The prophet Ahijah tears his cloak into twelve pieces, a dramatic sign that the kingdom will be torn because of Israel’s turning away from God. What once was united under David is fractured by sin. The division of the kingdom is not simply political – it is spiritual. It reveals how infidelity to God ultimately creates rupture: within a nation, within communities, and within the human heart. Yet even in the midst of this consequence, God preserves a portion of the kingdom, hinting that his covenantal love persists despite human failure. Jesus heals a man who is deaf and mute. With tenderness, he draws the man aside, touches his ears and tongue, and speaks the liberating word, “Ephphatha – Be opened!”. Jesus reveals that God’s healing is not distant or abstract. He restores what is broken, reconnects what has been cut off, and opens what has been closed by fear, sin, or suffering. While sin divides, Christ heals. Jesus, came to mend every division: within us and among us.

Abba Father, open our hearts, to listen to the words of your Son. Amen.