Oct 15 - Mark 7:32-33

They brought to [Jesus] a deaf man

who had an impediment in his speech ...

[Jesus] put his fingers into his ears,

and he spat and touched his tongue ...

Mark 7:32-33

"Every healing that Jesus did was different." That's what I've heard. And when I think of it, that's pretty much true.

• Once -- in today's lesson -- Jesus reached his fingers into a deaf man's ears.
  
• Another time, he spat onto the ground and made mud -- a healing paste (Jn 9:6) 
  
• Often, Jesus' healings were like his Father's works at creation. All he needed to do was speak the word -- essentially, "Be healed!" (Mt. 8:13).
  
• Occasionally, power simply flowed out of our Lord when someone touched him. (Mk 5:27-30, Mt 14:36).
  
• Other times, the healings could be done long distance -- without a touch (Mt 8:13).
  
• Sometimes, Jesus coupled healing with the forgiveness of sins (Mt 2:1-12)
  
• And frequently, Jesus told people that their faith acted like a key that unlocked the illness that was holding them in bondage (Mt 15:28).

Yes, there are a enough repeated characteristics to make that original statement invalid. But do you know why I'm glad that Jesus healed in so many different ways? Think about it ...

If Jesus' only way of healing was to spit and touch someone's tongue -- as he did in today's verse -- then every time someone was praying for healing, we'd be spitting all over the place and touching all over the place. Yikes!

I honestly think that this is why Jesus varied his method. It's not a series of incantations that provide healing. It's God's marvelous power in his sovereign time.

And all we're called to do is keep praying, keep trusting, keep confessing, keep hoping, keep believing.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's willing to spit on you

... if you think that'd help