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And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in 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." Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.
Mark 7:33-35
God wants to do something personal, new, and fresh in your life. And He may not do it in ways you would expect. We see here that Jesus took three very unorthodox steps in healing this man. He put His finger in the man's ear, touched his tongue, and spit on the ground. Now as weird and extraordinary as this was, notice two very interesting things.
First, I think Jesus was showing us that His healing touch is personal. Jesus didn't just touch him on the arm, or say, "Be healed." We certainly know He could have healed him any way He chose. But Jesus chose to do it His way, by touching the man's ears and tongue. (In fact, I don't remember the last time I touched my own tongue!) You see, Jesus was showing us He personally wants to be in our lives. He won't stop at anything until He gets your attention. He wants a relationship with you.
Second, I think Jesus was trying to show us that His ways are always the best ways. Notice in the previous verses that the man's friends asked for Jesus to simply touch him, believing he would be healed. Well, Jesus had a better idea (and certainly it wasn't something we'd do). They wanted Jesus to touch him. Instead, Jesus poked his ear, touched his tongue, and spit on the ground. So often we try to tell God exactly what we think is best. At times, we take it upon ourselves to let God know how to go about His work, when in reality we should be seeking the Lord and asking Him what He wants to do. So instead of being rigid in our ways, let's ask the Lord how we can yield to Him.
Jesus so desires for you to be in the place where you can receive what He's freely giving you. He so desires to touch your life today in a fresh and new way!
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
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