Mark 7:32-35 Some people brought a man who could neither hear nor speak and asked Jesus to lay a healing hand on him. He took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man’s ears and some spit on the man’s tongue. Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, “Ephphatha!—Open up!” And it happened. The man’s hearing was clear and his speech plain—just like that. (The Message Bible)
This all seems very weird, doesn’t it? Why doesn’t Jesus just snap his fingers and get the healing over with? Is he using some magic with his actions? I don’t think so. How do you communicate with a man who can’t hear or speak to you? Remember, Jesus took the man off by himself according to the narrative. They were alone. Could it be as simple as Jesus indicating to the man what he was going to do? He handles his ears. He touches his tongue. The spit, I have read, indicated healing. And then he heals these parts of the man. Is it possible that in the deaf and mute aspects of our own lives Jesus is touching us and indicating how he can change us? It’s not magic. It’s faith. Where are you being touched by God this week?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 