Openings

by G.M. Hydon, Toronto, Canada | Category: General | Jun 1989

Once again the borders of Decapolis rang to shouts of praise.

This time it was not the cries, met with incredulity, of a lone man testifying to his release from a legion of evil spirits, a bondage that had isolated him from others.

Now, a multitude was glorifying God for the gift of hearing and speech to another man whose affliction had affected his ability to communicate. Maybe this was the most notable of the many miracles done by Jesus on the occasion (Mark 7:31-37; Mat. 15:29-31). For this helpless man, brought by his friends, it was a life-changing event. All he could do was read the lips of the Master as the emphatic Aramaic word was spoken: "Ephphatha!" - Be opened! Then came the cure: immediate and continuing, as we may learn from the use of the Greek aorist and imperfect tenses in Mark 7:35. The result was praise for the One who does all things well.

Miraculous also was the experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Though able to hear and speck, to communicate, like the other disciples they had been spiritually blind to the necessity and import of the sufferings of Christ. This unrecognized deficiency was very detrimental; it had isolated and fragmented the Lord's followers. Hence the Master's rebuke as He responded to their need and "opened" to them the Scriptures (Luke 24:32), enabling them to recognize the truth of God. Their eyes were opened too, so that they recognized Him. The Greek word - dianoigo - found here and in the Mark scripture already mentioned, means thoroughly or completely opened. Driven by burning hearts they returned without delay to share with the other disciples what they had learned~

What follows in this illustration of spiritual development? The Lord later thoroughly "opened... their mind, that they might understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45). Of this discourse and of subsequent ones, Luke says in another place that Jesus was "speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3), which were to be implemented when the disciples were empowered by the Spirit. Peter, Philip and Paul were among those who later faithfully brought people to see this kingdom truth, termed "the Truth", "the apostles' teaching" and "the whole counsel of God" (see John 18:37; Acts 2:41-2; 8:12; 18:8; 20:25,27). Opened ears, eyes and minds resulted in a readiness to learn, an ability to envisage God's purposes, and Spirit-guided understanding of the Truth - how disciples should be gathered into churches of God to collectively comprise the house of God, the place of spiritual service (1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:5). Lydia provides a good example; the Lord completely opened her heart (Acts 16:14). In a life-changing response to what she heard, she was baptized; so were others, and the church of God in Philippi was planted.

The unsaved still suffer from closed ears and eyes and calloused hearts (Acts 28:27; 2 Cor. 4:3,4). Even by believers sometimes the vision of the value and purpose of the sacrifice of Christ is restricted, resulting in loss of spiritual fellowship. Life-changing openings are still needed. Praise to God will follow. Only the Lord can provide these openings. Who will bring those needing them to the Master, by teaching and by prayer?

G.M. Hydon, Toronto, Canada | Jun 1989
General