Mute

There are tons of healing stories in the Bible. Jesus healed all sorts of people. Sometimes that’s just the tagline. “And he healed the sick and cast out demons.” Sometimes the story goes into more detail. They can all blur together after a while, though. We get the picture, Jesus healed people. A good thing, to be sure, but after years of Sunday School and Sunday sermons, weekly Bible studies and daily Bible readings, it is easy to gloss over these stories. I’ve heard them all before.

So it always surprises me when something new jumps off the page. It shouldn’t--God’s word is living and active as any double-edged sword. It is always powerful. Still, noticing new things in old stories never ceases to amaze me.

In Matthew 9, there are several healing stories one after the other. A woman touched his cloak and was healed, a ruler’s daughter is raised from the dead. Then a mute man is brought before Jesus, who casts out the demon and the man speaks. Then, in chapter 10, Jesus sends his disciples out to preach the Kingdom.

Wow. Slow down and think about that. Jesus opens the mouth of a man who could not speak, and then sends his disciples out to speak for him. In a way, the disciples were once mute as well--they didn’t know anything about Jesus and his kingdom and so couldn’t speak a word about it. Then they went around the entire country, and the entire known world, proclaiming His message.

How many of us are mute, holding the love of Jesus tight in our hearts but not getting out and sharing it? I know I have been. It took a lot for me to start posting blogs for the public to see. I feel like, little by little, God is opening my mouth. I am mute, and he is helping me learn to speak.

I know that many of you are strong speakers, teachers, leaders who speak unafraid and unashamed of the salvation that you know. That is wonderful! But I also know that many people are like me, who believe in Jesus but don’t quite know how to talk about it. Who know love, but aren’t quite sure how to share it.

Jesus does not want us to be mute. Let him loosen your tongue and open your mouth. He did it for twelve humble men, and he can do it for you. Again and again Jesus says that he heals according to the person’s faith. “Go, your faith has made you well.”

Everyone has an area of their life where they know there is more they should be doing, but something is holding them back. Trust Jesus and go do it. The mute man would never know he was healed if he didn’t try to speak. Whatever it is you need to heal, fix or change in your life, give it a try. Don’t hold back anymore. Open up your mouth and babble until Jesus makes your words intelligible.