SERMON/HOMILY FOR FRIDAY 5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II 9TH FEBRUARY 2024

SERMON/HOMILY FOR FRIDAY, 5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II 9TH FEBRUARY 2024

1Kings 11:29-32; 12:19; Ps.81; Mark 7:31-37

Healed to Serve

In today’s gospel, Jesus heals a man who was both deaf and dumb at the request of those who brought the man to him. Since the man was not lame we can imagine that he could have resisted going to Jesus if he never wanted to. To have allowed himself to be brought to Jesus speaks of his desire to hear and speak again. So, implicit in the request of the people was the request of the man himself.

The healing of the man is very symbolic. Whenever God gives us a gift, he wants us to use it for service in docility to his word. In healing the deaf and dumb man, Jesus wanted him to dedicate these organs of his body to the gospel. The healing is more spiritual than physical. This explains why Jesus first sighed before healing the man.

Some theologians say that he sighed because those who asked Jesus to heal the man did so with the impression that only the man needed to be liberated. If only they understood that they themselves who though claimed to be able to hear and speak, also needed to be liberated. Whatever we have that we do not put to the service of God, we are not better than another who may not have it. Therefore, it is our submission to God that gives value to our possession.

After the healing, Jesus gave the man an instruction to say nothing to anyone about the healing. Jesus could instruct the man because he had enabled the man to hear and speak. However, just immediately, the man is found doing otherwise. See, it is one thing to receive miracles from God, it is another thing to be responsible for the graces received.

By virtue of our baptism, we too have been brought to Jesus for healing; and indeed, he heals us. The question now is, what are we going to be doing with our healed state?