Pentecost 1409– “Our God is an Awesome God!” Mark 7:24-37

Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.  The text for our sermon meditation is taken from the Gospel account of St Mark, the 7^th Chapter:

 

      “And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.  25But immediately a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.  26Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  27And he said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."  28But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."  29And he said to her, "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."  30And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

        31Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.  32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.  33And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.  34And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.  36And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.  37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."” Mark 7:24-37 (ESV)  

 

So far the reading.

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

      Where were you when President Kennedy was shot?  Where were you when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon?  Where were you when Mt. St. Helens erupted?  Where were you when the astronauts on Apollo 13 were close to being lost in space?  What were you doing when the twin towers in NYC were destroyed?  Do you remember the date of the last space shuttle launch?

 

      Some of you can remember exactly where you were and how you felt.  Others of you will wonder what I am talking about because you were not even born when the event took place.  Probably, no one or very few of us can tell the date of the last space shuttle launch.  Although, I think the paper mentioned something about the launch being postponed this past week.

 

      These events just mentioned are truly awe inspiring events.  Some are tributes to man’s ingenuity and ability to harness and properly use technology.  Others are tributes to man’s sinfulness and lack of restraint.  Our reaction to these events reveals the wonder and surprise which overcomes us when we witness these events.  The question we need to ask ourselves is have we lost the awe?  Have these events become for us common place and just another event among all the other day to day events?

 

      To some extent, we have lost the awe.  Think about it for a minute, because that for many is all the attention span we have.  How many people have or have access to computers today?  I can remember taking a programming course in college and the key board we used was for punching out cards to program the computer.  The computer itself filled a large room.  Microchips were not even heard of at that time. 

 

      Now the computers we have can fit into a small space the size of a notebook.  Which is why they are called “Notebooks.”  Microchips are small enough to sit on the tip of your finger.  The technology to build such equipment is quite advance, and perhaps is limited only by man’s imagination.

 

      But we say ho hum to such things, because we are concerned with how fast we can get on the internet and navigate around the internet.  We are amazed only when the computer slows down or refuses to respond to the tapping of our fingertips on the keyboard, or the sliding of the stylus over the touch sensitive screen.  

 

      Have we begun to think of our God in the same way?  Have we begun to treat our God in a “ho hum” manner?  Has his salvation and power become lackluster to us?  Has our sin become a matter of indifference?  Has our fear, love and trust of the One true God turned suspicion, annoyance and indifference?

 

      Such was not the case for the Syrophoenician woman or for the deaf man about whom Mark writes.  For these two people this Jesus was a truly awesome man.  Word of his power and preaching had reached throughout the regions of Tyre and Sidon and the Decapolis.  These two events stick out clearly in the minds and hearts of the people.  The Syrophoenician woman’s daughter and the deaf mute man are touched personally by the words and actions of Jesus.   Those who witness these mighty works are awestruck by the power of God revealed to men.

 

      What does this awe lead the concerned mother and the concerned friends of the deaf mute man to do?  They seek out this Jesus who has the power of God in his hands and words.  The concerned mother approaches this Jesus with the boldness and confidence that he can give her what she asks.  More than that, she trusts in this Jesus to give her what she will ask. 

 

      There is nothing that will dissuade this woman from getting help for her demon possessed daughter.  Her attention is totally focused on this Jesus.  She will stay focused until she hears the words she needs to hear.  She will fight the fight of faith until she receives the crown of new life which God alone is able to give to her daughter. 

 

      Look at her struggle.  It reminds me of Jacob wrestling with the Lord all night until he should receive the Lord’s blessing.  The woman approaches Jesus and asks for his healing.  Jesus rebukes her and seemingly rejects her plea.  Yet the woman continues to pursue God’s grace and mercy.  She asks for only a small amount of such grace and mercy, for she knows it will be enough for her daughter.  Jesus commends her faith and grants her plea.

 

      Like wise, and perhaps more awesome, is the healing of the deaf mute man.  His inability to hear caused him to have garbled speech.  His friends bring him to Jesus for the healing that is needed.  Without hesitation, Jesus takes this sorely afflicted man to a private place and grants to him hearing and speech.  Tell me why this healing is more than awesome?

 

      These same miracles have been worked in you. You were in bondage to Satan.  He had blinded the eyes of your heart and kept you under the shadow of death.  He had wrapped you in the chains of sin and laid you on your deathbed.  Your thinking was made futile.  Your actions were the product of a sin-infected heart and mind.  You were self-serving and rebellious.  Just like the child in the grocery store or department store that has a temper tantrum when they see a package of cookies or a toy they want and have to leave it on the shelf because the parent says, “Not today.”

 

      How many times have you turned a deaf ear to the encouragement and discipline of those who love you and are over you in the Lord?  How often does your zeal and desire to serve your Lord wane and you find other things to do and other places to be rather than helping to address the needs of His Church?  How dull have our consciences become when it comes to matters of the soul?

 

      We have been considering the topic of Sanctification in Adult Bible Class.  Last week we considered what it meant to use or misuse God’s name.  Many eyes were opened the fact that our words are not insignificant when it comes to cursing or praising God’s name.  We often try to make our curses a little more palatable to the ear by substituting one word for another.  But the result is the same.  A curse is a curse no matter how you try to cover it up.

 

      When Jesus groaned after placing his fingers in the ears of the deaf man, spitting and looking up to heaven, what was happening?  Certainly healing was taking place.  But in the groaning, we see and hear the utter compassion of Jesus as he addresses the needs of the people who have been oppressed by Satan and sin.  In that groaning we hear the voice of God restoring what was lost, healing what was ailing, making new what was broken.  The cry which follows this groaning, “Be opened!” declares the perfect healing which God alone can and does give to sinners who are brought to him. 

 

      How many people heard this cry of the Lord?  One more than you might think.  Yes, this deaf man heard the voice of his savior bursting through the sound proofed wall of his affliction.  The ears that could not hear were made to hear.  Not only to hear, but also to fully understand what was being spoken.  Moreover, the tongue that once gave only garbled sounds was loosed of it chains and given to perfect speech.

 

      The same groan and healing cry of Jesus comes to you even today.  Today Jesus healing cry “Be opened!” is heard in every baptism.  Be opened does not mean that you are accepting of every thing in the sense of being politically correct.  Be opened means that you are healed of your spiritual bondage to Satan and the effects of sin in this world.  You are given full understanding of the council of God’s word.  You are given to hear with understanding the will and desire of God for your life.  You are given the wherewithal to live and abide in that will of God.

 

      The same groan and healing cry of Jesus comes to you each celebration of the feast of Salvation.  The fingers that brought healing when placed in the ears of the deaf-mute man are the same fingers that were clenched in eternal suffering and death for your sins upon the cross.  The blood of your atonement covered those same hands as they were nailed to the cross.  The voice that cried Be Open! To the deaf mute man cried out it is finished and opened the kingdom of heaven to all who are cleansed in the blood of Jesus Christ and made members of that same kingdom by faith in His holy name.

 

      Lastly, what is the response to the awesome things we witness with our eyes and hear with our ears?  You cannot help but share the news with others.  You cannot keep it to yourself.  It is like a special gift you have been saving for a loved one.  Since the day you purchased it or made it you are excited to share that gift with your loved one.  You can hardly stand the anticipation as you wait for the gift to be given and opened.

 

      Hear the response of the people as they received and witnessed the gift which Jesus gave them.

36And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.  37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

 

      Perhaps it was reverse psychology on the part of Jesus.  You know how that is you tell someone not to do something so they would do it anyway.  Perhaps Jesus did not want the people coming to him for the wrong reason.  Perhaps Jesus did not want the people to give the wrong message about the Kingdom of God.

 

      However, in loosing the tongue and opening the ears of the deaf mute man, Jesus also opened the eyes and loosed the tongues of the people.  Their word opened the ears of others when they spoke of these awesome deeds of Jesus.

 

      Can we do no less?  God has poured into our hearts the awesome work of His son.  He has brought the dead to life.  He opened ears that were closed to the word of life.  He has opened eyes that were blind to grace and mercy.  He loosed tongues to sing His praises and to tell the wondrous deeds God has done.  May the Spirit of God so fill our hearts that we rejoice in His awesome work and speak of the wonders of God’s grace to those in need.

 

In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Rev. Robert Schneider

Our Saviour Lutheran Church

Evansville, IN