Road to Emmaus Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

Sep 2, 2009

First Reading – Is. 35:4-7a

Responsorial Psalm – Ps. 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

Second Reading – Jam. 2:1-5

Gospel Reading – Mk. 7:31-37

 

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading from Mark, Jesus journeys to the Decapolis, a district of ten Gentile cities. Right away we know that the mercy of God is being extended not to the Jews alone, but also to the Gentiles.

 

In Mark 5 we also heard about the Decapolis when Jesus met a man possessed by Legion.  Jesus cast out the demons from this man and then instructed him to “go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). The man then “went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled” (Mark 5:20).

 

Now Jesus is in the Decapolis and is immediately greeted by people bringing to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment. The Greek word for speech impediment, “mogilalos,” automatically links us to the Old Testament reading for this Sunday from Isaiah 35. This Greek word is only used in these two places in all of Sacred Scripture. Therefore, we are seeing at least a partial fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah in this episode in the Decapolis.

 

Isaiah is speaking to those from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin who will be taken into Babylonian captivity. However, this prophecy tells of the time when they will be delivered. In Isaiah 35:2 we are told that they will “see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.” This is being fulfilled by Jesus. In Jesus the people of the Decapolis are seeing the glory of God and his majesty. But, there is more to the story.

 

The prophecy goes on to say, “Behold, your God will come with vengeance…He will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4). In Isaiah it is God who will come and save. Mark is telling us once again that Jesus is God. This is confirmed by what Isaiah, and Mark go on to say. When God comes, “then…the ears of the deaf unstopped…and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:5b, 6b). When Jesus comes the deaf man’s “ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly” (Mark 7:35).

 

Mary Healy in her book, The Gospel of Mark, also draws the conclusion that Mark is again showing us that Jesus is God. However, she brings into the picture another passage from Scripture. Healy says, “Once again Jesus has performed a role that Scripture ascribes to God alone: ‘Who gives one man speech and makes another deaf and dumb? Or who gives sight to one and makes another blind? Is it not I, the Lord?’” (p. 148; Exodus 4:11).

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