[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2026]
There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
Mark 7 v32 [NIVUK]
Being hard of hearing is not a pleasant experience. For those whose affliction is temporary the impediment to social interaction comes as an unexpected challenge. Conversation becomes difficult and we soon begin to feel that we are missing out on what is going on around us. Image, then, how disadvantaged the man brought to Jesus would have felt without the modern aids to hearing.
Amongst the commands that God gave to his people is an instruction for those of us who encounter someone who is hard of hearing:
Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling-block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19 v14 [NIVUK]
We can assume from the context of our opening verse that the man mentioned had probably been deaf and dumb for some time, perhaps all his life. We can see, too, that he was sufficiently well-known and popular for the crowd to implore Jesus to help him, which he did. If our title question were to be asked of him then his response would be “I was, but I’m not any longer”.
Deafness can be deliberate – it is well said “None so deaf as those who will not hear”. In Luke 15 we read the parable of the Good Samaritan, which tells us of the two clerics who declined to assist the wounded man. They were well aware of his plight but decided to continue on their respective journeys. In our title question were to be asked of them, their responses would have to be “I wasn’t but I am now”.
Deafness can be selective. Perhaps we do not trust the source of something that we have been told; perhaps there is an instruction that we do not want to obey or perhaps we are too busy to respond. There may be times when we have to prioritise what we hear from amongst many voices clamouring for our attention.
Are there times when we think that God is hard of hearing or too busy? Do we echo the words of Asaph when he wrote?
O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God.
Psalm 83 v1 [NIVUK]
When we speak, God listens; when God speaks, do we afford him the same courtesy? The writer of the book of Proverbs warns us of the consequences of not listening:
If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.
Proverbs 28 v9 [NIVUK]
A more positive assurance comes from one of David’s psalms:
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Psalm 5 v3 [NIVUK]
References:
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Last week’s reflection: Artificial Intelligence or Authoritative Inspiration?
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys