Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

The Gospel text this morning has been associated with the baptismal liturgy of the church from ancient times. “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” Immediately his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly (Mk 7:34–35). Although the word “baptism” is not mentioned in this text, and there is no water, unless one counts that Jesus spat and touched the man’s tongue, the church has always read this as a baptismal text.

Deaf people can’t hear. It wouldn’t do any good to tell a deaf man to listen up—he couldn’t hear you tell him. Yell louder and it wouldn’t make a difference. But there is one thing worse than being deaf: being dead. Those guys really are bad at hearing. If you don’t believe me, go to the graveyard and try yelling at the gravestones. “You guys have been laying around for ages. You haven’t done an honest day’s work in centuries. Stop being lazy! Make an effort. Start believing in yourselves! Make a choice to get up and improve your lives!” What a waste of time. Dead people can’t do anything. They can’t choose anything. They can’t hear anything.

But when Jesus speaks, it doesn’t matter whether a person is deaf or dead. Jesus tells deaf ears, “Be opened,” and they hear and obey. Indeed, Jesus says, “The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (Jn 5:25). That hour comes again every time a baptism is performed. We carry the dead baby to the font. The baby might look alive. It may be kicking and fussing. But it is, as they say about someone on death row, a dead man walking. This is how every one of us enters this world. From the moment of conception, we are spiritually dead, deserving of and condemned to an eternity in hell, apart from Christ, and incapable of coming to Him or desiring Him.

And so we bring the child to Jesus, expecting a miracle, according to His promise, “He who comes to Me, I will by no means cast out” (Jn 6:37). Just as our Lord did for the deaf mute, so He does for the spiritually dead who are brought to Him through the waters of Holy Baptism. So He did for you. “Ephphatha, that is, “Be opened.” Immediately your ears were opened, and the bond of your tongue was loosed, and you began to speak plainly.”

Apart from hearing the word of Christ, every tongue is bound by Satan. We confess this in Luther’s hymn, “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice: “Fast bound in Satan’s chains I lay; Death brooded darkly o’er me, Sin was my torment night and day; In sin my mother bore me.” That is the default state of fallen man according to the Scriptures. It’s a simple fact that those who cannot hear cannot speak. The consequence of being deaf is also to be mute. Therefore, when Christ opens the ears of the deaf and removes the bond of Satan upon the tongue through Baptism, it follows that the new Christian begins to speak rightly for the first time.

Literally translated, the Bible says that the man began to speak orthodoxly. Orthos is the Greek word here. It means “right, straight, and true.” If your teeth need to be straightened, you go to the orthodontist. And if your words need to be straightened—and they do—then you go to Jesus and His Word. Your tongue was once bound by Satan, leaving you unable to speak and confess the orthodox truth. And then in Holy Baptism, Jesus drove out Satan, removed the chains from your tongue, and taught you to confess His Word orthodoxly, that is, in truth and purity.

But don’t think for a moment that Satan gives up after being driven out through the exorcism of Baptism. Jesus tells us that the wicked spirit soon returns to check on his former home, seeking to bind once again what the word of Christ has loosed. How can one fall back under this yoke of bondage? It happens almost automatically, when the words of Jesus are not being heard. The devil returns and finds a clean but empty home, and he takes up residence once again.

Consider how many baptized Christians have been rendered unable to speak orthodoxly, unable to confess the true doctrine of Christ, ashamed or unwilling to stand against the shifting winds of our hell-bent culture. Two generations ago the men in our synod lost the ability to speak orthodoxly about male headship within the church and family. Tongues loosed in Baptism were bound again and rendered unable to speak clearly against the evils of abortion, contraception, and no-fault divorce. We lost our love for the great hymns of Lutheran orthodoxy, and were taught by Satan to say, “Doctrine doesn’t matter as long as you love Jesus.”

Ask yourself, “To what degree has my tongue been bound?” Do you find it arrogant to say that we have the pure teaching of Christ? Are you ashamed to confess that the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church is correct and all other traditions are in error? Are you embarrassed by our rich liturgical tradition that is firmly rooted in the words of Scripture? Was the last time you seriously studied the Bible the period leading to your confirmation?

If these questions are hitting home, then hear once again the word of Jesus that calls you to repent and return to your baptism. Ephphatha, that is be opened! Before the tongue can confess orthodoxy, the ears must hear the truth of Christ. Remember, faith comes by hearing! This is why Jesus tells the church to make disciples by baptizing and teaching all His words. If we are not hearing and being taught Jesus’ words, Satan will soon render our tongues bound and unable to confess the orthodox faith. Don’t underestimate the devil. He is a mighty and lifelong enemy, and no human might avails against him. But at a word from Jesus, he must flee. Where Christ is, there Satan is driven out. Where His Word is heard and treasured, there the devil finds no purchase for his deceit and trickery.

Dear Christians, hold on to the words of Jesus, for they are life and salvation. Mark, learn, and inwardly digest His doctrine, and as you hear, your tongue is loosed to speak orthodoxly once again. This is no burden; it is joy and blessing. What better way could there be to live than to belong to Christ and to be subject to His Word? There is no greater blessing than to be content within God’s created order, to live under Him in His kingdom and to serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

In holy Baptism, God the Father placed you into the ark of the Christian church on earth. And now the Holy Spirit keeps you in this one true faith, teaching you to order your life according to the words and doctrine of Jesus. Apart from His promises, there is no hope in this broken and sinful world. But you can live without fear, even in the midst of sorrows. Why? Because your ears have been opened to hear the voice of Jesu. And according to His promises, you have the forgiveness of sins and the certain hope of the resurrection to new life. The bond of your tongue has been loosed, and you can speak orthodoxly, confessing with boldness the saving doctrine of Christ, which is the only hope for this broken world. Amen.