Today's Reading: Mark 7:31-37

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 2:1-27; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

"He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." (Mark 7:37)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I had a friend who was born with severe hearing loss. He was totally deaf in one ear and had extremely limited hearing in the other. His first language was sign language. In his teenage years he received a powerful hearing aid that would allow him to barely hear. It was a miracle that opened up a new world for him, and yet, communication with him was still difficult.

I didn’t realize how difficult it is for the deaf. I certainly didn’t when I was a teen. So please understand, the deaf miss out on more than just hearing your favorite music. They miss out on a lot of communication with people, even in their own families. As a result, I think some deaf people feel cut off and alienated, and this is in a time when modern technology and sign language exists. No such language or technology existed in Jesus’ day. I can only imagine that back then, the deaf felt like total outsiders, unable to communicate. But Jesus communicated with them.

Because of His great compassion and love for others, it was Jesus’ joy to help those in need, including those who could not hear. In Mark 7, Jesus restored the gift of hearing and speech to someone who never heard a word before and would have been unable to speak on his own, but for the working of God. That is what this miracle showed, namely, that Jesus was the Son of God. He was the one the prophets had talked about, the one God promised to send who would restore sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. This is also why the people who witnessed this miracle were "astonished beyond measure." They knew they were in the presence of the Messiah.

Whether you are deaf or can hear quite well, since you are a Christian, God has given you the ability to hear Him. Like a shepherd who leads His flock with the sound of His voice, the Lord Jesus speaks to His Church through His holy Word. Whether you literally hear the Word or read it on the page, Christ guides and leads you. He leads you to Himself. To safety, eternally, in the Kingdom. One day, you, too, along with all His saints, will be astonished and amazed when you are perfectly restored and all your sins removed. You will not be cut off from God or from any other believer again, but you will unite in praise of the One who redeemed you and restored God’s holy and perfect image in you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The gifts are there each day The holy Word is read; God’s children listen, hear, receive, and they are fed. ("The Gifts Christ Freely Gives" LSB 602, st.4a)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch