In the second reading, we have an instruction from James on proper treatment of the poor among us.
Our first reading — Isaiah 35:4-7a — has been understood by Christians from ancient times to the present to be fulfilled in Jesus. The God who comes to save us is, of course, none other than Jesus himself. For that reason, this passage is also part of the first reading on the Third Sunday of Advent in Year A. The healings prophesied were all performed by Jesus. Matthew 9:27-30 tells of the healing of two blind men, and another two at 20:29-34. Mark 10:46-52 tells of Jesus giving sight to Bartimaeus. Today's gospel passage — Mark 7:31-37 — is an account of the healing of a deaf man who was also unable to speak. We read of paralytics being healed in Matthew 9:2-7 and John 5:5-9. Jesus himself summarizes his healing work in response to a question from John the Baptist. The question is whether Jesus is the promised Messiah, and Jesus points to the healings as proving that he is. Matthew 11:2-5.
But if the healing of the deaf man shows that Jesus is the Messiah, why does he he tell the witnesses not to tell others about it? This is what is often called "the Messianic Secret." The problem is that the general expectation of the Messiah was that he would be a military-political leader who would restore the independence and glory of Israel: a restoration which would likely involve the military expulsion of the occupying Romans. The revelation of what his Messiahship really is was only possible with his death and resurrection. Meanwhile, some publication of his miracles served to create enough of a following that the authorities were concerned, as at John 11:45-53. Note especially v. 48: "If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation." Jesus needed disciples but not a mass movement.
But there is more to consider than the literal healing of the deaf man. The way Jesus acts — not simply speaking a word, but engaging in symbolic actions — puts us in mind of the sacraments, where something physical has a meaning beyond itself. There is the Bread of Life, which looks like bread, but Jesus says he gives us his flesh for the life of the world. Water, together with the Holy Spirit, gives the rebirth by which we enter the kingdom of heaven. These bodily healings by Jesus point to spiritual healing. In this life, Jesus does not heal every believer's physical illness or suffering. But he can heal spiritual blindness, lack of faith; deafness, failure to understand what he says; lameness, failure to put faith into action; muteness, failure to witness to our faith. He comes to save us above all from the sinfulness which separates us from God.
The literal fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies in verses 5-6a tells us that Jesus is the Messiah. The Messianinc Age has begun. Whether the prophecies in 6b-7 about the abundance of water are figurative or something that will happen literally in the future is not certain. At this point we know that one level of fulfillment is reading water as symbolic of the Holy Spirit giving life to believers, who would be spiritually dead without the gift of grace.
Verses 4-5a are included (along with much more from Isaiah) in Handel's "Messiah." The first 22 seconds of this video give the musical setting.
The responsorial psalm — Ps 146:6-10, with 1b as the responsory — makes reference to the healing of the blind and the coming Messianic Age, but it also turns our attention from what the Lord does for us to what he does for those in need. In that way it prepares us to hear the second reading.
James 2:1-5 is that second reading. It is a straightforward call to show no favoritism toward the rich during church gatherings, i.e., worship. The tendency to show favoritism which the early Christians had to be warned about is still a danger. The first four verses of the readings call for equal treatment of the rich and the poor, but the final verse adds a new element: God has chosen the poor. We are reminded, perhaps, of Jesus' saying that it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Mark 10:23(-27) To become rich usually requires conscious effort, which can easily amount to serving mammon, which is incompatible with serving God. Luke 16:13-15 (The last line in the passage from Luke —"what is of human human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God" — is even more more powerful than what we hear from James.) Thus, the poor are said to be the ones God chooses because they are free from the preoccupation with money which would hinder their attention to God.
As Brad S. Gregory pointed out in chapter 5 of The Unintended Revolution, greed — avarice — has become so pervasive in Western culture that we don't even notice it in ourselves and society. We see nothing problematic in trying to get richer. We expect pay raises and cost-of living increases in benefits. The economy must grow. The stock market must increase in value. Why isn't enough to stay where we are? Why is it intolerable even to lose income or net worth as long as we still have enough for our real needs?
We can apply this teaching more widely in our lives. The tendency to judge by appearances seems natural (at least for fallen nature), and it can lead both to undue respect for those who appear respectable and undue disrespect toward those who appear less respectable. We tell ourselves, "You can't tell a book by its cover," but we do it all the time.
The call for us is, first, to recognize Jesus as Messiah. Then we would do well to ask God to show us what spiritual healing we need. Is our faith weak? Do we need to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the faith? (Have we progressed beyond what we could grasp as children?) Do we live in accordance with our faith? Do our lives sometimes fail to witness to it? Do we show partiality the rich and "respectable?" Are we uncomfortable when poor people approach us? Do we show partiality against the poor, the needy, those who aren't elegant. Do we pursue money? And, of course, we should pray for healing for all who are ill in body, mind, or spirit.
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