Jesus had gone into the district of the Decapolis. People brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. Jesus took the deaf man away by himself and apart from the crowd. "He put his fingers into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, 'Ephphatha!'(that is, 'Be opened!')And immediately the man's ears were opened, and his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly."
As one who is deaf due to a high fever in Chile many years ago, I can imagine what the man felt when he was able to hear again. I received new digital hearing aids just a year ago and for the first time in forty years was able to hear a clock ticking in my room! I love the sound! I can also enjoy music again. I have accepted my deafness as a gift for it makes me love silence and solitude, especially after a day with people where I am lip reading most of the time. However, I just keep thinking about the joy of the man who was cured and could both hear and speak because Jesus took the time to heal him. Again, it was the faith of the people who brought him to Jesus. Am I bringing my friends to Jesus in prayer enough?
"Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone." But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, "He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
Let us bring our friends to Jesus today in prayer and let Jesus take them aside and heal whatever needs healing. And let us thank for the gift of hearing and speech. We take so much for granted. May we not misuse the gifts given us! He does all things well!
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