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The Gospel of Mark is the oldest Gospel we have. There are many
special things about it. One of the most special things is that it contains
several original words of Jesus. Words in Jesus own language –
Aramaic – that he must have spoken himself.
We have one of these words today, a very powerful word: Ephatha,
which means “Be Opened.” Say it with me: EPHATHA!
Being opened is the opposite of being shut, of being clenched.
Do me a favor, will you. Clench your hands. Clench your hands
as hard as you can and make fists. Keep it like that for just a few
minutes, until I tell you.
A clenched fist gives a person a sense of power. We clench our
fists when we get really mad, really frustrated, really full of hate.
A clenched fist is an ugly thing.
But not nearly as ugly as a clenched face. We clench our faces
when we criticize too harshly, when we judge harshly, when we look
down on someone or put out an arrogant attitude. A clenched face is an ugly thing … but not nearly as ugly as a
clenched heart. Our hearts get clenched when we are full of hatred and
vengeance. Other things that can clench the heart are greed, envy,
jealousy, or rage when we don’t get our own way.
(Keep your fist clenched a little bit longer)
Sometimes whole families can be clenched, whole parishes, whole
communities.
And to the clenched community, the clenched family, the clenched
heart, the clenched face, the clenched hand, the clenched ears, the
clenched tongue, Jesus comes and says EPHATHA! BE OPENED!
I hope those of you who have clenched your hands are getting
really tired. You should be. Now I’ll ask you to slowly, slowly unclench
your hands: EPHATHA! BE OPENED!
Isn’t that better?
One day you will be completely unclenched. On the day when we
rise to glory, it will be wonderful. We will be holding on to God
completely and fully … because we won’t be holding anything else.
In the meantime, we Christians try to let go, little by little, of pains and wounds and regrets and resentment and anger. And Jesus is here
helping us.
I close with this:
Jesus came to me. He saw that my mind was clenched. I can’t
stand them. Those groups. Those people. That person. EPHATHA, he
said BE OPENED! But I replied, Lord they hurt me. They threaten me.
They violate me.
“I know, he said. Like the people who were cruel to me on Good
Friday. My mind wanted to clench shut. The thought of them was like a
crown of thorns tightening around my temples. But I opened myself up
and God raised me, making me the Savior.”
Jesus came. He saw my hands were clenched. I’m not going to
help another person. I’m not going to help the church anymore. I’m not
going to reach out to my neighbor again. No one appreciates it.
“I know, Jesus said. Like the people who didn’t appreciate me.
Sometimes when I opened my hands it felt like they were hammering
nails through it. But I opened myself, and God raised me, making me
the Savior of the world.” Jesus came. He saw that my heart was clenched. So full of anger,
so bitter, so jealous. Ephatha, he said. Be opened! I’m so tired of
loving people. Often they don’t love me back. And when I opened my
heart it feels sometimes like a great spear pierces me to my very soul.
“I know, said Jesus. Believe me, I understand. But when the spear
pierced my heart, I opened myself to it, to the world, to the father … and
God has raised me up.”
Ephatha! Be Opened! God will raise you up also!
Close your eyes; clench your fists – what else in your life is
clenched?
EPHATHA! I am going to help you, says Jesus!