Craig Clouston

 

Ephphatha!

July 15

At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened.

Mark 7:34

Deaf and mute from birth, Jeremiah never used his disability as an excuse. Always laughing and pranking his classmates, Jeremiah had graduated Valedictorian of his High School Class.

Proud of his brother’s accomplishments, and wanting to understand his brother’s ability to rise above his disability, Justin decided to spend an entire week without speaking while wearing earplugs. The first three days of silence brought a deeper understanding of Jeremiah’s character and optimistic attitude. Refraining from talking was difficult for Justin. He couldn’t imagine the frustration of never being able to express himself verbally.

By day seven he was being left out of conversations and excluded from many everyday activities he’d taken for granted, which shed even more light on his brother’s determination to rise above the unfairness of life.

When the time came for the exercise to end, Justin asked Jeremiah if he would like to be the one to remove the earplugs. As Jeremiah did, Justin was startled by the loudness of his own voice. For a moment he felt guilty for being able to hear. But the same love that compelled him to experience Jeremiah’s world was looking back at him. He had a new appreciation for Jeremiah.

The biggest benefit from the past week had come when he realized the disability was not in his brother’s limitations, but in the hearts of those who allowed Jeremiah’s disabilities to define him as a man.

†

What began as an exercise born out of love for his brother, ended in Justin’s delivery from bondage; the bondage of self.

When we see disabilities there is something within us that screams there is something desperately wrong…“This is unfair! No one should have to go through life this way.”

In other words, we focus on the disability. And in doing so, we totally miss the person; not realizing the truth is that we are unable to see past the surface. And then it hits us: we are blind! We are the ones with the disability…

We need Jesus to speak ‘Ephphatha!’ over the eyes of our heart.

Prayer

“Open the eyes of my heart as You did the deaf mute’s ears, Lord Jesus. Help me see people as You see them. Not as defective, but as someone who deserves my respect and not my sympathy. Amen.”