The miracle we hear about in today’s Gospel is a direct fulfillment of the prophesy that we hear from Isaiah in our first reading nearly seven hundred years earlier.
“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared, the lame leap like a stag, and the tongue of the mute will sing.”
Throughout Jesus’ ministry he continued to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies and performing miracles.
The miracles of Jesus never cease to amaze us. If we were in that place on that day with the other onlookers, we would have been utterly astounded also; and in a sense we are onlookers to that miracle, even if at a distance of 2000 years. Down through the ages those words still resonate: “He has done all things well.” As we read those words from scripture, we can be reminded of miracles in our own time. I can certainly think of one; along with many others but my story is just one among countless others. I’m sure everyone has stories of their own or knows of other stories.
But miracles and physical healings aren’t what Jesus is all about. They are not what he came among us to achieve. What he came for was to give his life in sacrifice for our sins that we might be saved and have the way to eternal life opened up for us. He came to bring salvation. The miracles of Jesus are filled with meaning because they are signs clearly indicating who he is, and they point to the salvation that he brings us.
As baptized Christians, our eyes and ears have been opened. How many of you remember this prayer:
“The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.”
That’s called the Ephphatha prayer. We all heard it, right after our baptism. The priest or deacon prays it at every baptism as he touches our ears and our mouth. So, Isaiah’s prophesy was fulfilled in every one of us when we were baptized. Christ did to us, in a spiritual way, what he did to the deaf mute in today’s gospel. Our ears were opened to hear the words of Christ; and to recognize our shepherd’s voice. And our mouth was opened to be witnesses to the truth.
Unfortunately, in today’s modern world we often slowly become deaf once again, just like much of the world already is a spiritual deafness caused by sin. We have become so used to sin in the world that we take it as normal. We often make ourselves deaf and dumb to God through simple things like our prejudices, our stubborn opinions, or simply doing nothing when we do recognize sin in the world around us. We make ourselves deaf and dumb to God’s word, especially if upon hearing it we feel we might be obliged to make some changes in our life. We easily deceive ourselves into making exceptions to the Gospel to suit our own particular circumstances.
The man in today’s gospel was miraculously cured. The people around him were astonished and told everyone they could about what had happened. They praised God and proclaimed his wonders.
We only need to ask Jesus to unblock our senses once again, enabling us to hear and understand his word, and to proclaim the news of salvation. And also, to open our eyes to recognize God’s glory all around us.
We may sometimes recognize God’s hand in a miraculous cure or some other spectacular event, but we often fail to Recognize God at work in a truly remarkable way in our daily lives. There are minor healings, extraordinary circumstances which can only be explained as divine intervention; and there are sometimes what seem to be terrible tragedies but bring untold blessings in their wake. There are all sorts of things going on around us that can only be the work of God.
So let us make a simple prayer today:
Lord, unblock my ears. Help me hear what you have to say to me. Lord, loosen my tongue so that I may bring your good news to all that I meet. And Lord, help me to see your hand at work in the world and in my life. AMEN