FACETIME OR “FACE-TO-FACE” TIME?
Isaiah 35:4-7a; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37
The great paradox of our time is that we live in an age of social communication, but we rarely communicate; we have hundreds of social-network friends but few real-life friends; we FaceTime with people, but seldom spend “face-to-face” time with them. We encounter/ create barriers to communication.
Jesus faced similar communication barriers in his ministry.
Throughout his ministry, Jesus has been pleading with people to listen to his word. They do not! The disciples cannot understand his teaching, the crowds want wonders, his own people do not accept him, the religious leaders see him as a threat. Mark presents group after group with its spiritual blocks.
Then, Mark presents a man “who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech.” He wants to but cannot communicate. Jesus takes him aside away from the crowd and spends time with him; he communicates with him through touch, a language he could understand. Jesus gives him back his ability to communicate – he can hear, he proclaims Jesus.
There is a parallel between the deaf-mute and Jesus’ disciples. The man could neither hear nor speak; he needed healing. The disciples could not understand Jesus’ message and therefore could not proclaim it; they, too, needed healing.
We need to be healed of our spiritual deafness and muteness.
Will I allow the Lord to take me aside to touch me? Will I move away from the crowd (of people and gadgets) to spend time with my loved ones and communicate in a language they understand?
May the Lord touch us and restore our ability to communicate. May we disconnect from the virtual world – at least sometimes – to connect with people and reality around us.
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