Jeremy L. Berg

Lectionary Reflection | Proper 18 | Mark 7:24-37

It’s all too easy and common to enshrine Jesus in stained glass, making him into a still and lifeless observer of our lives and plights. He forgives our sins and prepares a place for us in the hereafter. But we need a Jesus who is alive and active and aware of our unpaid bills and leaky faucet, sympathetic to our parenting woes and marital struggles, willing to meet us in the mess and draw near to us in our pain, losses, and daily disappointments.

In this scene in Mark 7, we encounter the Jesus we need even if he is a Jesus who we may find a bit more intrusive and hands-on than we were prepared for. We want God’s healing touch, but we would prefer if he worked the miracle from a safe and comfortable distance. We want God to come into our life on our terms and at our command; but Jesus sometimes has other plans and a less orthodox style:

They brought to [Jesus] 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 [or groaned] and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. (Mark 7:32-35)

In this story, a deaf man with a speech impediment finds himself with a savior who “took him aside in private.” Wow, what frightening intimacy and disarming access to the Almighty. Perhaps his deafness protected him from the loud thunderclaps of God’s footsteps circling him in that room. This man meets a Jesus who doesn’t simply heal with a word, but instead sticks his fingers into the man’s ears and (get this!) “spat and touched his tongue”!

Did he at least wash his hands first? Did the disciples place a hand sanitizer station at the entrance of every house Jesus invaded with his healing power? Where did he spit? Into his own hand or directly onto the man’s tongue?! We desire God’s healing and pray for him to show up in our lives, but are we willing to embrace the messy, personal boundary-breaking processes by which God may choose to show up and begin the healing?

“God, heal my marriage.” But are we willing to go to counseling and let a therapist stick his finger into our business?

“God, break this addiction.” But are we will to seek help and let a weekly support group probe us with questions to help us stay clean?

“God, heal my bitterness.” But are we willing to forgive and seek to be reconciled with the person who has spit into our face one too many times?

One word stood out to me as a sign of grace and divine compassion in this text. In healing the man, Jesus looked up to Heaven where God has His throne and from whence all good gifts come down from the Father of Lights above (see James 1:17). But before uttering the healing word, we hear Jesus let out a deep SIGH of compassion. That is, in between looking up to the heavenly throne and experiencing God’s miraculous touch on earth, Jesus physically expresses the sacred heart and compassionate groan of God over all the suffering in God’s sin-soaked world.

We need to know that God sighs alongside us. We need to trust that God groans along with us. Many of us have an image of God sitting high and lofty on a distant throne, but somewhat aloof and indifferent to our plight down here. Others entertain a faith that is only as real as the next miracle or emotional experience in worship. Such a God helps us live the victorious life, and makes us healthy, wealthy and wise so long as we have enough faith.

But most of us live our lives in between these two, and can find comfort today knowing that the real Jesus, who reveals God’s true heart and character, is a Jesus who is aware of your current situation and is letting out a deeply personal and loving sigh alongside you. Your secret, inaudible groan for liberation, peace, happiness, etc. is joined up with His Groan before the heavenly throne.

Long ago, Jesus wept at his friend’s grave and soon after he raised him back to life.

Today, Jesus sighs and groans over a creation and people in peril — “the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Rom 8:26) — but someday all groaning will give way to grinning and glory on the Day of His Coming.

Until that day, take heart knowing you never need to be found sighing or groaning alone.