In the book of Genesis, the serpent was a smooth and subtle talker. He brushed aside Eve's arguments and twisted the words of God around thereby making it sort of a virtue to disobey God. She and Adam were taken in by the excitement and the promise of something powerful and wonderful - discerning good and evil. The serpent sowed mistrust of God in their hearts and they were no longer in harmony with God. Once mistrust sets in, they are opened to shameful blaming. Patience and trust would have done wonders. Let us not be distracted by what seems to be flashy, trendy, and exciting but follow the path of God.

Jesus healed the man of his physical deafness by touching his ears and exclaiming 'ephphatha' - be opened. Jesus' "Ephphatha" actually opens the minds of the crowds - no longer are they to speak unfavorably of God to save them, but to proclaim His wonderful deeds. There are many kinds of deafness. Jesus also opens our ears to the cries of the poor, the voices of those on the margins, women, refugees, peacemakers, the inner whispering of the Spirit, and those who challenge our way of thinking. Jesus will certainly open the ears of our heart, but we must ask Him and be willing to go where it leads. One of the causes of the grief and misery of the world is our inability to truly listen to others and to our deepest self.