The great and the small

Have you been paying attention to the drama that is playing out in the political world during these past months?  Two weeks ago, the President of the United States announced that there will soon be a new agreement for international trade between his country and Mexico, and over the past week, negotiations are progressing toward the inclusion of Canada in that agreement, or possibly the formulation of a separate agreement altogether.

Against this backdrop, I find it curious that the scriptures ask us today to ponder: do you, do I ... really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? (Jas 2:1).  If we do, are we really willing to follow him?  His portrayal of power is not based on any trade agreement other than a willingness on our part to look beyond the gold rings and fine clothes (cf Jas 2:2) that some people are privileged to possess and to focus our attention on the person instead of the clothing.  God has chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised (Jas 2:5).

These are powerful words, but they speak a truth that challenges us to look beyond the physical world that we are used to perceiving.  These words challenge us to look inwardly, to ask ourselves what we truly consider to be important in life.  These words give us a glimpse into the heart of Jesus who was always more concerned for the person who stood before him than he was for the possessions that person may have clung to.

Today’s gospel passage places us with Jesus at a moment when they brought to him a man who was deaf and who had an impediment in his speech (Mk 7:32).  Saint Mark says that Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd (Mk 7:33).  What a wonderful moment that must have been for this man.  Until that moment, he had been ignored by most of the people around him.  His deafness had cut him off from countless conversations that had taken place.  How frustrating it must have been for him!  Yet, Jesus took him aside, paid attention to him as though he was the only person who really mattered.

Jesus knew the frustrations this man had lived with, and Jesus knew how much he wanted to hear again.  That’s why he cured him (cf Mk 7:33-35), and Jesus also knows each one of us as well.  He knows that each one of us has grown deaf to the cries of our brothers and sisters, even if we have not yet realized that we have grown hard of hearing.  Jesus knows that we have developed speech impediments: that our tongues have been silenced or that we have forgotten how to use our tongues to speak out for those in our world who cannot speak for themselves, and he wants to heal us of our infirmity.

Can we be courageous enough to come to Jesus and to ask him to restore the gift of hearing so that we can once again hear the cries of those who need our help?  If he were to free our tongues, would we be brave enough to say to those who are fearful of heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear’ (Is 35:4), come to the Lord and rediscover the power of his love.