HE DOES ALL THINGS WELL
The power of God is such, however, that
even in the midst of division and hatred He can work His plan…
Jesus loves using parables to teach a
lesson. Today's first reading from the Old Testament is a parable, not in words
but in action. Jeroboam is a minister in the service of Solomon. When, in the
presence of Jeroboam, the prophet Ahijah tears his cloak into twelve pieces, he
illustrates that Solomon's kingdom will be divided. Ten tribes will belong to
the northern kingdom, while the southern kingdom will only have the tribe of
Judah (which by David's time had incorporated the tribe of Simeon, thus accounting
for all twelve tribes). From this point on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah go
their separate ways, often in open hostility to one another. It is not a pretty
picture.
The power of God is such, however, that
even in the midst of division and hatred He can work His plan. By divine irony,
God draws upon this situation to bring His Son into the world, born of the
house of David and of the tribe of Judah. He sends His Son to reverse the
division and separation, replacing the hatred with love. On the night before He
dies, Jesus expresses the purpose of His mission and prays to our heavenly
Father that all might be one.
The deaf man with the speech impediment,
in today's Gospel, is a symbol of disunity. Unable to hear or to communicate
properly, he is cut off from those around him and forced to live a solitary
life. In His love and mercy, Jesus cures him. Jesus is also the one Who can
establish unity among us, a unity whereby we speak and listen to each other
with respect and concern.
Jesus expresses who God really is; He
demonstrates both the beauty and goodness of God through His actions. When
Jesus heals a man who is both deaf and a stutterer, He shows His
considerateness for this man's predicament. Jesus takes him aside privately in
order to remove him from the embarrassment of a noisy crowd. Putting His
fingers into the man's ears and touching the man's tongue with His own spittle,
Jesus physically identifies with this man's infirmity, awakening his
faith.
Immediately, the man's ears are opened,
his tongue is released, and he begins speaking plainly! What, one may ask, is
the significance of Jesus putting His fingers in the man's ears? St. Gregory
the Great, from the sixth century, writes: "The Spirit is called the
finger of God. When the Lord puts 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." Jesus treats each of us with kindness and compassion and He calls
us to treat one another the same way.
In the Responsorial Psalm we hear,
"I am the Lord, your God: hear My voice" (Ps 81:11a, 9a). Our common
origin in Christ is found in our liberation and redemption. During this time of
reflection, ask yourself, "Have I taken for granted my independence and my
freedom; my human progress and social welfare?" In the Eucharist, God
gives us a share in the one bread and one cup, making us one in Christ. That
oneness we all have with Christ must be expressed in our love and care for each
other.