the very source and reason for the
confidence and comfort we enjoy. This is what St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians
saying, “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not
that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but
our sufficiency, is from God.” This is why Job can confidently say “I know
that my Redeemer lives!” and this is why St. Paul can boldly say “I am
convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord.”
Why then do so many insist that they
have chosen to believe, or have decided to follow Jesus, or have earned
or merited God’s favor in at least some small way? Why? Because the
flesh is sinful and corrupt and it conspires with the devil to keep you in sin
and death. If you trust in yourself for justification, conversion, or faith,
then you build your house on shifting sand. For, you are in continual flux
emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. What you believed was right
yesterday you know to be wrong today. What you felt two hours ago has changed
and now you feel differently. You are ruled by your fickle and impulsive
passions and desires and by your flesh which wants what it wants because it
wants it, not because it is true, right, or good. Like Paul exclaimed, the good
that you want to do, that you do not do; but the bad that you do not want to
do, that is what you find yourself doing!
That is what the flesh is like. It desires to keep on taking and eating
from the forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and to be like a god unto
itself. The flesh says “No God, I won’t do it your way.” And so, a
choice and a decision is made, but it is always, always, a choice
and a decision to follow the way of the flesh that leads to death and it
is always a choice and a decision against God and against God’s
Will and God’s commands.
Repent and be turned from the way of the
flesh that leads to death. Repent and be turned back to God. For, even now your
Jesus is present with His Words and His Wounds to unstop your ears and to loose
your tongue that you may sing His praise. He speaks to you His “Ephphatha,
be opened” and, as it was in the beginning, so it is now and ever shall be,
His creative Word brings into being what it says.
And when He has opened your ears and
your mouths, He will not leave them empty, but He will fill them with His Word
and with His Word made flesh and blood so that you will be justified, so that
you will be converted, and so that you will have faith anew. He will return you
to the grace and purity He once gave you in Holy Baptism, as many times as is
necessary, every day of your life until you live with Him eternally in the
presence and glory of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.
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