This past weekend I was shopping at Walmart on the 4th of July.
The woman ahead of me in line had cases of soda, hot dog rolls and a few pies among several other items. She had a USA T-shirt and her toenails were painted like little flags.
The young cashier who rang her up said to her in a cheerful voice, "So you are getting ready for a 4th of July party tonight!"
I was next, she rang me up, smiled and said, "So you are getting ready for a 4th of July party tonight?"
I was buying underwear. And no, my toes were not painted.
I'm not sure about this new generation, but I don't think buying boxer briefs says "time to party!" to anyone. If it does, I weep for them!
What had happened was that the cashier had been seeing customer after customer buying last minute items for 4th of July parties. She had started seeing all customers as being there for the same reason. She no longer paid attention to what they were buying. She had the same pat line for each of us, regardless of what she was ringing up.
Jesus healed a lot of people, did he always say the same thing?
Let's take a look at three different accounts of Jesus healing a blind man. Each of these men had the same problem, they were blind. They were looking for the same solution, to see.
Example 1
"Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God." Luke 18:42-43 (NIV)
Example 2
"After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means "Sent"). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." John 9:6-7 (NIV)
Example 3
"He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"
He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Mark 8:23-25 (NIV)
To one the Lord simply speaks, to another he makes mud out of spit and dirt. To yet another he actually spat in the man's eyes and the first time wasn't a complete healing. He then put his hands on the eyes to help him see more clearly.
Why? Jesus was a busy man, why not just speak the same thing to everyone? Wouldn't that be easier and more efficient?
Because Jesus sees each person as an individual. Although the need for sight was the same for each, he healed them in drastically different ways.
We need to be careful about having pat answers and formulas when talking to each other. Something we said that may have touched the heart of one brother or sister may not do the same for another. Sometimes when someone is sharing what is going on in their life, we are tempted to stop really listening and just focus on our pat answer. At best we wait until their lips stop moving to deliver the line.
Sometimes that helps, more often it does not.
So what is the answer?
Jesus was aware of what his Father was doing in the life of each person he encountered. He only said what he heard his father saying, and only did what he saw his father doing.
While someone is sharing, simply pray and ask the Lord what to say. You'd be surprised at what you find coming out of your mouth.
