September 8, 2024
Twenty-Third Sonde for Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today
Listen for English
He put His finger inside di man ears and, after He spit, He touch di man tongue; then He look up to heaven, groan, and tell am, “Ephphatha!”—wey mean, “Open!”—And immediately di man ears open, di problem wey make am no fit talk well comot, and he begin talk clear. Mark 7:33–35
One interesting thing for this story na say di people wey bring this man wey no dey hear and no fit talk come meet Jesus beg Him make He “put His hand on am” so that He go heal am. But wetin Jesus do? Instead, He take di man comot from di crowd, put His divine finger inside di man ears, touch di man tongue with His own holy saliva, and di man receive healing. At first, to put your finger inside another person ear and touch im tongue with your own saliva fit look like something wey go make person feel disgust. Normally, na so e go be. To understand these two things wey Jesus do, we must understand wetin dem represent.
Scripture use di image of finger many times to refer to God power. For di Book of Exodus, after di plague of small flies, Pharaoh magicians talk say e clear say na “di finger of God” do this one (Exodus 8:19). When Moses receive di Ten Commandments for di mountain, we know say na God finger write dem too (Exodus 31:18). For di book of Daniel, one finger appear and write one prophetic message for wall (Daniel 5:5). For di New Testament, Jesus drive one demon comot “by di finger of God” (Luke 11:20), and for today Gospel, He use His finger heal this man so that he fit hear. We understand “di finger of God” as God power and something wey di Holy Spirit do. So, as Jesus use His holy finger heal, He use this sign show say He dey fully use God power, and say He dey act for perfect unity with di Holy Spirit and di Father.
Di image of saliva get interesting meaning too. Maybe you don notice say when animal get wound, e dey often lick di wound. Na something wey di animal naturally dey do without anybody teaching am, but e still get sense. Saliva get some healing power wey be like medicine. E get things inside wey dey fight bacteria. So, since ordinary saliva fit help wound heal, Jesus saliva fit heal for way wey pass wetin nature fit do. Remember too say Jesus heal one blind man by spitting for ground and then rubbing di mud for im eyes (John 9:6).
Jesus need to use His finger and His saliva before He fit heal this man? Not at all. He fit just think am, and e go happen. But He choose to use His body as tool for His healing power. As He do so, He show us say His human nature become di source of unity between God and human beings. Even His finger and His saliva join us to God. Everything about di Son of God for His human form bring grace, healing and mercy. Even wetin, at first, fit look like di thing wey go make person feel disgust pass.
Even though we fit learn plenty things from this passage, one thing wey we no suppose miss na say, if Jesus choose to use His finger and even His saliva to give out His power, na so He still want continue to use di members of His Body to share His grace. Through Baptism, you be member of Christ Body, di Church. You be His hands and feet, His eyes and voice, His heart and finger, and even His saliva. That last thought fit really make us humble. But if Jesus fit use His saliva heal, He fit use you. If we fit understand this one with humble heart, we go dey more ready to become tool wey He go use show His divine mercy to people wey need am. God fit use us, NO BE because we deserve make He use us. Instead, He fit use us because He don choose to do so, even when our condition low pass.
Today, think deeply about di picture of Jesus as He dey heal this man wey no dey hear and no fit talk. If you ever feel say God no fit use you, remember di way our Lord take do this miracle. If God fit use His finger and His saliva, He surely fit use you, no matter how much you no deserve am or how sinful you fit be. This miracle show us say God fit use everything for His glory, simply because na God He be. Humble yourself and offer yourself to God make He use you as He want. As you do so, you go give God di chance to show His almighty power through you.
My Lord wey dey heal, when You become human being, You join Your divine nature with human nature. Through Your holy human nature, You pour out Your grace and mercy, and You still dey do so today. Abeg, dear Lord, use me as instrument of Your grace. Make I always dey humble and see myself as Your instrument wey no worthy, but wey You still choose to use even though I no worthy. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows
As tradition be, dem dey pray am September 7–15
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Prayers for di Election and di Nation
Novena wey go last nine weeks from September 3 – November 4
Saint for Today – Birth of di Blessed Virgin Mary—Feast
Dem no dey celebrate am as feast this year because e fall on Sunday
Main picture wey dey above: Jesus Dey Heal di Deaf Man Na Scott Griessel make am, through Adobe
