In the midst of their Babylonian exile, the people of Israel look to God for some hope of vindication, and the Lord, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, assures them: Say to those whose hearts are frightened, Be strong, fear not! The Lord will vindicate his people by conquering their enemies; they will one day be released and restored to their land. But that restoration will be to a world that is as yet unknown to them, one in which all barriers – physical, personal, financial – are removed: then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared, Isaiah tells them. Even the desert will be transformed and become fertile once more, for springs will burst forth there and the burning sands will become pools. At that time, the people will have every reason to praise the Lord, as in Psalm 146, for the Lord sets captives free, removing every barrier between them and every barrier that keeps them from God himself.
Jesus similarly removes barriers that keep us from him, as in Mark’s Gospel, in which Jesus heals a deaf man who had a speech impediment. As Isaiah had predicted, Jesus does indeed make the deaf hear and the mute speak. He can do so because, in him, the fullness of God’s will and of God’s intent is not limited by human vision. In a moment both miraculous and intimate, Jesus reaches beyond the barriers of the deaf man and restores him to life: Ephphatha! Be opened! Jesus says. This is what it means to save people in truth: not the way they want to be saved, but in a way perfectly in line with God’s will and and intent.
If only humankind were as adept at removing barriers as Jesus is! In the Letter of James, it is clear that if God loves all equally, then we should also: show no partiality as you adhere to the faith, James exhorts his readers. We are not to erect barriers between peoples; we are not to discriminate, but to welcome rich and poor alike. In God’s kingdom, no prejudice of any kind is permitted, for God’s love is equal, and equally accessible, to everyone. In that ideal world of the fullness of the kingdom that is our hope, all are equal and all barriers are removed. Can you imagine? Try! And then… work for it!
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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