As a school leader it was a common experience that whenever a student had committed an offence against the community people would be very forthright in telling me how I must deal with them. Parents would write angry emails wanting to know what action had been taken against the offender that had hurt their child. Teachers would insist that students that continued to disrespect them must be suspended at the very least, if not excluded from the school entirely. Sometimes they would straight out refuse to receive a student back into their classroom, while others would refuse to take them on.
And to be fair, there were occasions on which this was the result - when repeated behaviours left me unable to ensure the safety of a teacher or other students. But usually I would do my best to engage the parents and teachers in a conversation about who we were as a community of faith and learning. One that is founded upon the unconditional love and mercy of God for all. That imposes appropriate consequences, and then seeks to restore relationships, and forgive.
In this Sunday's readings we see this principle being tested. In a culture that had an immediate deed-consequence understanding of their relationship with God, 'How did this man's parents sin that he was born blind?', Isaiah is promising sight to the blind, and God's mercy on those who are deaf and lame. And this is a direct challenge to who they believe they know God to be.
In the Gospel then, when Jesus lays hands on the deaf man that has been brought to Him, EPHPHATHA! we are challenged to be open to God's mercy too. To receive it and to be willing to show mercy to others - just as the deaf man is now able to hear, and to be heard.
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