Mark 7:37 -‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak’
Reflection
Can you hear me?
What I like most about the healing miracles is that the Lord almost always makes contact with the sufferer; he touches them with his hands; he makes mud out of dirt and spit, or just spit. It is as though the creator in him just has to make a few minor adjustments that quality control didn’t catch when they were first made.
Of course, that’s not true – God sees all of us as perfect and our imperfections are usually judgements that we make on ourselves and on others. But if that is the case then why heal them – why should the Lord enter into the same judgement space as us? We end up looking at the argument around suffering – if God can stop it (so easily) then why doesn’t he? But maybe the miracles aren’t meant to deal with the physical bodily healing – impressive to the onlookers but easily dismissed or explained away now. Maybe they are there to give us another message
It may well be that the blind and the dumb man were actually no ‘better’ once they were healed. Certainly the healing would mean that they had been made whole and could become a part of the community and Temple life. But what if they didn’t; what if they didn’t want to; what if no-one listened; what if they were still not accepted and ended up outcast anyway or they just didn’t like what the world looked or sounded like once they were healed?
We are all deaf, dumb and blind in our own ways. We even use this ‘disability’ to make our lives easier! Sometimes it is the judgement call –
a filter on what we consider important or mattering to us; sometimes it is just ignorance – we don’t know or don’t care to know; sometimes it is simply fear – to stand up and be counted, to be accused of being a trouble-maker. This can happen in life, this can happen in faith.
It is a strong prayer – to ask for insight; to ask for eloquence; to ask for understanding as faith should. It is a prayer for healing over our weaknesses and fears. But once the Word gets in; written on or spoken to our hearts, demanding to be released from our hearts, once the healing takes place then it is up to us.
To let the scales drop from the window of our hearts and to live God’s bright life; full of song; full of colours; full of faith and understanding.
Contemplation
‘A-ha’
What a word –‘ A-ha’ – symbolic of that moment when; out of the blue; after all the work and trial and effort has gone into understanding and not understanding and not understanding and not understanding – suddenly – you get it.
And realistically it is like being deaf, dumb and blind because up until then it was all just so much stuff – whatever it was – and then – and who know what it takes – a different angle, a new experience, a five minute break – something will bring that clarity to your mind.
In contemplation, you can try any of the above to open your heart a little more. If you normally pray in one way – try another; if you use music, use silence; if you read, then write; or simply give the whole thing into God’s hands and sit quietly while he makes the adjustments and shows you a different angle.
How lovely to end a meditation with that deep meaningful breath that says ‘A-ha’.
Can you hear me?
What I like most about the healing miracles is that the Lord almost always makes contact with the sufferer; he touches them with his hands; he makes mud out of dirt and spit, or just spit. It is as though the creator in him just has to make a few minor adjustments that quality control didn’t catch when they were first made.
Of course, that’s not true – God sees all of us as perfect and our imperfections are usually judgements that we make on ourselves and on others. But if that is the case then why heal them – why should the Lord enter into the same judgement space as us? We end up looking at the argument around suffering – if God can stop it (so easily) then why doesn’t he? But maybe the miracles aren’t meant to deal with the physical bodily healing – impressive to the onlookers but easily dismissed or explained away now. Maybe they are there to give us another message
It may well be that the blind and the dumb man were actually no ‘better’ once they were healed. Certainly the healing would mean that they had been made whole and could become a part of the community and Temple life. But what if they didn’t; what if they didn’t want to; what if no-one listened; what if they were still not accepted and ended up outcast anyway or they just didn’t like what the world looked or sounded like once they were healed?
We are all deaf, dumb and blind in our own ways. We even use this ‘disability’ to make our lives easier! Sometimes it is the judgement call –
a filter on what we consider important or mattering to us; sometimes it is just ignorance – we don’t know or don’t care to know; sometimes it is simply fear – to stand up and be counted, to be accused of being a trouble-maker. This can happen in life, this can happen in faith.
It is a strong prayer – to ask for insight; to ask for eloquence; to ask for understanding as faith should. It is a prayer for healing over our weaknesses and fears. But once the Word gets in; written on or spoken to our hearts, demanding to be released from our hearts, once the healing takes place then it is up to us.
To let the scales drop from the window of our hearts and to live God’s bright life; full of song; full of colours; full of faith and understanding.
Contemplation
‘A-ha’
What a word –‘ A-ha’ – symbolic of that moment when; out of the blue; after all the work and trial and effort has gone into understanding and not understanding and not understanding and not understanding – suddenly – you get it.
And realistically it is like being deaf, dumb and blind because up until then it was all just so much stuff – whatever it was – and then – and who know what it takes – a different angle, a new experience, a five minute break – something will bring that clarity to your mind.
In contemplation, you can try any of the above to open your heart a little more. If you normally pray in one way – try another; if you use music, use silence; if you read, then write; or simply give the whole thing into God’s hands and sit quietly while he makes the adjustments and shows you a different angle.
How lovely to end a meditation with that deep meaningful breath that says ‘A-ha’.
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