Putting Together the Pieces

 

Putting Together the Pieces (Mark 7:31-37)

“A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and everyone begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man and heal him… Then, looking up to heaven, [Jesus] sighed and commanded, ‘Open!’ Instantly the man could hear perfectly and speak plainly!” (Mark 7:32, 34-35)

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Jesus decided it was time to return to the region by the sea of Galilee, back to the area known as Ten Cities. Some people came to Jesus, bringing with them a man who was deaf and who had a severe speech impediment. They desperately wanted Jesus to heal the man. (It seems that everyone wants Jesus to heal them. I get it, he can do things that no one else can do.)

Jesus took the man aside. I watched as Jesus put his hands on the man’s ears and then put some spittle on the man’s tongue. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and cried out, “Be opened!” Instantly the man’s hearing and speech were perfectly restored!

The healing miracles are becoming commonplace. But I never cease to be amazed at what Jesus can do. I have begun to realize that the miracles aren’t just for the sake of the individual people whom Jesus has healed, but that the miracles are pointing to something bigger than just the healings. It’s as if the miracles themselves are sending a message about who Jesus is.

Once again, my mind goes back to some of the things I have heard from our holy scriptures. I remember words written long ago by the prophet Isaiah, words that describe how the world will be transformed when the Messiah comes to rule, when God’s kingdom is truly established. Isaiah spoke of the dry, arid, and barren wilderness being transformed into a place of lush beauty and vegetation, much like the garden where God placed Adam and Eve. And amazing things will happen to those who live there. I remember these words from the prophet:

The blind will be able to see,
    and the deaf will hear.
The lame will leap and dance,
    and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. (Isaiah 35:5-6)

I begin to put some pieces together. So far I have watched Jesus tell a paralyzed man to get up and walk – and the man did just that; and I have seen Jesus restore hearing and speech to a deaf and mute man. I’m pretty sure that Jesus is perfectly capable of healing people of blindness, too; who knows – maybe he’ll even heal a blind man some day. Each individual miracle is amazing on its own. But when I put the miracles together, I begin to see a much bigger picture start to emerge.

It makes me realize that Jesus is more than a miracle worker. He’s the Messiah! He’s the One for whom the whole world has been hoping and longing, the One who will make the world right again! My head is spinning at this realization. I’m not sure I can wrap my head around what this really means for me, for Israel, for the world. 

As I walk with Jesus, I am starting to see that every glimpse into who he is and what he can do is exactly that – just a glimpse, a foretaste of sorts. If I’m going to truly grasp the depth, width, height, and breadth of Jesus and the ways he will come to rule the world, every once in a while I need to take a step back and see how the glimpses fit together to make a bigger, more true picture of Jesus come to light.

I’ll have to keep walking with Jesus, because I know he has so much more to show me. There are a whole lot more glimpses I need to see before I get anything that resembles an accurate picture of who Jesus is. I’ll just have to take it one day at a time. When you’re walking with Jesus, one day at a time is enough.

Dear Jesus, thank you for pulling the scales off of my eyes and helping me to see who you are. Continue to help me see you better and better every day. Amen.