Mark 7:31 "Then31 Jesus32 went out again from the region of Tyre33 and came through Sidon34 to the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis.35 7:32 They brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking, and they asked him to place his hands on him. 7:33 After Jesus36 took him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers in the man’s37 ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue.38 7:34 Then39 he looked up to heaven and said with a sigh, “Ephphatha” (that is, “Be opened”).40 7:35 And immediately the man’s41 ears were opened, his tongue loosened, and he spoke plainly. 7:36 Jesus ordered them not to tell anything. But as much as he ordered them not to do this, they proclaimed it all the more.42 7:37 People were completely astounded and said, “He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”" (NET Bible)
This is a kind of odd miracle, isn't it? It's easy to get caught up on Jesus' theatrics in this particular passage. We often engage in conversations over passages like this one in which we discuss why Jesus placed His fingers in the deaf man's ears, and why He spit or touched the man's tongue. Why didn't He just say, "You are healed," and be done with it?
The key to our answers is found in verses 36 and 37. "Jesus ordered them not to tell anything." "People were completely astounded and said..." Do you see what was going on? Jesus put on a show so that the people watching would believe and share the good news of the Kingdom. They placed their own expectations upon Jesus and Jesus, in His mercy, condescended to them and did what they needed Him to do.
This lesson kind of "cuts us to the quick" when we stop to think about it, doesn't it? How often do we make demands upon Jesus so that our faiths will be verified. We ask for healings, and signs and miracles. We want to feel His presence. None of which is bad, of course. We ought to expect such things. But on Jesus' terms; not on ours. When we get to know Jesus and when we start following Him more and start trying to lead Him less is when the real miracles begin to happen in our lives. If you are like me, you find that the times when you "let go and let God" are the most exciting times of your life, anyway.
Here's another key to experiencing miracles of Jesus in our lives. We have to share them with others. Really. Read the miracles and healings that Jesus performed in the Gospels. The people involved always share what happened or what they witnessed. In otherwords, such things happeen for the glory of God and so must be shared.
Lord give us a spirit of acceptance. Help us accept You as You are just as you have accepted us just as we are. May all the gory be yours forever. AMEN
Our challenge to day is to relax and let Jesus operate in our lives as He sees fit, to give thanks as we notice His actions, and to tell some one what Jesus did. Simple, right?
Be Blessed Today,
Christopher
(THE VOICE: a devotional, Day 2)
