And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
Christ looks up to heaven, because every healing is ultimately connected with the Father’s will and divine mercy, and in this way He also shows His filial communion with the Father. His sigh here is deeply eloquent. He does not act like a cold and indifferent wonder-worker, but feels the pain of the fallen world. The deaf and mute man stands as a symbol of humanity’s brokenness—unable to hear and struggling to speak. Christ’s sigh bears witness to a heart that grieves over human brokenness. And the command “Be opened!” expresses His authority. He speaks, and the closed ears are immediately opened. This also has a spiritual meaning: the human soul too is deaf to the voice of God until Christ’s word opens it.