Mark 7:31-37

Mark 7:31-37 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. 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. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 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.”

Many times there is no substitute for visitation. Jesus' ministry was one of visitation. He went from one area to the next, ministering and healing. In the above passage, we see him leave the vicinity of Tyre and go to the region of the Decapolis. We see Jesus once again in the presence of people who needed deliverance. Here, He is touching a man's ears and tongue so that he might be delivered from deafness and difficulty of speech. Jesus touched both dysfunctional parts of this man: Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. The man felt Jesus' physical being. He knew Jesus cared for him because He touched him. It is always nice and proper to throw a prayer towards someone who is in need of prayer, but it is much better if possible to visit that person and touch him or her, asking God to meet the need. Sadly to say, when people are sick, we tend to remove ourselves from them. Initially, we are there for them, but for many reasons, we gradually remove ourselves from them. Sometimes because of the intransigent nature of their illness or condition or because we feel our prayers are not working, we do not know how to respond. However, regardless of circumstances, we know that Jesus prayed, and we should pray. He visited the sick, we should visit the sick. He prayed for impossible situations, we should pray for impossible situations. Jesus placed his hands on people when He prayed, we should do likewise. Jesus was persistent, we should be persistent.

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (Mark 8:22-25) Jesus taught us how to pray in Luke 11: He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Faith is believing that God is good, that He hears us, and that He is willing to change circumstances, the realities of life, when we pray. We must believe that or we will stop praying, we will stop visiting the sick, we will stop praying for people to be free from their bondages. Yesterday, I happened to meet a Christian man in a grocery store who had a need. He told me about not being able to sell his house in California. I commisurated with him, and then right after he left, Jacqueline and I prayed for his house to be sold. But I thought then, how much better would it have been if I would have grabbed his hand, and agreed with him in prayer that his house would sell quickly. No, I let the physicality of the moment slip by, and threw a prayer out after he had left my presence. I think God wants us to pray when we are with the afflicted, the troubled, the discouraged, not later. How many times do we say, "I will pray about that," rather than praying for that situation at the time the person expresses it to us. Jesus went to the people, Jesus laid his hands on them. We also should go and lay our hands on people who are in need, knowing that Jesus is in the room and He cares and wants to touch them through us.