BIBLE STUDY #106


TWENTYTHIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

September 9, 2012



READING 1

ISAIAH 35:4-7A



Thus says the LORD:

Say to those whose hearts are frightened:

Be strong, fear not!

Here is your God,

he comes with vindication;

with divine recompense

he comes to save you.

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,

the ears of the deaf be cleared;

then will the lame leap like a stag,

then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Streams will burst forth in the desert,

and rivers in the steppe.

The burning sands will become pools,

and the thirsty ground, springs of water.



The Word of the Lord



READING 2

JAMES 2:1-5



My brothers and sisters, show no partiality

as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes

comes into your assembly,

and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,

and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes

and say, "Sit here, please, "

while you say to the poor one, "Stand there, " or "Sit at my feet, "

have you not made distinctions among yourselves

and become judges with evil designs?



Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.

Did not God choose those who are poor in the world

to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom

that he promised to those who love him?



The Word of the Lord



GOSPEL

MARKK 7:31-37



Again Jesus left the district of Tyre

and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,

into the district of the Decapolis.

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.

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!" --

And immediately the man's ears were opened,

his speech impediment was removed,

and he spoke plainly.

He ordered them not to tell anyone.

But the more he ordered them not to,

the more they proclaimed it.

They were exceedingly astonished and they said,

"He has done all things well.

He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."



The Word of the Lord



Reflection



Today’s miracle story takes place in gentile territory, as does the story of the Syrophoenician woman that precedes this story, and the feeding of the 4,000 that takes place immediately after this story, affirming Jesus universal mission to the whole world.



The people (not the disciples) brought the deaf man with a speech impediment to Jesus; they had heard of him and had hope in his power (they begged him for a cure).



These kinds of healings are reminders that the prophecies about the Messiah are being fulfilled. Isaiah’s vision in our first reading is being fulfilled. Jesus is also fulfilling Ezekiel’s promise of what would happen when the Messiah arrives: “On that day, your mouth will be opened to speak, you will learn that I am God (Ezek 24:26-27).



This cure is affected by Jesus touching the person. Our sacraments of healing work the same way. In reconciliation, the priest raises his hand (or sometimes puts his hand on the head of the penitent) and prays the words of absolution. In the anointing of the sick, the priest lays hands on the person and prays silently. He also uses oil to anoint the person. Touching has a great healing affect. There are times when we all need a hug of some other affirming contact with another person.



Jesus looked up to heaven (praying) and commanded that his ears be opened and his speech impediment be removed, which happened immediately. Then he tells the people not to say anything about it! Actually, Jesus orders them not to say anything. Sounds kind of incredible to me. I would want every one to know so that others could take advantage of Jesus healing power. Besides, how was the cured man going to explain how he was cured? This puts him in a bind. They just ignored Jesus command and spread word about him anyway. Mark’s Gospel has a technique called the “Messianic Secret.” We have to take all these miracles in context of Jesus death and resurrection. Jesus was much more than a miracle worker, a good man, or a teacher. He’s the Son of God whose mission was to establish the Kingdom of God and through his death and resurrection he would conquer sin and death. Who is Jesus to us? Is he only a miracle worker we call upon in time of sickness and impending death? Is he just a good man to us, one we can emulate or ignore? Is he just a teacher that we can listen to or not, taking what we like and ignoring the rest? Or is he the Son of God, the Savior, and Lord of our life? If this is true, we need to put ourselves in his hands and follow him every day, letting him guide and nurture us. If this is true, faith needs to come first in our live. If this is true, we need to be like the people in the Gospel, spreading the Good News to those we meet. Who is Jesus to you?



Do you ever hear but not listen? Have you ever said to yourself 5 m minutes after a conversation, “What did he just say?” I’m sure you have. You were hearing, but not really listening. We hear the Word of God at Mass every week, but do we really listen too it? The difference to me is that listening is transformative. When we listen, it means we take in the Word and let ourselves be changed by it. We understand the meaning of the words and take them to heart so we can grow in God’s grace. Sometimes our ears need to be healed so our hearts can be transformed.



In the first reading, scholars have agreed that chapters 34 and 35 come from a time of exile in Babylonia. This passage was intended to give people hope at a time when God seemed silent: they were in a foreign land with no Temple, no liturgy, and a covenant broken by their own infidelity; they were fearful and desolate. In this dark time, the prophet spoke. Salvation would come, all would be healed and made better and healed. God’s salvation would be so great that nature itself would be transformed.



In the second reading from the Letter of St. James, we are in a larger section of this letter dealing with social discrimination. This section deals with how we treat the rich versus the poor. We are to show no partiality to those who are rich while ignoring the poor. There is no room in our lives for “isms”; that is racism, sexism, ageism, or anything that puts down one group of people and favors another.



Fr. Phil