i’ll admit it, as soon as i read this passage again today, it made me think about the incident at the gates of moria. it seemed to be a greater task than what it actually was when gandalf was pouring over every spell and phrase he could think of to open the gates. he was wrapped up in the world as it was, and was rather guilty of over thinking the entire situation. the gate plainly said “speak, friend, and enter.” and that was all that was required one elvish word ‘mellon’ (meh-lohn) which means ‘friend.’

so, when Jesus is approached by these people seeking healing for their friend, and He speaks a single word to heal him, i couldn’t help but make the connection. in mark 7:31-37, Jesus takes this deaf mute man aside from the crowd, touches his ears and tongue, and says ‘ephphatha!’ which means ‘be opened!’ and the man was healed. there was no speech therapy needed. he did not have to learn how to pronounce anything, or get a dialect coach to get back on track, and up to speed with where he should be.

when Jesus heals someone, they are made complete. this man was made whole. the people who were witness to this said ‘He has done everything well.’ this man’s healing was testimony to God’s desire for wholeness in His people, God isn’t content for His children to be lacking in their abilities or in their character. this deaf/mute man could serve, yes, but his body was not whole. and that’s part of being holy. holiness is having a wholeness in every way imaginable. and so the simple word of opening that Jesus uses here was not some special spell or incantation. there was no laborious pouring over what to say, he simply touched the man, and spoke with the authority of the Father into his life, and the healing came completely.

what Jesus brought into the life of this man is no more than what God desires for all of us. too often, we keep our mouths shut wen we should share what we know about Jesus. and too often we close our ears to whatever it may be that God is trying to say to us. and so we, too, need to experience what this man did in his encounter with Jesus and be opened.