Gospel in Art: They brought a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment

A reading from Homer by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1885 © Philadelphia Museum of Art

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 13 February 2026
Mark 7:31-37

At that time: Jesus returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 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. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha', that is, 'Be opened.' And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, 'He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.'

Reflection on the painting

In today's Gospel, Jesus heals a man who cannot hear properly and who struggles to speak. What is striking is the order of the healing: first the man's ears are opened, and only then does he regain his speech. It is a gentle reminder that listening matters more than talking. Clear speech grows out of attentive listening! That is true in our relationships with one another. We need to listen before we can respond wisely. And it is just as true in our relationship with God.

Before we can speak about the Lord, we must first listen to him. Witness flows from attentiveness. Jesus himself is the perfect example: his words and actions come from deep listening to God, to people, to life as it unfolds around him. When the crowd says, "He has done everything well," they recognise a life lived in harmony with God. In that sense, we are all a little like the man brought to Jesus. We all need our ears opened more fully, so that our words, our actions, and our lives may all flow from God.

A beautiful visual echo of this theme of listening can be found in A Reading from Homer, painted in 1845 by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. The painting shows a scene set in ancient Greece, on a marble balcony overlooking the sea. Beneath Greek letters spelling OMHP (Homer) a young man crowned with a laurel wreath reads from a scroll. Whether he is meant to be Homer himself or a later reciter is left deliberately unclear. What matters is not so much the speaker, but the act of listening that surrounds him. He pauses, lifting his eyes from the text, fully aware of those gathered before him. listening to him.

The listeners are the heart of the painting. They stand, sit, or recline on marble benches and floors, relaxed yet attentive. A shepherd lies at ease in goatskins; a couple reclines hand in hand, holding musical instruments; others wear garlands of flowers. It seems all sections of society are depicted, all sharing the act of listening. Roses lie scattered nearby. Alma-Tadema shows us that true listening is not passive-it is an act of presence and being attentive.

LINKS

Christian Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reading: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-7-31-37-2026/