Sunday 19 July, 2015

31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.[a] 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Healing is part of God’s Kingdom (Revelation 22:2). Jesus brought God’s Kingdom to earth and to all people who receive him as their God. Therefore we can receive healing from Jesus, just as this man received it. In addition, because we are now citizens of God’s Kingdom, we can bring the healing reality of His Kingdom to others, just as Jesus did. This leads some people to praise God.

 

Lord, please make us people who bring your healing realities that exist for your children, to the world around us. Freely we have received, Lord freely may we give. As Kingdom people, teach us to be passionate about bringing healing to the world around us. Amen!

 

Written by Andrew Mellor