“31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Mark 7:31-37
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I love that Jesus chooses not to make a spectacle of this man. He draws him off to the side, helps him quietly and tells them to keep it quiet. They chose to rejoice, which I understand, but Jesus did everything He could to make this man whole without making him a show. This shows the personal touch and the heart of Christ. And this is our example when it comes to our work for the Kingdom.

We haven’t been called to make a spectacle of people, but to treat them like human beings. They’re not a number, not simply a sermon illustration in the making, but a real live human being that needs to be treated with dignity and respect. There is no shame in proclaiming what the Lord has done for you, but if Jesus had paraded him around like a trophy, or if Peter had written a book about him and used him on a speaking tour, we would doubt their sincerity.

People aren’t props. People are priority. Jesus was the absolute best at showing us this wonderful truth. And as we GoLove people in His Name, we must remember that. Bringing people to Christ isn’t a numbers game. It’s a pursuit of souls, and a reduction in the population of Hell for the glory of God. People matter, all people, every life, every lost and wondering soul matters, even if we choose to dismiss them, they still matter. It can’t get any more simple and truthful than that, because Jesus suffered and died that all might repent and find redemption, and so we GoLove them like all of them will.