May the mumbling commence!
We are called to use gentleness to see, understand and heal. This call is evident in the life of Jesus. Read from Matthew chapter twelve:
Large crowds followed him and he healed them all, with the strict injunction that they should not make him conspicuous by their talk, thus fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy:
'Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased;
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will declare justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel nor cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and smoking flax he will not quench,
till he sends forth justice to victory.
And in his name Gentiles will trust' .
Then a devil-possessed man who could neither see nor speak was brought to Jesus. He healed him, so that the dumb man could both speak and see. At this the whole crowd went wild with excitement, and people kept saying, "Can this be the Son of David?" (Verses 16-23)
Gentleness does not seek fame or fortune. Jesus ordered people not to make him conspicuous by their talk. Jesus wanted a quiet calm about him so he could listen for the call of God on his life – so he could listen for the soft cries of the vulnerable. It is this kind of attention to godly detail that well pleases God.
When Jesus lifted his voice it was for justice – not to quarrel or cry out. Jesus was always gentle with the vulnerable. Jesus did not get caught up in his own good works.
How many times have you or I caught ourselves celebrating something that we did in the name of Jesus only to miss an obvious opportunity to serve God in another way. Yes, we should listen to those who would encourage us and to those who criticize us – but these things should not be our only diet. Our diet is based first and foremost on the Word of God.
If we are not careful, we will miss the opportunities to heal the mute – to give those without a public voice a chance to speak their heart. We will miss opportunities to guide the blind to sight. If we get caught up in our own little worlds, we will miss these things…
Keep us humble and gentle, O Lord, so that we may see and seize the chance to minister to all people in our lives. In this way, we will allow the Spirit of God to flow through us to others. If we can master this attitude of Christ, there will be wild and exciting times that many people will flock to see and strive to understand.
All of this effort to glorify the precious Name of God!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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