And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
Sometimes Jesus simply performed healing miracles with the crowd still surrounding him. But there were other instances such as this healing of the deaf man where something different was needed. In some instances of healing he chose to remove the crowds from the scene or, as in this case, to remove the man from the crowds as he "took him off by himself". The crowd seemed enthusiastic, positive, and supportive. They were not like the mourners whom Jesus put out as he raised the daughter of the synagogue leader (see Mark 5:21-43). The reason for that seemed more obvious, in that it created a space of faith for Jesus to work. Why, then, step away from this enthusiasm, and the apparent faith of the crowd? Perhaps Jesus had a sense that the deaf man was unable to connect with that enthusiasm, and felt all the more isolated looking around him at the crowds. Perhaps to have a genuine encounter with Jesus it needed to be more personal and intimate and away from all the bustle and noise, however celebratory and positive it may have been.
He put his finger into the man's ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
"Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!")
Jesus truly engaged with this man, with a healing process that progressed in intimate steps. This may have allowed the deaf man to gradually connect to what was happening if he had previously been somewhat dissociated and adrift among the crowd. The steps Jesus performed would have brought him fully into the present moment as an embodied creature. It was so such an intimate process that it might have been embarrassing for others to see transpire, but was nevertheless a miracle he would treasure, as evidenced by the fact that he couldn't help but proclaim it, no matter what Jesus told him.
The crowd, after seeing the results, realized that in Jesus they were witnessing the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah:
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 Isaiah 35:5-6)¹
We may not be deaf or mute. But we may not be ready and attentive listeners to the word of God, at least not as much as we would like to be. And when we know we should proclaim the Gospel do we find ourselves to be mute? Do we listen to what God says about us and our situation rather than what the world would have us believe, and do we in turn speak our agreement with God's word? Or are we silent as the world insinuates about us something less than our full identity as beloved children of God? If so, we too need healing. A crowd, full of enthusiasm, may help get us to the doorstep. But the only thing that we truly avail for us is a personal encounter with Jesus himself. But we need not fear. He continues to do all things well and desires to say, "Ephphatha" within our own hearts.
1) Healy, Mary. Gospel of Mark, The (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) (p. 148). Baker Book Group - A. Kindle Edition.
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