23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME B
HEART TO HEART
It is tempting to focus solely on
the healing of the deaf man with a speech impediment in this Sunday’s gospel. For
that is in fact, an astounding feat! Who makes the deaf hear? Who makes the
dumb speak? Only Jesus could do that… but in his own unique way of doing
things. Let us focus on Jesus’ way, his act, his move.
Before the healing started, Jesus
moved the deaf man away from the crowd. From the start, the healing was not to
be interpreted as a wonder-working gimmick for the world to see. The Lord took
the man off from the spectators so that he could be with him alone, total,
present, and immediate. Those who saw noticed Jesus touching the man’s ears,
touching his tongue with his spittle, groaning and then directly speaking to
the man: Be opened!
The world of Jesus is a world of
hearts. Here is the beating heart of God in human flesh reaching out, pulsating
with love, and overflowing with mercy for those in misery. And then there is
the yearning heart of the creature crying out for help, for deliverance, for
healing and for peace. Jesus took the man away from the crowd to make it very
clear that this healing, this miracle, is first and foremost an impulse of
divine love.
Jesus’ heart encounters a
suffering human heart. The sufferer, sensing the sincerity of the Lord, opens
his heart in trust and confidence. The miracle happened between two hearts
before it became manifested in the restored and renewed body of the disabled
man.
That Jesus touched the man and
spoke directly to him, further assures us of the deep personal investment he
made in this encounter. That the man responded positively to Jesus’ words and
actions shows that his whole life, not just his body, was touched by grace. Truly,
Jesus’ presence is the love of God made visible and concrete for the poor and
needy of this world. In Jesus, we confirm that the name of God is Love!
Today many people readily
dispense with assistance for people in need. But they do so from a vantage
point of superiority and power. Others perform acts of charity with selfie
sticks that can guarantee that their generosity will be soon available on FB or
IG. But the poor and the suffering can feel the motive of the person before
them. Somehow, they know which ones truly deal with them from the heart.
Let us remember St. Francis de
Sales’ words: “Heart speaks to heart, and the tongue speaks only to men’s ears.”
Let us imitate Jesus in making memorable, life-changing investments in our
relationships with those who need us most.
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