Saturday, January 21, 2017
Mark 7:32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.
GOD'S SERVANT OPENS OUR EARS AND MOUTHS
The Gospel writer tells us that the man had two physical handicaps, one the result of the other. First, he was deaf, unable to hear. As a result of that handicap, he had a speech impediment, literally, "he spoke scarcely and with great difficulty." It wasn't that he couldn't speak; it was that being unable to hear, he was very difficult to understand.
We also know that the man had another problem, a spiritual one. He, like we ourselves, was sinful by nature. The physical handicap didn't stop him from sinning, nor did it make him innocent in the sight of God.
Now we don't all share the man's physical handicap, but in a sense, that makes what we do worse.
Our problem isn't that we can't hear, but that we choose not to listen. I'm not just talking about the selective hearing that happens at school and at home with teachers, parents, and spouse. How often doesn't it happen during the worship service that we are distracted so that we don't listen? Maybe the child in the pew in front of us is waving or we are thinking about the game that's on this afternoon and though we can hear, we don't listen.
Our problem isn't that we can’t speak clearly, it's that we choose to remain silent. We don't just use our mouths for evil every day, but when given opportunity to use them for good, we say nothing! When the Lord flings wide a door and gives us an opportunity to tell of Him, we are silent. When given opportunity to point out sin, to speak up for those whose reputations are being damaged by gossip, we say nothing.
What can we do? Nothing good on our own, that's for sure. So let's not promise to do better next time. Instead, may God move us instead to confess our sins and seek strength from Him who opens ears to hear and mouths to speak for good.
After all, in Christ we are forgiven all these sins!
