Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: Mark 7,31-37. 12. Trinity

Mark 7,31-37 4521

12. Trinitatis 057

Symphorian of Autun, Martyr appr. 178

22. August 2021

1. O Almighty and Everlasting God, who has created all things: We thank You that You have given us sound bodies, and have graciously preserved our tongues and other members from the power of the Adversary: We beseech You, grant us Your grace, so that we may rightly use our ears and tongues; help us to hear Your Word diligently and devoutly, and with our tongues so to praise and magnify Your grace, so that no one shall be offended by our words, but that all may be edified thereby, through Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »Then Jesus returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to Him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged Him to lay His hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, He put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him: „Ephphatha,“ that is: „Be opened.“ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released and he spoke plainly. And Jesuscharged them to tell no one. But the more He charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying: „He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.“«

3. Throughout the Holy Gospels, the Four Evangelists write about the numerous miracles Christ performed during His 3½ years of public ministry. The Gospel according to Mark is renowned more for Jesus’ miracles rather than lengthy teaching pericopes that are recorded by the other Gospels. Jesus’ miracles span over several realms: the physical-natural ream, bodily infirmity/sickness, the spiritual realm and even over death itself. In this morning’s Gospel pericope, Jesus exercises His Divine authority over the realm of infirmity as He heals a man born deaf and mute.

4. In 21. century America, being both deaf and mute is not a horrible existence. The deaf can learn ASL, go to school, even attend the deaf university, Gallaudet, in Washington, D.C. and earn any number of academic degrees. The deaf can work in most major vocational fields including acting (Marlee Matlin won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her 1986 performance in Children of a Lesser God) or even be crowned Miss America (Heather Whitestone in 1995). The deaf can even attend the seminary, be ordained and preach using sign language. Such, however, was not the case in 1. century Judea. There was no Jewish sign language. The deaf and mute did not normally hold a career. Often they were cared for by family members or begged for alms on the street. Furthermore, they were often stigmatized as groß sinners, since being born deaf must be the result of some great sin either on their behalf or their parents to merit such wrath from Yahweh. Remember how Jesus’ disciples said the same of the man born blind in John 9.

5. Spiritually, we were like this deaf and mute man in Mark 7. Our fallen human nature will easily curse, swear and lie, even using God’s Name to convince people that our duplicitous words are truthful words. Our sinful nature is content to rely on itself and not call upon God in prayer for help nor to sing praise to and thank Him. Our original sinfulness despises preaching and God’s Word. Spiritually we were deaf and mute to God.

6. But Christ has come into our midst bringing the reign of heaven with Him. In Mark 7 Jesus had gone to the Decapolis – 10 Greek cities that were east of Galilee. This is Gentile territory. There is a very good chance that the man Jesus healed was a Greek or Roman Gentile. Jesus shows us that the gospel is for the Gentiles too. Jesus brought the reign of heaven into their midst by preaching and healing.

7. The gospel is that Jesus comes to rescue sinners, and He takes him aside and heals him. This man’s deafness and muteness are manifestations of the curse that afflicts all sinners, just as our lesser physical or mental afflictions are manifestations of the curse that effects you and me. In the perfection of Eden there was no infirmity of deafness or muteness nor any other handicap. Such infirmities result from Adam’s fall into sin. As such, these infirmities are the result of the curse that God has imposed upon fallen humanity, a fall that had been caused by the Devil who seduced Adam into rebellion against God. Yet Yahweh promised Eve that He would redeem fallen humanity from its now corrupted and cursed nature. A major aspect of Jesus’ ministry was that He healed people so as to restore individual fallen people back to the pristine created order of things, thus He gives this man restored hearing and speech.

8. Now healed, this Gentile man is able to hear Jesus proclaim and teach the Word of God. He is able to respond with thanksgiving and praise. The gospel and salvation is for him too. Jesus is the Savior and the Christ of the Jews and Gentiles. Jesus likewise opens our lips and ears so that we can praise Him and hear His word. Jesus puts His hand upon us and makes our creation new.

9. „A new creation takes place when the water of Holy Baptism flows over our head, creating a new human being who participates in a world where, in the end, there will finally be no more diseases, no more limitations, no more disabilities. A new creation takes place when a hand is placed on us in Holy Confession, creating a new reality that we are now righteous and justified before God, even when we do not deserve it. A new creation takes place every time Christ with His holy body and blood takes up residence in us, lives and works in us. We are thereby made new people who can believe, because Christ Himself works this faith by transgressing these boundaries in us and thereby speaks His redeeming, saving word“ (Martens ¶ 11).

10. Jesus has purchased and won us from all sins, from death and from the power of the Devil with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, so that we may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness (Small Catechism). Our Holy Baptism indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a New Adam should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever (Small Catechism). In Holy Absolution when the called ministers absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself (Small Catechism). The benefit of eating and drinking the Lord’s Supper is that in this Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are given us through these words (Small Catechism).

11. The gospel brings consolation and forgiveness not only in one way, but through the Word and Sacraments, and the like, as we will hear afterward in order that there is overflowing redemption with the Lord, as Psalm 130,7 says, against the dreadful captivity of sin: O Israel, hope in Yahweh! For with Yahweh there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption (Schmalkald Articles III,7). Thus Jesus brought the gospel to the Gentiles in the Decapolis, thus He brings the gospel to us each and every week as we gather for the Divine Service and thus He brings the gospel to us every time we read His Holy Scriptures. Amen.

12. Let us pray. O Lord, our God, who deserves endless glory from us; may Your praise continually be in our mouths and Your Word in our ears, so that we are daily edified and blessed by Your gifts. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Martens, Gottfried. A sermon preached on 30. August 2009 (12. Trinitatis) in Berlin-Zehlendorf, Germany on Mark 7,31-37. Copyright © 2009 St. Mary Church in Berlin-Zehlendorf (SELK). All rights reserved. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2021.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Monday, August 23, 2021

Mark 7,31-37. 12. Trinity

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