You’re Baptized; Stop Playing Deaf
Text: Mark 7:31-37 In the name of Jesus. Amen. They brought Jesus a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. And they begged Jesus to lay His hands on him. This man couldn’t hear. His ears were blocked. Dead to sound. That was the issue. And because he couldn’t hear, his speech was garbled, twisted, and unclear. Let me drive this point home a bit further. If you can’t hear, you can’t speak rightly. That’s just how it works. And if you can’t hear—really hear—you’re cut off. You’re isolated. You’re trapped in yourself. This is how it was with this man. And so, this poor man was brought to Jesus. And what does Jesus do? Does Jesus wave a hand from a distance? No. He gets personal. He touches and invades the man’s personal space. Fingers in ears. Spit on the tongue. Eyes to heaven. A sigh. And then that powerful Word: Ephphatha! Be opened! And just like that, the man’s ears were opened. His tongue was set loose. He could hear. He...
