Gospel Notes by Michael Whelan SM
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 – NRSV).
Introductory notes
General
This story is unique to Mark. Though Matthew makes reference in a general way to such healings – see Matthew 15.29–31.
“The story is a prime example of the vivid quality of Mark’s narrative style. The ailment of the man is described in detail, as are Jesus’ initial contacts with him: He takes him aside, puts his fingers in his ears, spits, and touches his tongue. Prior to the healing command Jesus ‘sighs’. Then he speaks in a ‘foreign’ tongue, and the healing occurs. The reaction to the miracle is strongly dramatized. Such details make this narrative similar to magical cures current in the Hellenistic world. Groaning and use of a foreign tongue may reflect techniques found in the magical papyri. The actions seem to be a form of sympathetic magic; placing the fingers in the ears mimics their opening, and spitting and ‘anointing’ the tongue imitate expelling an obstacle to speech. These similarities may explain the omission of the story by Matthew and Luke. More positively, such gestures are appropriate in a Gentile setting in which Jesus appears as both similar to pagan healers and superior to them (since ultimately the healing is due to a command of Jesus)” (J R Donahue & D J Harrington, The Gospel of Mark, Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2002, 242).
We are reminded of a similar miracle where Jesus cures the blind man: “Some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village” (Mark 8:22-26). Neither Matthew nor Luke record this incident either.
The messianic prophecy of Isaiah 35:5-6 is brought to mind: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” See also Isaiah 42:19 and Exodus 4:11.
Specific
Then he returned from the region of Tyre etc: The region of Tyre is immediately to the north of Galilee, on the Mediterranean coast. The town of Sidon was about 35kms further north than Tyre. The region of the Decapolis is over on the south-eastern side of the lake. If we take Mark’s description literally, this is a very roundabout journey that Jesus has taken! One commentator notes: “Since the Decapolis reached up to the lake only at its south-east quarter, a route from the region of Sidon to the lake in the region of the Decapolis would involve a considerable detour to the east and south. All of this route would be through non-Jewish territory, but there is no obvious reason why Jesus should go on such a long journey through this largely desert region in order to regain the lake. Mark’s geographical terms may not be used with precision” (R T France, The Gospel of Mark: a commentary on the Greek text, Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans, 2002, 301). “The movements of Jesus here are not “logical,” since if he is on his way to the Decapolis, a further journey north would be unnecessary. Mark wants to have Jesus move north, then east, and finally south to compass the whole of the southern Phoenician (Gentile) territory prior to his journey to Jerusalem in 8:22–10:52” (Donahue & Harrington, op cit, 239).
taking him aside from the crowd privately: Similarly the blind man is taken aside in 8:22-26. Jesus has taken the disciples aside on several occasions – see Mark 4:10, 6:31 & 7:17. What might this gesture mean? Perhaps there is a hint in the general failure – amongst the Jews, including his disciples, but not amongst the Gentiles – to understand Jesus’ teachings and actions and the misrepresentation of what he is doing therefore. For example:
- when Jesus walks on water the disciples are fearful and confused – see 6:45-52;
- “And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” (6:51-52);
- Jesus openly criticizes the disciples for their lack of understanding – see 7:18;
- the situation seems to get worse as their journey continues: “Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? (8:18). And so Jesus “takes him aside from the crowd privately” because there is more chance that in a more intimate place, there is more chance of clear communication and less chance of misrepresentation by a skeptical crowd?
he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue: Saliva is also used in Mark 8:23 & 25, and in John 9:6. Certainly, there are records that show that saliva was used as a healing agent at that time. Perhaps Jesus is using known healing methods to avoid appearing to be a magician? “Hiding” his miracles is a feature of Mark’s Gospel.
looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,”: Notwithstanding the difficult in understanding the actions described above, Mark makes it clear that it is the word uttered by Jesus and his intercessory power that brings about the miraculous healing. One commentator writes: “The story conveys the impression that it was rather Jesus’ word of command which effected the cure. For looking up to heaven in a healing context cf. John 11:41. Like the upward look at the feeding of the five thousand, specifically mentioned in all four accounts (6:41 and parallels), it emphasises the divine dimension in Jesus’ miraculous power” (R T France, op cit, 303).
And Jesus charged them to tell no one: We have heard this call before in Mark – see 1:44-45. This time it is addressed not just to the individual who is healed but to “them”. Perhaps it could mean the individual’s family or perhaps everyone present?
they were astonished beyond measure: Perhaps this “indicates that the Jewish Messiah is now meeting with wider approbation, and paves the way for a crowd of four thousand, some of them from a distance away, to follow him out into a deserted area in the next pericope” (R T France, op cit, 304).
“This is the gate of heaven”
In today’s Gospel – Mark 7:31-37 – we have an unusually detailed account of a miracle. This account is unique to Mark. Pay attention to the details: “They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged (Jesus) to lay his hand on him.” Jesus took the man aside 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.’” Mark also has a similar detailed account of the cure of a blind man (8:22-26).
It is not unreasonable to ask: Why the detail? And it is not unreasonable to ask: Why not? The truth is, we do not pay much attention to the details of our days. More focused on product, we tend to miss some – perhaps much? – of the process of living. There are important details in that process. Can we miss our lives as we might miss an appointment, a meeting? One minute it is there, then it has gone. Forever. Is it possible to have a “successful” career yet miss the point of being here?
Being with the very young and the very old, can prompt us to pay attention to details. Details really matter for such people – details that we would not normally spare a second thought for. The very young and the very old – especially infants and the sick aged – ask us to slow down, pay attention with them, be present, be. This, of course, can bring us face to face with a disturbing truth: If we do slow down enough to be in the moment with them – to be childish with the small child and nonsensical with the older person who has dementia – we will not be in control. One of the conditions for entering fully into any moment, is a willingness to let go and be available to what emerges. Perhaps this is why we resist slowing down, paying attention to the details? Why we find it difficult to truly be present to infants and older folk with dementia?
Our faith reminds us of the great promise: “I shall be there, with you!” (Exodus 3:1-12. See also Matthew 28:20.). Why do we not take that promise seriously? God is with us, gazes on us with love, all the time, no matter what the circumstances are. How often are we aware of God’s Presence, mindful of his loving gaze? Each moment is a moment of grace. Perhaps we should pray for one of those moments of awakening that Jacob experienced: “Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven’” (Genesis 28:16-17).