Healing A Deaf-Mute
Preaching
Preaching The Miracles
Series III, Cycle B
Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
Background Material
It is rather strange that Mark is the only Evangelist to record this particular miracle of Jesus. It is believed that the other Gospel writers had Mark's writings in hand when they wrote their Gospels. And this was a double miracle, a healing of both deafness and of a speech impediment. All the more wonder that Mark is the only one to relate this action.
Another area of conjecture concerns the man's speech impediment. Although he is often called a deaf-mute, the scriptures refer to his trouble as an impediment. Apparently he could talk but could not be easily understood. This could have been a result of his deafness, as those who cannot hear their own voice are not able to make some necessary vocal adjustments in order to be clearly understood.
The account of this miracle begins with some details of the course of Christ's travels. And this has led to some criticism of Mark's text by those who are willing to argue with scripture. To go from Tyre to Sidon through the region of Decapolis makes one turn to a map of the area. Then one learns that Jesus intended ultimately to make his way south but instead appears to have headed north. There are logical reasons for this deviation. Have not we, ourselves, sometimes turned aside from our intended course to answer an urge to visit another spot? Is it not possible that Jesus was unwilling to postpone any longer visiting those places in the north, before going south again? It can be noted that the Decapolis, a name meaning ten towns, was a group of villages that had banded together, perhaps for mutual defense.
Certainly the much-extended journey gave Christ more time to be with his disciples before returning to the press of large crowds. This trip is said to have taken eight months, thus making it worthy of mention in Mark's writing. During this time Christ could have given his disciples considerable teaching, as well as increasing their devotion to his cause. It could well have been intended as a time for their development of insight into Christ's character and for their growing commitment to their Lord.
A group of his friends (we do not know how many) brought a man to Christ for his healing. The man had lost his hearing and, in addition, could not be understood when he tried to speak. The friends had faith in Christ's power to heal. They asked the Lord to lay his hands on their friend. For centuries it had been believed that the hands could somehow be a means of passing power from one person to another. On more than one occasion Christ healed by the use of his hands. Even today, in the ordination service of young pastors, already-ordained pastors participating in the ceremony place their hands upon the one being ordained. The thought behind this action is that in this manner the power and authority of one generation is passed on to the next. In other circumstances, the massage relies on the use of hands as a therapeutic action.
In response to the plea for help, Jesus went aside with the man who had been stone-deaf. As has been pointed out previously, leaving the crowd behind would separate Christ from those who came out of idle curiosity just to see a miracle performed. It has also been suggested that Christ stepped out of the sight and hearing of the crowd because his time for public acclaim had not yet arrived. At any rate, he performed the miracle in private.
Apparently the man was well-known, and his infirmity had been witnessed by many. Though they did not see the miracle performed, when Christ first put his finger into the man's ear and said, "Ephphatha," and then loosened the man's tongue, they knew at once that the miracle had been performed. But since Christ did not yet desire or seek public acclaim, he charged the crowd not to tell anyone about what had transpired. But people like to talk and to bear news. So Christ's admonition was ignored and they told about it everywhere.
Sermon Material
The Shortcomings Of Deafness
We who can hear are guilty of not comprehending the difficulty faced by one who is deaf. We hear many things without stopping to think how fortunate we are and how unfortunate it is to lose one's hearing. The deaf cannot hear the birds singing their words of cheer. They cannot talk to others and hear their reply. The world of children's voices is foreign to them, as well as the voices of all their loved ones. Music can be a wonderful source of inspiration, but when one is deaf this is another area where one is completely shortchanged.
All these shortcomings are burdens to be borne today, but this man was deaf in a time when the restrictions of such an impediment were multiplied. This miracle was performed in a day when there were no other means of communication, such as sign language. There were no pads of paper on which to write messages, and most people of that time were not sufficiently educated to be able to write anyway. Such modern inventions as e-mail were undreamed of. In many ways a deaf man in that day was pitifully handicapped in trying to communicate with others.
The Improper Use Of Hearing
Those of us who hear have the power to listen and to heed what we want. Some folks use this freedom for good, others do not. For instance, there is such a thing as spiritual deafness, brought on by a willful refusal to hear certain voices. God is speaking to us through the scriptures. Do we listen? Our conscience is constantly urging us to do what is right, but do we always accept its prodding? Why do people listen to others, but not to God? When Jesus spoke some of his matchless truths he would conclude by saying, "Blessed are they that hear." He knew that in some cases his words were falling on "deaf" ears. If we are in need of healing of spiritual deafness, Christ is waiting to heal us, just as he did long ago in the performance of his miracles.
Using Spittle To Cure
Spitting is somewhat distasteful in modern society. People find a person who spits in public to be revolting. But in Christ's time a special, healing power was attached to human spittle. So-called health cures come and go. This one has disappeared. But different cures are "peddled" for a time and then discarded. This was not the only time when Christ would spit, then take the saliva and use it in the healing process. Perhaps this was done to strengthen the faith of the one being healed, since he would know of the widespread belief in the healing power of spittle.
"They Brought ... A Man"
We are told that as the population of the United States increases, church membership remains the same. Therefore, the percentage of Christians in our nation is slowly dropping. Various methods are used by pastors and congregations to stem the tide of falling membership and to produce membership growth. But most of the methods so employed are short-lived and result in failure.
A study of new members who join churches has revealed that the vast majority of them were moved to join a church because someone invited them. This is by far the best method of achieving results. The personal invitation is the most effective tool of evangelism. Whom have you invited to your church? Are we letting Christ down, and are we unmoved by the decline in church membership? What do we think of the steady rise and growth of cults and oriental religions?
The deaf-mute was healed because he was brought to Christ. We do not know why he did not come of his own accord. There are people around us today who, when asked why they do not attend any church, will answer, "Because we have never been asked." Who is there to whom you should be giving a friendly invitation to attend your church? Who is there in your wide social circle who can honestly say that they have never been asked to a service of worship, to meet Christ, the Creator and Savior of the world?
Stepping Aside With Christ
According to the account, Jesus took the man aside to heal him. We, too, can step aside from the daily routine to spend time with Christ. Such opportunities lie in worship, in daily devotions, in Bible reading, and in prayer, to mention a few. And the benefits that result will always be apparent. In the present age, especially with so many blatant calls for our attention coming from television, the news media, and magazines, it is more important than ever to set aside time for Christ in our lives.
Looking Up To God
Jesus looked up before performing this miracle of healing. We may tend to forget that the power which Christ possessed was not of himself, but came from God. Christ kept vigorously alive this contact with his source of power by continually looking to God and seeking his gifts. It was this relationship with his heavenly Father that produced a flow of power through Christ, enabling him to work his miracles. So closely and so constantly did Christ maintain this contact that he could say, "The Father and I are one."
It is a great attribute, and indeed a human one, to proclaim one's self-sufficiency. But there are limits to this bravado. The most successful people on earth, people who are loaded with talent and apparently able to accomplish so much on their own, have hidden and severe limits which sometimes bring them down to defeat. As believers we can go outside ourselves to receive the inspiration, energy, will, and guidance that together create success. We are born to be dependent on God and to give him the credit for whatever success we achieve. Looking up to God should be a characteristic of every Christian, for we know that of ourselves we can do little, but with God's help we can do all things.
Ephphatha -- Be Opened
The word ephphatha, which Christ used in opening the man's ears to full hearing, is an Aramaic word meaning "to open."ÊChrist called himself a door which we are to open, and in so doing receive many blessings. This metaphor opens up an opportunity to consider many such blessings:
1. Christ closes the door of loneliness and opens the door to his rich fellowship.
2. Christ closes the door of fear, and opens the door of faith.
3. Christ closes the door to bitterness, hate, and grudges, and opens the door to love.
4. Christ closes the door to despair and opens the door to hope.
5. Christ closes the door to helplessness and opens the door to God's blessings.
6. Christ closes the door to materialistic grasping and opens the door of the spiritual world.
7. Christ closes the door to death and opens the door to eternal life.
8. Christ closes the door to ignorance and opens the door to truth.
Do Not Tell
Several times in the performance of his miracles recorded in this book, Christ admonished the one who was healed to be quiet about it. The main reason for this command, it has been pointed out, was that Jesus was promoting a spiritual message and did not want this purpose clouded over by those who would come to him simply to witness a miracle. In this case there was an added reason for requesting that his good deed not be noised about. It was in this very geographic area that a short time earlier the crowds had been so impressed by Christ that they had tried by force to make him king. He had rejected such overtures then and did not want the scene to be repeated.
He Has Done All Things Well
"Well done" is the highest praise that a United States sailor can receive from one of his superiors. In this instance, high praise is being heaped on Christ by those who proclaimed, "He has done all things well." This was after they had heard his message, witnessed his life, and watched him perform miracles. We all like to receive praise. As Christians it must be our aim to let others see in our daily lives an example of faith, love, and service in Christ's name. Whether or not we receive earthly praise, we can look forward to receiving praise from above. Our ultimate goal should be to avoid condemnation on the day of judgment. Instead we count on our faith in Christ, and a life lived in obedience to him, to win for us the ultimate reward, the crown of life.
Illustrations
"And His Ears Were Opened"
There are so many things in life today that require the use of our hearing. We listen to the telephone, to the radio and television, to signals and warning sounds. A great blessing for the hearing-impaired today is the hearing aid. None of the above were available to the man whom Jesus healed of deafness. There is a big difference, however, between listening and hearing. Many people are good hearers who fail, however, really to listen to what they hear. They turn down good advice or fail to follow through on what they hear. We hope that the man who could now hear listened to the message of Christ and became a Christian. He and we have the same need -- to be healed of spiritual deafness. God is constantly speaking to us. We can hear his voice, but do we listen? He is calling us to live a good life. He asks us to trust in him. He speaks to us through our conscience about human needs, about suffering humanity, about racial injustice, about starving multitudes. He calls us to do our part in relieving the suffering of the poor and needy. He calls us to come out of our self-centeredness and in our small way to be our brother's keeper. If we listen to Christ's voice, we will hear those calls for help. It is help we can give if we both hear and listen. Have we received the miracle predicted by Isaiah, "The ears of the deaf shall be unstopped"? (Isaiah 35:5).
"And He Charged Them Strictly That No One Should Know This"
Christ had his reasons for keeping news of this miracle from spreading. He did not want to attract a crowd of the curious, eager to witness a miracle, but rather to attract those who had a spiritual hungering so that he could build his kingdom. And by now his fame had spread over a wide area, so he did not need a miracle to attract attention to his message. His kingdom could now expand on its own strength.
Without giving it much thought we live in an atmosphere where the air is filled with music and speech. By means of a radio or television we catch that music and those verbal messages. But we have to turn on our radio or television or else what is in the air is unknown to us.
God has given us his Word. It is preached in churches; it can be read in the Bible. But it is necessary that we put ourselves in touch. We must listen, not with our ears only, but with the heart, in order to receive that Word. Examine yourself. Are you listening to God?
Shutting Out Our Needs
The deaf-mute was completely shut out of most of life. He could not hear others talk. He could not hear beautiful music or listen to the sounds of nature like the chirping of birds or of crickets at eventide. The joyous cries of children at play meant nothing to him. Neither could he communicate with people, for he could not speak. To express thanks to others, and to God, using verbal sounds was impossible. He could not give expression to love. He was shut out from the world which is so familiar to us.
In ancient Greece it was customary for peddlers who walked the streets with their wares to cry out, "What do you lack?" Their idea was to let people know they were in the vicinity, but also to rouse the curiosity of people who would come out of their houses to see what the peddler was selling. It might be something they lacked and needed, or simply something they desired. "What do you lack?" might well be a question we should ask ourselves. We may have sight and hearing, but what do we lack? Take an honest inventory of yourself. Have you found contentment? Are you close enough to God to receive his guidance and strength? Have you secured the peace of heart and mind that is an invaluable asset in life? Deciding what we lack is the first step in securing it. Christ can fulfill our needs -- needs that are to some extent physical, but, more so, the deepest needs of heart and mind and soul.
"They Proclaimed It"
So often people are indifferent to the source of their blessings. Gratitude that is clearly expressed is not too prevalent. But this unbelieving man and his friends, when Christ overcame the limitations of ear and tongue, went everywhere, proclaiming the power and glory of Christ.
Another man of this same mind was J. S. Bach. He became known worldwide for his remarkable musical talent, but he never ceased to credit his Creator as the one who was responsible for his ability. The pages of his musical compositions could well have been used to satisfy a personal pride as his name appeared on them. But he was determined to give glory to God for his accomplishments. So he always concluded his original compositions with the three letters INS. They stood for the Latin words meaning "In the name of Christ." At other times Bach began his score with the letters JJ, meaning "Jesus help," and then ended his composition with the letters SDG for the Latin Solo Deo Gloria, meaning "To God be the glory."
We are the recipients of so much that comes to us from God. Do we "proclaim" that fact and turn acclaim away from ourselves to God?
Background Material
It is rather strange that Mark is the only Evangelist to record this particular miracle of Jesus. It is believed that the other Gospel writers had Mark's writings in hand when they wrote their Gospels. And this was a double miracle, a healing of both deafness and of a speech impediment. All the more wonder that Mark is the only one to relate this action.
Another area of conjecture concerns the man's speech impediment. Although he is often called a deaf-mute, the scriptures refer to his trouble as an impediment. Apparently he could talk but could not be easily understood. This could have been a result of his deafness, as those who cannot hear their own voice are not able to make some necessary vocal adjustments in order to be clearly understood.
The account of this miracle begins with some details of the course of Christ's travels. And this has led to some criticism of Mark's text by those who are willing to argue with scripture. To go from Tyre to Sidon through the region of Decapolis makes one turn to a map of the area. Then one learns that Jesus intended ultimately to make his way south but instead appears to have headed north. There are logical reasons for this deviation. Have not we, ourselves, sometimes turned aside from our intended course to answer an urge to visit another spot? Is it not possible that Jesus was unwilling to postpone any longer visiting those places in the north, before going south again? It can be noted that the Decapolis, a name meaning ten towns, was a group of villages that had banded together, perhaps for mutual defense.
Certainly the much-extended journey gave Christ more time to be with his disciples before returning to the press of large crowds. This trip is said to have taken eight months, thus making it worthy of mention in Mark's writing. During this time Christ could have given his disciples considerable teaching, as well as increasing their devotion to his cause. It could well have been intended as a time for their development of insight into Christ's character and for their growing commitment to their Lord.
A group of his friends (we do not know how many) brought a man to Christ for his healing. The man had lost his hearing and, in addition, could not be understood when he tried to speak. The friends had faith in Christ's power to heal. They asked the Lord to lay his hands on their friend. For centuries it had been believed that the hands could somehow be a means of passing power from one person to another. On more than one occasion Christ healed by the use of his hands. Even today, in the ordination service of young pastors, already-ordained pastors participating in the ceremony place their hands upon the one being ordained. The thought behind this action is that in this manner the power and authority of one generation is passed on to the next. In other circumstances, the massage relies on the use of hands as a therapeutic action.
In response to the plea for help, Jesus went aside with the man who had been stone-deaf. As has been pointed out previously, leaving the crowd behind would separate Christ from those who came out of idle curiosity just to see a miracle performed. It has also been suggested that Christ stepped out of the sight and hearing of the crowd because his time for public acclaim had not yet arrived. At any rate, he performed the miracle in private.
Apparently the man was well-known, and his infirmity had been witnessed by many. Though they did not see the miracle performed, when Christ first put his finger into the man's ear and said, "Ephphatha," and then loosened the man's tongue, they knew at once that the miracle had been performed. But since Christ did not yet desire or seek public acclaim, he charged the crowd not to tell anyone about what had transpired. But people like to talk and to bear news. So Christ's admonition was ignored and they told about it everywhere.
Sermon Material
The Shortcomings Of Deafness
We who can hear are guilty of not comprehending the difficulty faced by one who is deaf. We hear many things without stopping to think how fortunate we are and how unfortunate it is to lose one's hearing. The deaf cannot hear the birds singing their words of cheer. They cannot talk to others and hear their reply. The world of children's voices is foreign to them, as well as the voices of all their loved ones. Music can be a wonderful source of inspiration, but when one is deaf this is another area where one is completely shortchanged.
All these shortcomings are burdens to be borne today, but this man was deaf in a time when the restrictions of such an impediment were multiplied. This miracle was performed in a day when there were no other means of communication, such as sign language. There were no pads of paper on which to write messages, and most people of that time were not sufficiently educated to be able to write anyway. Such modern inventions as e-mail were undreamed of. In many ways a deaf man in that day was pitifully handicapped in trying to communicate with others.
The Improper Use Of Hearing
Those of us who hear have the power to listen and to heed what we want. Some folks use this freedom for good, others do not. For instance, there is such a thing as spiritual deafness, brought on by a willful refusal to hear certain voices. God is speaking to us through the scriptures. Do we listen? Our conscience is constantly urging us to do what is right, but do we always accept its prodding? Why do people listen to others, but not to God? When Jesus spoke some of his matchless truths he would conclude by saying, "Blessed are they that hear." He knew that in some cases his words were falling on "deaf" ears. If we are in need of healing of spiritual deafness, Christ is waiting to heal us, just as he did long ago in the performance of his miracles.
Using Spittle To Cure
Spitting is somewhat distasteful in modern society. People find a person who spits in public to be revolting. But in Christ's time a special, healing power was attached to human spittle. So-called health cures come and go. This one has disappeared. But different cures are "peddled" for a time and then discarded. This was not the only time when Christ would spit, then take the saliva and use it in the healing process. Perhaps this was done to strengthen the faith of the one being healed, since he would know of the widespread belief in the healing power of spittle.
"They Brought ... A Man"
We are told that as the population of the United States increases, church membership remains the same. Therefore, the percentage of Christians in our nation is slowly dropping. Various methods are used by pastors and congregations to stem the tide of falling membership and to produce membership growth. But most of the methods so employed are short-lived and result in failure.
A study of new members who join churches has revealed that the vast majority of them were moved to join a church because someone invited them. This is by far the best method of achieving results. The personal invitation is the most effective tool of evangelism. Whom have you invited to your church? Are we letting Christ down, and are we unmoved by the decline in church membership? What do we think of the steady rise and growth of cults and oriental religions?
The deaf-mute was healed because he was brought to Christ. We do not know why he did not come of his own accord. There are people around us today who, when asked why they do not attend any church, will answer, "Because we have never been asked." Who is there to whom you should be giving a friendly invitation to attend your church? Who is there in your wide social circle who can honestly say that they have never been asked to a service of worship, to meet Christ, the Creator and Savior of the world?
Stepping Aside With Christ
According to the account, Jesus took the man aside to heal him. We, too, can step aside from the daily routine to spend time with Christ. Such opportunities lie in worship, in daily devotions, in Bible reading, and in prayer, to mention a few. And the benefits that result will always be apparent. In the present age, especially with so many blatant calls for our attention coming from television, the news media, and magazines, it is more important than ever to set aside time for Christ in our lives.
Looking Up To God
Jesus looked up before performing this miracle of healing. We may tend to forget that the power which Christ possessed was not of himself, but came from God. Christ kept vigorously alive this contact with his source of power by continually looking to God and seeking his gifts. It was this relationship with his heavenly Father that produced a flow of power through Christ, enabling him to work his miracles. So closely and so constantly did Christ maintain this contact that he could say, "The Father and I are one."
It is a great attribute, and indeed a human one, to proclaim one's self-sufficiency. But there are limits to this bravado. The most successful people on earth, people who are loaded with talent and apparently able to accomplish so much on their own, have hidden and severe limits which sometimes bring them down to defeat. As believers we can go outside ourselves to receive the inspiration, energy, will, and guidance that together create success. We are born to be dependent on God and to give him the credit for whatever success we achieve. Looking up to God should be a characteristic of every Christian, for we know that of ourselves we can do little, but with God's help we can do all things.
Ephphatha -- Be Opened
The word ephphatha, which Christ used in opening the man's ears to full hearing, is an Aramaic word meaning "to open."ÊChrist called himself a door which we are to open, and in so doing receive many blessings. This metaphor opens up an opportunity to consider many such blessings:
1. Christ closes the door of loneliness and opens the door to his rich fellowship.
2. Christ closes the door of fear, and opens the door of faith.
3. Christ closes the door to bitterness, hate, and grudges, and opens the door to love.
4. Christ closes the door to despair and opens the door to hope.
5. Christ closes the door to helplessness and opens the door to God's blessings.
6. Christ closes the door to materialistic grasping and opens the door of the spiritual world.
7. Christ closes the door to death and opens the door to eternal life.
8. Christ closes the door to ignorance and opens the door to truth.
Do Not Tell
Several times in the performance of his miracles recorded in this book, Christ admonished the one who was healed to be quiet about it. The main reason for this command, it has been pointed out, was that Jesus was promoting a spiritual message and did not want this purpose clouded over by those who would come to him simply to witness a miracle. In this case there was an added reason for requesting that his good deed not be noised about. It was in this very geographic area that a short time earlier the crowds had been so impressed by Christ that they had tried by force to make him king. He had rejected such overtures then and did not want the scene to be repeated.
He Has Done All Things Well
"Well done" is the highest praise that a United States sailor can receive from one of his superiors. In this instance, high praise is being heaped on Christ by those who proclaimed, "He has done all things well." This was after they had heard his message, witnessed his life, and watched him perform miracles. We all like to receive praise. As Christians it must be our aim to let others see in our daily lives an example of faith, love, and service in Christ's name. Whether or not we receive earthly praise, we can look forward to receiving praise from above. Our ultimate goal should be to avoid condemnation on the day of judgment. Instead we count on our faith in Christ, and a life lived in obedience to him, to win for us the ultimate reward, the crown of life.
Illustrations
"And His Ears Were Opened"
There are so many things in life today that require the use of our hearing. We listen to the telephone, to the radio and television, to signals and warning sounds. A great blessing for the hearing-impaired today is the hearing aid. None of the above were available to the man whom Jesus healed of deafness. There is a big difference, however, between listening and hearing. Many people are good hearers who fail, however, really to listen to what they hear. They turn down good advice or fail to follow through on what they hear. We hope that the man who could now hear listened to the message of Christ and became a Christian. He and we have the same need -- to be healed of spiritual deafness. God is constantly speaking to us. We can hear his voice, but do we listen? He is calling us to live a good life. He asks us to trust in him. He speaks to us through our conscience about human needs, about suffering humanity, about racial injustice, about starving multitudes. He calls us to do our part in relieving the suffering of the poor and needy. He calls us to come out of our self-centeredness and in our small way to be our brother's keeper. If we listen to Christ's voice, we will hear those calls for help. It is help we can give if we both hear and listen. Have we received the miracle predicted by Isaiah, "The ears of the deaf shall be unstopped"? (Isaiah 35:5).
"And He Charged Them Strictly That No One Should Know This"
Christ had his reasons for keeping news of this miracle from spreading. He did not want to attract a crowd of the curious, eager to witness a miracle, but rather to attract those who had a spiritual hungering so that he could build his kingdom. And by now his fame had spread over a wide area, so he did not need a miracle to attract attention to his message. His kingdom could now expand on its own strength.
Without giving it much thought we live in an atmosphere where the air is filled with music and speech. By means of a radio or television we catch that music and those verbal messages. But we have to turn on our radio or television or else what is in the air is unknown to us.
God has given us his Word. It is preached in churches; it can be read in the Bible. But it is necessary that we put ourselves in touch. We must listen, not with our ears only, but with the heart, in order to receive that Word. Examine yourself. Are you listening to God?
Shutting Out Our Needs
The deaf-mute was completely shut out of most of life. He could not hear others talk. He could not hear beautiful music or listen to the sounds of nature like the chirping of birds or of crickets at eventide. The joyous cries of children at play meant nothing to him. Neither could he communicate with people, for he could not speak. To express thanks to others, and to God, using verbal sounds was impossible. He could not give expression to love. He was shut out from the world which is so familiar to us.
In ancient Greece it was customary for peddlers who walked the streets with their wares to cry out, "What do you lack?" Their idea was to let people know they were in the vicinity, but also to rouse the curiosity of people who would come out of their houses to see what the peddler was selling. It might be something they lacked and needed, or simply something they desired. "What do you lack?" might well be a question we should ask ourselves. We may have sight and hearing, but what do we lack? Take an honest inventory of yourself. Have you found contentment? Are you close enough to God to receive his guidance and strength? Have you secured the peace of heart and mind that is an invaluable asset in life? Deciding what we lack is the first step in securing it. Christ can fulfill our needs -- needs that are to some extent physical, but, more so, the deepest needs of heart and mind and soul.
"They Proclaimed It"
So often people are indifferent to the source of their blessings. Gratitude that is clearly expressed is not too prevalent. But this unbelieving man and his friends, when Christ overcame the limitations of ear and tongue, went everywhere, proclaiming the power and glory of Christ.
Another man of this same mind was J. S. Bach. He became known worldwide for his remarkable musical talent, but he never ceased to credit his Creator as the one who was responsible for his ability. The pages of his musical compositions could well have been used to satisfy a personal pride as his name appeared on them. But he was determined to give glory to God for his accomplishments. So he always concluded his original compositions with the three letters INS. They stood for the Latin words meaning "In the name of Christ." At other times Bach began his score with the letters JJ, meaning "Jesus help," and then ended his composition with the letters SDG for the Latin Solo Deo Gloria, meaning "To God be the glory."
We are the recipients of so much that comes to us from God. Do we "proclaim" that fact and turn acclaim away from ourselves to God?
