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And they said in amazement, “He made everything right.”
Is it that surprising? Those who saw how the deaf mute regained his hearing thanks to the healing by Jesus were amazed.
The miracle of opening (“effatha”) touched directly the mute, but indirectly also those who witnessed an extraordinary healing. The stuffy ears of a man show that for God who is the Word – and for the faith that comes from listening – gestures that appeal to this sense are important. Like when Jesus calls people by name, when he calls them – like Adam’s God in Paradise – for example, “Zacchaeus!” This time, not only the ears of the physically deaf (healed) person are opened, but also of those whose spiritual hearing was probably not fully functional (commenting witnesses). Where does this interpretation come from?
In many other evangelical scenes, showing Jesus in direct contact with a needy man, but in front of witnesses, the reaction of these witnesses is indignation at Jesus, opposition, criticism. The Church has carefully thought over the liturgical year and the choice and arrangement of biblical texts often accentuates what is eluded by the constant reading of a specific text. In recent weeks, the Sunday selection of the Gospels showed just such witnesses who reacted to the miracles of Jesus in two ways: the so-called ordinary people clung to him and hoped for a miracle, but the scribes, Pharisees, and disciples still had a list of objections to Jesus. Some did not believe Him, others objected, and even the disciples left.
This time we see witnesses who accept what they saw – who opened as well as the blind, whose poverty Jesus also remedied, although the healing took place on a different level. When we look at the scenes before and after the healing of the deaf mute in the Evangelist Mark, we also see a dispute with the teachers of Scripture, and then the Pharisees’ demand that Jesus confirm his identity with signs from heaven. Between these situations there was a deaf and a simple, so very simple recognition by witnesses of this miracle. A recognition that turned out to be a side miracle in itself. After all, these witnesses themselves opened themselves to faith in Jesus. Perhaps it is not yet the relational faith that God expects, but it is certainly a fundamental faith – a faith that calmly recognizes God’s presence and power.
Anyway, this assessment points to a different assessment of Jesus, which is given in the context of all His actions. “He went about doing good.” Evaluation (going back to healing) in some sense non-religious, but simply axiological. Also, such an assessment requires ethical bravery to recognize good in an unknown source. An affliction that may plague religious people in particular in order to gain exclusivity is sometimes difficult to overcome. Hence the fundamental opening – effatha – to Jesus. To simply recognize him beyond the level of faith and accept what he does.
The story of the deaf man shows how miracles happen in faith. They happen a bit by accident, they are like a reflection of the faith of others, contagious. It also shows how important ear hygiene is. To hear the Word. Hear them even in human terms, not immediately religious.
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