Boundaries

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon is entitled Three B’s and my focus is our Gospel (Mark 7:24-37). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”  Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

My Three Bs today are Boundaries, Be Opened! and Beyond Measure. First, Boundaries. There are many different boundaries. Some of us think there are too many and some of us think other people don’t have any. The word boundary means that which indicates the limits of anything. It is a visible mark indicating a dividing line, a bound being the limit or furthest point of extension of any one thing. Boundaries mark our property. Before we could have our new house built, surveyors had to find and mark property boundaries.

Physical and political boundaries separate people into different regions. Down the road from our house the Ohio River separates West Virginia from Ohio. The Pyrenees mountains form the boundary between France and Spain. The Andes separate Chile from Argentina. Not all boundaries are created with concern for physical or cultural differences. Geometric boundaries are drawn using straight lines. One of the longest geometric boundaries is the border between the United States and Canada, but could you really tell the difference between a person from Minnesota and one from Manitoba?

Over the last one hundred years, political boundaries have been redrawn throughout Europe. Poland, Germany, the former Soviet states and Yugoslavia come to mind. Berlin itself was once controlled by four different nations outside Germany. There are also boundaries that we cannot control and cannot change. We learn to live with tectonic boundaries under earth’s surface.

Personal boundaries are the limits and rules we set for ourselves within relationships. People with healthy boundaries can say “no” to others, and are comfortable opening themselves up to intimacy and close relationships. People who always keep others at a distance have rigid boundaries. Alternatively, someone who tends to get too involved with others has porous boundaries.

The appropriateness of boundaries depends heavily on setting. What’s appropriate to say when you’re with friends might not be appropriate when you’re at work. Some cultures have different expectations when it comes to boundaries. For example, once when we introduced ourselves to new neighbors in Illinois, I shook hands with the husband, but the wife refused telling us that she did not shake hands with other men because of her religious beliefs as a Muslim. Same neighborhood, different cultures, different boundaries.

I mention this because boundaries play an important role in the Scriptures. Most Bibles illustrate the Land of Canaan from Abraham to Moses, from Joshua to Saul, the United Monarchy of David and the divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Later we see how the land of Jesus looked as it was occupied by Assyrians, Persians and Romans.

After Jesus completed teaching his disciples about what defiles and does not, he crossed boundaries when he went to the Mediterranean coast – the region of Tyre and Sidon. From there Jesus travelled to Decapolis, the ten cities southeast of the Sea of Galilee. We see Jesus crossing boundaries all the time. His travels have little to do with geography but more to do with evangelizing Jews and Gentiles. The places mentioned in chapters six and seven show us how Jesus reached out not only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, but also to Greeks, Romans and Syrophoenicians. The point is that while Jesus recognized that his first responsibility was to feed and help God’s chosen people, the Good News is that he was prepared to help others who came to him in faith no matter what boundaries were crossed.[1] That brings us to today’s passage and my second point. So, we move from Boundaries to Be Opened.

When Jesus arrived in Decapolis for his second visit there, his reputation as a healer had grown stronger. Recall that he had been there to expel the demon from a man in Gerasene. (Mk 5:11ff) After that healing, the people begged Jesus to leave. This time the reception was different. So, allow me a moment to speak about similarities and differences in Jesus’ healings.

This healing was different. People brought to Jesus a man who was both deaf and dumb. Now, many of Jesus’ healings took place in full public view. Here the healing was private. Jesus intuitively understood the unique needs of each person.

And although it was private, the method is described in more detail than usual. In previous healings Jesus’ touch is described only in general terms. Here he touched specifically the affected organs. Saliva was also used. And this is also the only place in Mark where Jesus groans.

Now, the Bible has a profound respect for the body as a vehicle of divine grace. The body has the ability to be a visible sign and an instrument of grace. We read in chapter one of Mark how Jesus took Peter’s mother-in-law by the hand. Several verses later, Mark recorded the account of the leper and how Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, “Be clean.” He touched others he healed: Jairus’ daughter and a few people in Nazareth.

Physical touch came into play in the baptismal rite of the early Church. In the Ephphatha Prayer, the minister touched the ears and the mouth of the baby and said, “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father. Amen.” The Church Father, St. Gregory the Great, once said, “The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord put his fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, he was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”[2]

The crowd reaction also differs. Their reaction suggests that this was a particularly impressive form of healing. There was no demon possession here as in some other healings,[3] and the command was spoken not to a demon, but directly to the patient.[4]

After being presented with the man, Jesus took him aside and put his fingers in the man’s ears, and then spat and touched his tongue before he looked to heaven for help as he offered a deep heartfelt prayer.

In Jesus’ culture human spittle was a healing agent. Without expounding on all of the details, we should notice that it is not the spittle itself that heals. Jesus did not spit directly on the tongue. Rather, he spat and then touched the man’s tongue. This physical contact is clearly appropriate for a man who was unable to hear the spoken word.

Furthermore, it is not just the spittle and the touch that cured. Jesus’ word accompanied both.[5] Jesus did not utter gibberish, but plainly spoke his command not to the ears, but to the man. Yet, in effect the ears were commanded to hear again.[6] Although the man was deaf, Jesus spoke the command and the effect was immediate. Deafness and dumbness are cured at once.

In Jesus, Scripture was fulfilled. We are reminded of Isaiah’s prophecy, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” (Isa 35:5-6) But we can also see an earlier prophecy in Exodus when “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?’” (Ex 4:11) There is also this, “Wisdom opened the mouths of the dumb and made eloquent the tongues of babes.” (Wis 10:11)

The crowd’s astonishment is dramatically expressed. The Jewish Messiah is met with wider approval and praise and paves the way for a crowd of 4,000 to follow him to a deserted area where he will feed them.[7] That said, let’s move to my third B, Beyond Measure.

Every once in a while, I ask a friend to comment on a passage. In this case, I asked my friends, Bob and Ruth Sattler, to tell me how they were moved Beyond Measure through their daughter, Liz. Liz was born with Down’s Syndrome and her life had a tremendous influence on their lives – beyond their wildest dreams.

I thought of Bob and Ruth because they once told a story of when they were installed as Eucharistic Ministers at Word of God Parish in Swissvale, they returned to their seats. Up until this point, nothing extraordinary. What happened next was.

Liz stood on the pew, put her arms around both and said, “I am so proud of you.” They went on to mention all the doors that were opened to them and how they met so many people through Liz and Down's Syndrome. My question: How did God astonish you beyond measure through Liz? Here is how Ruth responded.

Yes, Liz certainly has opened many doors for us. I would say I have learned so much about what it means to love someone because of having Liz in my life! Liz has led me to many personal insights and positive changes. We love Liz. She has astonished us beyond measure through her own growth and development. Bob and I have described how Liz “brought us to our knees.” While she was so adorable, she also could be stubborn and resistant to change. Rather than having it be a continual power play, we chose to learn how to work with Liz and guide her to be more and more in charge of her actions and behavior. This is something we continue to do in our relationship with Liz. And we have seen her move beyond her own anxiety and comfort zone. She has grown in her ability to accept change and take on new challenges albeit at her own pace, with our help and the support of others in her life. I know that giving birth to Liz and parenting Liz has given God many opportunities to help me “open my ears” or to Be Opened. God, through Liz, has astonished me beyond measure through my own growth and development and ability to love since having Liz in my life! 

I read you Ruth’s words because sometimes we don’t know why life is the way it is for us. We want to know why a child was born with a disability. Why babies are aborted. Why my spouse was unfaithful. What I did to deserve this. I cannot answer any of those questions for you, and I can tell you that you may not find the answer you want in the Bible, however, you may find insight and solace.[8] And reflecting upon the story of faithful Christians like Bob and Ruth, you may find hope.

So, my friends, I was going to end it there, but then my study provided me with a challenging question regarding the crowd of 4,000 who witnessed this healing and then followed Jesus into the wilderness.[9] Are followers of Jesus in it only for the fringe benefits? The healing stories of Jesus raise this question for anyone who claims to be a follower. Am I a Christian only for the fringe benefits? In a world of instant everything, not all good things can be had immediately, especially when we are talking about healing. God does not provide instant answers to anyone all the time. Even Jesus did not always produce instant miracles on demand – not even for Bob and Ruth. But along the way, wisdom comes to those who remain faithful to God in spite of life’s circumstances. That is why we must cling to Christ, His Word and His Sacraments.

Friends, Jesus crosses every boundary imaginable to help you and everyone who comes to him in faith. God took on human flesh and crossed the boundary from the divine to the human realm. Jesus opened the ears and mouth of a deaf mute and beyond measure amazed others. This week recognize the Good News of how Jesus crosses unfathomable boundaries to offer you salvation, which includes healing of body, mind and soul. We are the ones who need to hear, “Ephphatha!” Be open! Whatever your circumstances, Be open to the Holy Spirit working in your life today, and when you do, may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Witherington, p. 252.

[2] Oden, p. 103.

[3] See Mark 9:14-29.

[4] R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Gand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (2002), p. 300.

[5] Voelz, p. 488.

[6] France, p. 304.

[7] France, p. 304. See Mark 8:1ff.

[8] See John 9, Matthew 2:16-18, Hosea, Job.

[9] Witherington, p. 252