Readings: Psalm 125; James 2:1-10; Mark 7:1-8.14-15,21-23
In the Epistle and Gospel we heard about Inclusivesness and Healing. Another major story which teaches in a similar way is that well known one of Saul, who, when on his way to Damascus to single out Christians for persecution, met God face to face.

Blind and deaf to God`s gracious and redemptive power, the Lord came crashing into his life on that road. Saul`s entire life was flipped upside down.

Miracles - like that, and the ones in today`s Gospel reading are miracles involving the senses. In her commentary on Mark, Morna Hooker a Professor of Divinity in Cambridge writes, “The physical restoration represents the ability to hear spiritually, which is given to those who believe in Jesus”.

How are your and my senses of sight and hearing?
How able are we to speak and to do?

Let me share -- A story --

Telemachus was a monk who lived in Asia Minor about the year 400 AD.
During his life the gladiatorial games were very popular.

(I was reminded of the history of those games when I visited the Coliseum and other arenas in Rome in 2004.)

The gladiators were usually slaves or political prisoners who were condemned to fight each other unto death for the amusement of the spectators. People were fascinated by the sight of blood and gore upon the arena floor.
(Today perhaps not so much gore but what we are presented with on the television and the sporting arena suggests we seem to love a good brawl especially if someone is carted off!!!!!)

Telemachus was very much disturbed that the Emperor Honorius, who was a Christian, sponsored the games and that so many people who called themselves Christian went to see them. What, he wondered, could be further from the Spirit of Christ than the horrible cruelty of the gladiatorial games? The bishops and priests spoke against them, but most people were deaf to their message.

Telemachus realized that talking about this evil was not enough. It was time to do something. But what could he actually accomplish – one lone monk against the whole Roman Empire? He had no power.
The games had been part of Roman life for centuries. Nothing he could possibly do would ever make a difference.

For a long time Telemachus agonized about the problem. Finally he could not live with himself any longer. For the sake of his own soul he decided he had to obey the voice of Christ within him – regardless of the consequences. He set out for Rome.

When he entered the city, the people he met had gone mad with excitement. "To the Coliseum!" they cried out. "The games are about to start!"

Telemachus followed the crowd. Soon he was seated among all the other people. Far away in a special box he saw the emperor.

The gladiators came out into the centre of the arena. Everybody was tense. Everybody was silent as the two men faced each other. The men drew their swords.
The fight was about to begin! One of them would probably die within a few minutes. Who would it be?

At that moment Telemachus rose from his seat and ran down onto the arena floor. He held high the cross of Christ that he carried and threw himself into a position between the two gladiators.

"In the name of our Master," he cried, "Stop fighting!"

The two men hesitated. Nothing like this had ever happened before.
They did not know what to do. They put up their swords for a moment.

The spectators were furious. Telemachus had robbed them of their entertainment. They yelled wildly and stampeded toward the centre of the arena. They became a mob.
(How many times have you heard of or seen that related to football – with related injuries).
With sticks and stones the mob beat Telemachus to death.

On the arena lay the battered body of the monk. Suddenly the mob and the spectators who had remained in their seats grew quiet. A feeling of revulsion at what had been done swept over them. Emperor Honorius rose and left the Coliseum. The people followed him.
Abruptly the games were over.

Emperor Honorius sensed the mood of the crowd that day. His ears were opened by the death of Telemachus. His tongue was loosened as well.
He issued an edict forbidding all future gladiatorial games.
And so it was, in about the year 404 AD, because one individual, filled with the love of Christ, dared to say, "No!" all gladiatorial games ceased.

In the Gospel reading today we heard of how Jesus was able to heal damaged senses - indeed he spent much of his time doing so, not just in the area of the Decapolis (the confederation of 10 Greek cities, mainly east of the Jordan) where today`s gospel reading is set, but in the region of Tyre and Sidon, in Galilee and the area beyond the Jordan, and in Samaria and Jerusalem (all places which now have meaning for me, since my visit last year).

As it is for the physical senses of sight and hearing, so it is for the spiritual senses of sight and hearing.

We all require spiritual sensors, if we are to hear the word of God and see that his kingdom is at hand. Otherwise we have but words and images that mean nothing to us.
Words and images that are incapable of being translated by us into the works and deeds of faith.

Leaping forward 1600 years:-
During the spring of 1993 about 600 would be lawyers sat for the California Bar Exam. In the middle of test a 51 year old man suffered a seizure. Only 2 of the 600 people stopped working on their exams and offered the man help.
For a half an hour those two administered CPR until paramedics arrived.
The other five hundred and ninety-eight continued with their tests without so much as a glance in their direction.
Ironically - one of the parts of the exam dealt with the subject of ethics.

These two stories taken from the resources of Rev Richard Fairchild of Canada, challenge us to hear and examine our own responses.

How today those who believe in Christ are like those hopeful lawyers?
How many have the words of God`s love fall upon our ears but have not really heard them?
Had the images of God`s presence fall upon our eyes but have not seen them?
Have all the words of faith in our brains, yet do not live by faith or work the works of God?

My friends - even as Jesus opened the ears of the man born deaf, he can give us the ability to hear.

Even as he touched the Emperor Honorius and all the Roman people - he can touch us.

He can open our ears and our eyes and make the sensory signals that come to us from every direction get through to our spiritual centre.

Jesus can touch us so we really can see how we discriminate against some and show favour to others. He can enable us to love all people as he loves all people - equally as brothers and sisters, without judgement or bias or reserve.

Think for a moment of what you have seen, heard, read about in recent weeks which ‘get at you’ – my crude way of putting it. There are times when I simply turn off the TV or Radio. I don’t buy the newspaper.

On Wednesday I received by email from a friend, the following quote

If you don`t read the newspaper you are uninformed,
if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.
~Mark Twain~

I don’t want my head filled with the vision or sound of the negative news we are attacked with hour by hour, day by day.

Am I wrong!!!!!!!

Jesus can touch us:
so we really hear the cries of the needy around us, and are able to bring them the word that they need;
so we are able to be those who bear his healing touch to others;
so we can hear his voice when we feel lost and alone and enable us to have a hope within us and a peace around us that not only empowers us, but which also empowers others with us.

Jesus does all things well -
As he wants us to do.
He wants to heal us - both inwardly and outwardly,
Wants us to be whole,
to be able to hear, and see, and speak, and do -
both in the body,
and in the spirit.

Reach out to Jesus, as he reaches out to you.

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Shortly we will sing the beautiful Graham Hendrick Hymn
“Beauty for brokenness………” in the chorus he has us sing “Come change our love from a spark to a flame”
He sums up our senses of hearing, seeing, feeling and gives them direction.

Praise be to the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, now and forevermore.
Amen.

Let us be silent for a few moments.