NOTES for Mar 7:24-37
In this story it is very interesting why Mark decided to preserve the Aramaic word "ephphatha." Usually the evangelist gives Aramaic words either when they were well known to his listeners, or when they said a great deal to them and to him personally. In particular, Mark preserves not only the Lord Jesus' address to the Father, "Abba," and His words of God-forsakenness on the cross, but also His words addressed to those whom He healed: for example, to Jairus's daughter, "talitha, cumi," and today, to the deaf man. Why was the word "ephphatha" so precious to the evangelist? Perhaps he felt that it was, in some measure, addressed not only to the deaf man, but also to everyone who recognizes his own deafness, the closedness of his heart and spiritual hearing, and his inability to hear and understand the Word addressed to him. This means that today the Lord, in His native language, addresses all who want healing, all who want to live His life and follow His way, and says: "Ephphatha, be opened..."