A reading from the Gospel of Mark 7:31-37:
“Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’— that is, ‘Be opened!’ — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, ‘He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’”
How we understand life actually depends on how we understand God. If we have a distorted view of God, we will have a distorted view of reality. This is true for those who believe in God as well as for those who do not. I can say this because everyone has an operative god of sorts: primary loyalty or a central reference point. So, we can ask, is the god you or I have worthy of being God? This is more than an academic or philosophical or theological question because we become the god we worship. The truly good, generous, and loving people I have encountered in my life invariably have a good, generous, and loving God.
In today’s Gospel, we see that the God of Jesus is an unbelievably good God. In this story, Jesus encounters a deaf man who also had a speech impediment. We are told that Jesus takes the man off by himself, away from the crowd. A good, generous, and loving God does not see us as part of some collective category. No, the God of Jesus sees each of us as individuals and unique expressions of the Divine Image, worthy of private and unique healing. Indeed, God loves diversity. And like the God of Jesus, we are called to both witness and celebrate creation in all of its various manifestations, including people of every race, religion, and political persuasion.
However, Jesus does more than merely witness the uniqueness of this man. We are told that he looked up to heaven and groaned. Translation: Jesus knew that the man’s healing could not ultimately be gained through human ingenuity alone. Only the healing energy of divine love could restore this man to the fullness of life. So Jesus, with every fiber of his being, lifted his heart and mind to a higher power, the God of love. We are told he “groaned,” which is to say that his prayer was filled with depth, sincerity, and love. The message could not be clearer: only a higher love, God’s love, can heal us of our ills, and only love can beget love. God loves us; we return that love with our love. This exchange of love releases divine energy (God’s Spirit) into creation to create miracles.
Finally, Jesus commanded the man’s ears to be opened, and they were opened. When we follow the Jesus pattern, aligning ourselves with the highest love, our thoughts and words become a powerful conduit for heaven’s healing vibrations. Right now, the world is a mess. When you are faced with troubles, calamities, and tragedy, do not give into despair, fear, or anger. More than ever, the world needs all people of good will to infuse the future with hope, love, and creative possibilities. With faith in God’s goodness, use the power of inspired intention and loving speech to create a different reality on planet earth, just as Jesus did. In this spirit, Yogananda tells us, “We have a tremendous amount of energy in our bodies. One gram of flesh can light the city of Chicago for two days. We have the equivalent of 30 hydrogen bombs in our bodies if we could liberate it and if we really wanted to make a statement! If you unite your energy with God’s energy, you could literally move mountains. We can accomplish anything with the realized power of faith. Faith (as an expression of love) creates vibrations so potent it can literally uproot a mountain and cast it into the sea.”
Divine God, Beloved Guru,
Take me apart,
Heal me,
So that my thoughts and words
May heal others.
