Trinity 15

Opening Verse of Scripture  Proverbs 22

Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor.

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit upon your Church in the burning fire of your love: grant that your people may be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel that, always abiding in you, they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Lord God, defend your Church from all false teaching and give to your people knowledge of your truth, that we may enjoy eternal life
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

First Bible Reading Isaiah 35.4–7a

Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

Second Reading James 2.1–10 [11–13] 14–17

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favouritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’, have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

You do well if you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Gospel Reading Mark 7.24–37

From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’

Post Communion Prayer

Commentary

Those of you who struggle with hearing problems will know that it is not pleasant being deaf. At the time of Jesus it was much worse because there were no hearing aids, no sources of help for disability. The poor man in the Gospel story who was deaf and dumb would have lived an isolated life and he would have been used to people pointing at him and making him feel humiliated.

In the Old Testament, seven hundred years before this incident was recorded in Mark’s Gospel, the prophet Isaiah was describing the age of the Messiah, the time when God would act in the world. He said that when the Christ came, (Isa. 35:5-6).

“the ears of the deaf would be unstopped . . . and the tongue of the dumb would shout for joy”

In healing this man Jesus was taking upon himself the hopes and dreams of those who were waiting for God to appear ion earth and do a new a wonderful thing.

Deaf mutes were protected under Jewish law but they were classed with other groups such as women, slaves, and minors, not considered educated enough to keep the law. Jesus acts towards the man in a way which is compassionate in every sense.

• Jesus takes the man aside away from everybody else. First of all Jesus takes the man aside, away from the crowd. Jesus gives him ‘one to one’ time. The man has been used to people looking at him and pointing and Jesus will not use him a spectacle, Jesus understand that the man does not want to be embarrassed. By taking him aside Jesus shows that the man is important and he deserves his complete attention.
• Jesus communicates with the man. The man is deaf and dumb and so Jesus cannot speak to him. Jesus knows how important it is to communicate and because he cannot use words to speak to the man he uses actions.
• Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. The man could not hear and so Jesus touches his ears. He makes it clear that he knows what the problem is with the hearing.
• Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. We are told that the man can hardly talk and so Jesus spits and touches the man’s tongue. It was thought that spit had healing properties. The Roman Emperor Vespasian restored the sight of a blind man by spitting into his eyes. (Suetonious Vespasian 7 Tacitus Hist 4.81)  Jesus touches his tongue to show that Jesus understand his difficulty with talking.
• Jesus Looks Up Then we are told Jesus does another action. Jesus looked up to heaven. Jesus is making it clear that the healing which is about to take place is not an earthly cure. The man is being told in visual terms that the place from where we can find help from the things which trouble us is by turning to God. There is no earthly answer to human need, we have to look to God. Charles Royden

Meditation

There is a really beautiful phrase in the reading from Mark today, it says simply ‘He has done everything well.’ We live in an age of pop stars and notoriety, everybody want to be famous. Young people especially face incredible challenges in our society, because they are led to focus their aspirations on the rich and famous and encouraged to believe that they can be the next pop idol or football star. The old values of working hard and earning a living have been shifted towards personal gratification and the aspirations and fashions of a consumer society.

It is easy to be critical of this, but in a sense every single one of wants to leave this world with some achievements to our name. We might find the cure for a terrible disease, but we feel that we should leave behind us an impression. If our lives are to be significant and remembered then we must do something significant with them. However the truth is that whilst the prevailing culture tells us that our achievements should be to earn lots of money and have a glamorous lifestyle, we know that this is not something which causes happiness or provides lasting significance. Few people draw admiration when they die and are fondly remembered because of the size of their yacht.

We should cast our attention upon Jesus and the type of life which he lived and the example which he gives to us. He was a carpenter, a workman who probably built houses and extensions and mended things. Anybody who knows the pains of being a builder will know how difficult it would have been for him to build the reputation ’He has done everything well.’ ! Jesus did not belong to the rich and famous, he was just an ordinary man who lived his life with the same issues which we deal with, paying bills, caring for relatives and getting on with the ups and downs which life throws at us.

This is what life is really all about, not jet setting or appearing in Hello magazine. As Christian people we must try to provide examples of authentic living by setting examples which are wholesome and yet attractive. We must seek to lay before our children and grandchildren alternatives to the models which society presents. This is not in any way to discredit the ideals, dreams and vision of young people who want to achieve great things. However somebody needs to reaffirm the value of living ordinary lives in which we care for our families, our children and grandchildren. It is to stress that really gifted people do not have to appear on the television, they get up in the morning and do their jobs to the best of their ability, offer a helping hand to those in need and take time to spread a little happiness. The role models in society today seem to go change their marital partners like motor cars. As Christians we have to affirm that successful people are strong people who have the courage to work at their marriages and give time to their loved ones. Each one of us can make a real contribution to our families and wider society if we control our temper, show our appreciation to others, spread peace as we go about our business and pray to become more joyful. This is real achievement and the way to lasting success. Perhaps then people will say about us ‘he has done everything well.’ Charles Royden

Hymns

• The Kingdom of God (Tune Hanover)
• When I needed a neighbour
• For the healing of the nations (Tune Rhuddland )
• The Church of Christ, in every age (Tune: Heronsgate)
• I want to walk with Jesus Christ
• Praise to the holiest in the height
• I have decided to follow Jesus
• Who would true valour see
• Through all the changing scenes of life
• Thy hand O God

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

Lord Jesus on this day we remember when you opened the ears of the man who was deaf, open our ears to your voice and may we spread abroad the story of your love and compassion which reaches out and makes us well.

Open our ears O Lord to those who are lonely, the sick, those who are troubled in their hearts and minds and those who are spiritually hungry. May we be used by you to reach out with your healing touch to those who are in need.

Open the ears dear Lord we pray of the Nations, so that they might hear those who cry for justice. We remember those who are displaced from their own country by war and disaster. We pray for refugees asylum seekers and migrants who seek a place of peace and safety in which to live and care for their families. We pray for all of those who live in constant fear of war, those who have no peace because they are threatened for their race, colour or creed.

Open our ears Lord to the necessity for equality. Release all of those who are captive to prejudice and discrimination. Give perseverance to all who work for mutual respect and strive to remove intolerance.

Open our ears to those who cry out in suffering. To those who are trapped in broken bodies. To those who suffer from fragile minds, those have been broken through painful experiences or debilitating disease. Give hope to all who put their trust in you.

Open our ears to those whose lives have been crushed by the death of loved ones and who live in grief and loss. Give to all who mourn the knowledge of your compassion and of your everlasting love for all that you have created.

We remember those who have died and commend them to God.

 

We pray for all children growing up in a world which daily seems to be getting more confusing, challenging and with little sense of direction. God our Father, be near to our children growing up in the peril and confusion of these times. Guard them from the forces of evil at work in our society, and lead them in the paths of goodness and truth; enable us as parents, grandparents, family members or as friends to give them at all times the security of our love and the help of our example and our prayers. Amen Edward Peck

0pen my eyes that they may see The deepest needs of people. Move my hands that they may feed the hungry; Touch my heart that it may bring warmth to the despairing; Teach me generosity that welcomes strangers; Let me share my possessions to clothe the naked; Give me the care that strengthens the sick; Make me the share in the quest to set the prisoner free. In sharing our anxieties and our love, Our poverty and our prosperity, We partake of your divine presence. Amen Canaan Banana, Zimbabwe

Lord Jesus, you made a deaf man hear. When we refuse to hear your voice, Open our ears to your words of love. Lord Jesus, you made a dumb man speak. When we do not know what to say, Open our mouths to praise you and speak your words of love. Lord Jesus, you made a blind man see. When we cannot see the signs of your presence in the world around us, Open our eyes and show us your works of love. Amen Judy Bainbridge

O Lord my God, I adore you as my first beginning and I long for you as my last end. Conduct me, therefore, O gracious Lord, by your wisdom. Restrain me with your justice, comfort me with your mercy, and defend me with your power; and of your love, enlighten my understanding, enflame my will and purify my soul; for Jesu's sake. Amen Richard Challoner, 1691-1781

Additional Material

Commentary

Jesus heals a deaf man who cannot speak

Jesus wanted people to be less public about some of the things which he did, the secret of who he was needed to be kept until the right moment. Unfortunately, as we see almost daily in our newspapers, news has a way of leaking out. Jesus could not stop excitement spreading about him and what he did. In our story today the man is deaf and can hardly speak. When Jesus heals him, Mark records the use of a graphic phrase "Ephphatha!" which suggests that his tongue had been tied up in knots and was suddenly untied. From silence to speech, just like that! Jesus takes him away privately, but it cannot be kept secret. Perhaps Jesus wanted more time to travel and speak with people, but when he performed miracles like this, there was no way of stopping the news spreading or the crowds seeking him out. He would soon have such notoriety that the authorities would have to act against him. With a miracle such as this, it was not surprising that onlookers had in mind the prophecy of Isaiah 35:5-6,
‘Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.’
This is for us a foretaste of what God’s healing is really all about, it is more than just the ageing body being patched up, it is a sign of God’s love breaking in to our painful and death—laden world. It was and still is, a signpost to the great Healing that will occur when the secret is out and Jesus is finally revealed to the whole world. Then all of the world will praise. Charles Royden

Meditation The Gospel for the Poor
Paul was a latecomer to the Gospel who converted on the road to Damascus around the year 35 AD. Fourteen years after his conversion, he travelled to Jerusalem to seek the favour of the original group of twelve apostles. He knew that he needed their imprimatur, and indeed he received what he calls “the right hand of fellowship” from the movement’s leaders. Later, when he recalled this trip in his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote something revealing about the first followers of Jesus. What did the leaders of the Jesus movement in Jerusalem require of Paul? “All they asked was that we should remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” (Galatians 2:10).
Saint Neilos the Ascetic (d. 430): “We monks come fawning to the rich, like puppies wagging their tails in the hope of being tossed a bare bone or some crumbs. To get what we want, we call them benefactors and protectors of Christians, attributing every virtue to them, even though they may be utterly wicked.”
Evagrios (died c. 400) considered it a trick of the devil to befriend the rich on the pretence of helping the poor: "The devil suggests that we should attach ourselves to wealthy women, and advises us to be obsequious to others who have a full purse. And so, after deceiving the soul, little by little he engulfs it in avaricious thoughts and then hands it over to the demon of self-esteem. The latter calls up in our imagination crowds of admirers who praise the Lord for the works of mercy we have performed."