A Mighty Fortress

Saturday September 16th, Mark 7: 31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!" ). 35 At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. This is a different reception than Jesus got when he announced the miracle of the year of the Jubilee in his hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4). These outsiders in Tyre and Sidon and the Decapolis were overwhelmed with the wonderful showing of love and grace manifest in action. We too can learn from those outside the “four walls” church, and in the process relearn what grace is all about. I sometimes think our “four walls” are too comfortable a fortress.