Jesus Isn’t Waiting for You to Start Healing Yourself
Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
Mark 7:35-37 Read More
All of Jesus’ miracles were a big deal, but for some reason these were unique. Someone healed of being mute took a special precedence among the people in Jesus’ day. There was a belief at the time that a person had an unclean spirit because they didn’t know how to get rid of it. They might have brought it upon themselves in sin or some sort of evil thought. People thought part of their cleansing and healing depended on them being able to tell the spirit to leave or to confess their evil deed. If they couldn’t talk, they’d be stuck!
When Jesus came along and healed people without them being able to talk, Jesus showed the true nature of His power and His authority. It wasn’t dependent on the person’s power or skills, but on Jesus’ power and grace. Jesus was limited by people’s belief, but not by their ability. He did few miracles in Nazareth, but it wasn’t because people were unable to do the healing themselves. Romans 9 talks about our salvation not being dependent on our effort. In many of the people that were healed by Jesus, it was a mustard seed of faith on their part and all power and authority in Heaven and on Earth on Jesus’ part.
We fall into this same trap today with the belief that Jesus only forgives the sins we confess. It is true, that when we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1) but that doesn’t mean that He only forgives the sins we confess! Hebrews 10 talks about our High Priest sacrificing for our sins once and for all. Every sin ever transferred from us to Him as we believe in His sacrifice.
So just as it didn’t depend on a mute person speaking to get healed, we don’t have to worry that maybe there is some sin from some Saturday night somewhere that we have forgotten to confess. It is as miraculous as a mute person talking or a crippled person walking or deaf woman hearing or a dead man living. Jesus does it, and He loves to do it.
Let us too be overwhelmed with amazement. Jesus has come to bring His kingdom, and He brings it with grace and with power.