Bible Texts and Sermon for the Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, September 10

September 10, 2025                        
Wednesday of 13^th Sunday after Pentecost

Collect of the Day: Almighty and merciful God, by Your gift alone Your faithful people render true and laudable service. Help us steadfastly to live in this life according to Your promises and finally attain Your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Epistle is from Romans, the tenth chapter.                             Romans 10:9-17

⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.¹³ For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. This is the Word of the Lord. 

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the seventh chapter.               Mark 7:31-37

³¹ Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. ³² And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³ And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. ³⁴ And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶ And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. ³⁷ And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 Sermon: O Lord, your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. 

The gift of healing for this dear man whom the mysterious “they” brought to Jesus is truly remarkable. Jesus gave this man the ability to communicate effectively. From that moment forward, he would be able to hear music, words, and the magisterial sounds of nature. He could now use words to make himself understood clearly, rather than grow increasingly frustrated that the people trying to interpret his grunts and signs could not understand what he was trying to communicate. All of Jesus’ healings serve to make people whole and to bring them into the fullness of community life. 

This gift of hearing and speech means that he can hear danger approaching from behind and get out of the way; that he can go into the market and purchase what he truly needs; that he can hear the voice of his beloved and their children and respond in kind; that he can sing and hear the music to which he now dances to. 

The coupling of the Romans text with the healing of the deaf and mute man, serves to expand our understanding of the nuances of this particular miracle. Paul reminds us of the crucial task of preaching Christ crucified and risen. Through the preaching of Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit creates faith to receive the Good News of Jesus and with faith to grasp the promises of God. Through faith we believe in our hearts that Jesus rose from the dead for us. Through faith we receive and believe the promise of our Lord’s forgiveness for our sins and his promise of eternal life in paradise. 

The deaf and mute man is free now to hear gospel promises, to believe, and to confess his faith with his lips. This miracle did not happen in isolation. There was a crowd. All these people saw the miracle and shared the news of what they witnessed. They saw the Christ take away barriers to a good and joyful life. They saw Christ make it possible for this man to hear the Good News of God and to confess what is in his heart with his lips. 

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.