Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
The healing of a deaf and mute man by Jesus was not a casual act (Mark 7:32-35). We have previously noted that “He took him aside from the multitude” (verse 33); this thoughtfulness removed the man from being merely a spectacle to the indecently curious in the crowd and indicated to him that Jesus was interested personally. Jesus was always extraordinarily busy, but He always took additional time for anyone who needed particular attention. He then touched the man’s “ears” and “his tongue” (verse 33), the latter something that many of us would probably choose not to do. However, Jesus’ specific actions indicated to this man that He knew the exact nature of his physical problems. To convey this knowledge with a touch was both practical and comforting. Jesus proceeded to gaze “up to heaven” (verse 34), assuring this man (and everyone else nearby) that the miracles were an answer to prayer. He also “sighed” (verse 34) – a sigh of compassion, of love. All of these details convey a central truth to us: Jesus was fully invested in this man’s healing. Complete commitment characterizes everything that our Savior does.