Trinity 12 September 8, 2019 The Sunday of the Deaf Mute Healed

Trinity 12
Mark 7:31-37
September 8, 2019

“There’s Nothing He Can’t Do”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The title of today’s sermon is “There’s Nothing He Can’t Do.” That’s coming from the last line of the Gospel reading where they say about Jesus, “He has done all things well.” Basically, “This guy can do everything.”

So I’m going to ask some foolish questions that might sound frivolous but there’s an important point to be made. So there’s nothing Jesus can’t do? He does everything well, right? What about driving a car? Can Jesus drive a car and do it well? Not crash into something? What about build a car or fix a car? Can Jesus do mechanic work well?

What about use a smartphone? Is Jesus smart enough to use a smartphone? Or what about build a smartphone? Build a computer? Fix a computer? Can Jesus do any of these technological things well?

What about do your geometry homework? What about do your job? Could Jesus do your job well? What about fix a broken fire hydrant and water line like we had yesterday in town? Maybe we should’ve called Him up. Can He do that well? Is it still true today that Jesus can do all things well?

I’ve talked about before that we have this arrogance where we think we’re smarter than all the generations that came before us. Once we move out of the house, we’re all of a sudden smarter than our parents. Once we graduate from high school, all of a sudden we’re smarter than our teachers. Once we get through confirmation, then we’re smarter than our church.

And sadly, we often take this same arrogance and pride and apply it to Jesus. “Well, obviously we’re smarter than Jesus—can Jesus drive a car or operate a smartphone or understand any of our technology or do advanced geometry?” Even though the questions I’m asking seem foolish and frivolous, they actually reveal a serious problem with us. We think we’re smarter and better than Jesus. If Jesus can do all things well, we can do all things even better.

This leads us to do very foolish things with the Bible. We think we need to explain away certain things Jesus said and did. To make Him more palatable to our modern generation. Two particular examples of this come to mind which I’ve encountered lately. The first is a story my wife Valerie told me about and I’ve been thinking about it a lot. There’s a standard litmus test now for any Christian whose well-known. It’s whether or not you accept homosexuality or you still think it’s a sin. So any Christian who’s well known in the public is being pressured to show very clearly—do they accept homosexuality or not? That’s the litmus test.

Well, there’s this one well-known Christian woman who was struggling with this one. But it finally came to her when she read the story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman. That’s the one where this foreign woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus says no. He says, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But then she pleads more and He finally says, “Woman, great is your faith. Be it done for you as you desire.”

Now this woman Valerie told me about took that reading and said that Jesus was a racist. He was a racist before he met the Canaanite woman but then He learned the error of His ways and changed His mind and befriended her. And so the logic goes…if Jesus were alive today He would realize that He’s homophobic also and then He would learn the error of His ways and He would change His mind. See how this works? We have to apologize for Jesus. He’s just ignorant. “Don’t hold it against Him. We’re sorry for Jesus. We’re just so much smarter than Him now. And just like He changed His racist ways back then, I’m sure He would change His homophobic ways today.” This is ridiculous. It makes Jesus look like a fool and not like the guy who does everything well.

The other example is a gentleman in Bloomington who keeps writing in the Pantagraph that Jesus thought the world was going to end in the first century. He believes a lot of other things as well but, in essence, he believes that Jesus didn’t really know what He was talking about. Now that’s fine to believe that. But what’s troubling is that he’s a retired pastor and he writes as if he’s a Christian. This is what especially bothers me. I’ve had long email discussions with this gentleman hoping to persuade him to stop writing these articles that are damaging to the faith of Christians. It makes Christians start to think that Jesus is dumb. That we’re smarter than Him. That we can do things better than Him. That we have to apologize for some of the ignorant things Jesus said and did. Does that sound like a Guy who does all things well? Like a guy you want to believe in and follow?

You may have felt this need to apologize for Jesus from time to time. What about all those times Jesus cast out demons? Do you feel the need to apologize for Jesus? “Oh, that’s just what they believed back then. They didn’t have advanced medicine like we have. They believed in demons because they didn’t know any better.”

What about Jesus’ view of women? He wasn’t progressive enough, right? That’s just what they believed back then in their ignorance? “I’m sure if Jesus were alive today He would change His mind about women pastors, right? Surely He would. He was just a product of His times.”

What about all that “drink My blood” and “eat My flesh” stuff (John 6)? That’s gross. I’m sure Jesus would explain today that He was only speaking figuratively.

You see the problem we’re dealing with here? Is Jesus really the Guy who can do everything and do everything well? Or is He an ignorant product of the first century who doesn’t hold a candle to our brilliance today?

Let’s get our thinking right. And our believing right. Just who is Jesus really? In the Gospel reading Jesus encounters a man who cannot hear. He is deaf. And because of that he also has a speech impediment. Now let’s bring in a deaf man here into the room and see who can heal him. Better yet, let’s bring a deaf man into any hospital or doctor’s office in our entire nation and see who can heal him? Who can? That’s right. No one.

So Jesus does an examination of the man. No, wait a minute, He doesn’t. Why not? Because He doesn’t need to. He already knows the guy’s whole medical chart and history. Why? Because Jesus is God. Because He made this deaf man and knows every numbered hair on his head. Because He’s smarter than any other Physician that has ever lived. Because He’s the GREAT Physician. Of body and soul. He doesn’t need medical tests or evaluations.

And He certainly doesn’t need medicine. He just sticks His fingers into the man’s ears. Then after spitting onto His hand He touches the man’s tongue. Now you think this is gross, right? Take your own finger—put it into your ear—then spit on it—and then touch your tongue. Anybody want to do that? We won’t even do that ourselves let alone someone else’s finger and spit.

But, of course, this is the finger of God. And the saliva of God. I think we can make an exception. And this deaf man does. He doesn’t mind. Because when Jesus touches His ears and tongue and speaks to His ears to be opened, he hears and he talks. And to that everyone says the only thing everyone should say, “This Guy is awesome. He does everything well.”

And that’s what we should say too. It’s the only thing to say. Jesus is God. Do we really think we’re smarter and better than Jesus? Let’s see us heal the deaf. Let’s see anyone today give sight to the blind. Let’s see our smartest people today make the lame walk by just saying a word. Let’s see any of us calm a storm with just our words. Let’s see any of us chase away demons with a word. Let’s see any of us read other people’s minds.

And the clincher—let’s see any of us rise from the dead. No?! Not going to happen? Maybe we ought to consider if we’re really that much smarter and really that much better than Jesus. Because we aren’t. Maybe we should stop apologizing for Him and start actually listening to Him.

Now here’s the final and real reason why all of this really should matter to you. This Jesus—you have put your entire life into His hands. You have said, “Jesus, I believe that You made me, that you know what’s best for me, that You have saved me, and that You have prepared a place in heaven for me. I commend my entire life—body and soul—into Your hands.” Wouldn’t you then like to know that this Jesus does everything well? Wouldn’t you like to be confident that He is much smarter and much better than us? And much smarter and much better than anyone else in the entire world?

Wouldn’t you like to know that He knows what He’s doing when you’re dying? When you’re suffering? When you’re sick? When you’re in danger? When you’re sad? When you’re in trouble? When you’re guilty? Wouldn’t you like to know and believe that this Jesus does everything well?

He does. He is the Son of God. Risen from the dead. Who heals the deaf with a word. Believe in Him. There’s nothing He can’t do. Amen.