Daily Bread Matthew 8
Matthew 8
The Man With Leprosy
1When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
Whereas in the Sermon on the Mount, we see a great deal of Jesus’ teaching about God, what God is like. Yet, in chapter 8, we see Jesus doing things to show what God is like. The first four stories show Jesus healing people various types of diseases, including those who those who were spiritually sick (ie. had demons). We see Jesus restoring people from spiritual and physical illnesses that kept them from experiencing life in its fullest.
These incidents show Jesus’ “willingness to heal”, especially for those who have faith in his ability to do this. As Matthew is writing to a largely Jewish audience, we know that often in this culture when a person was sick or with disease, they saw it as God’s punishment for something the person had done wrong. Therefore, when we see the compassion in Jesus and his willingness to heal, we see him dispelling this notion of God’s character.
Indeed one of the worst spiritual abuses to heap on someone when they are sick or diseased is to intimate they deserved it, or it is a result of God’s being angry with them. Although there are consequences for sin God, doesn’t arbitrarily or capriciously inflict sickness on people. Although God allows suffering, Jesus shows us that sometimes God heals, and always stands by those who are suffering.
Prayer: God we thank you that you are not only a God of compassion, but also of power. Give us faith to surrender those things that seem out of our control, including our health. Give us faith in Jesus’ power to heal those who are sick and controlled by demonic forces. Jesus we are grateful that you are willing to heal, showing compassion to those in need. You are a perfect reflection of Your Father’s love. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
The Man With Leprosy
1When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
Whereas in the Sermon on the Mount, we see a great deal of Jesus’ teaching about God, what God is like. Yet, in chapter 8, we see Jesus doing things to show what God is like. The first four stories show Jesus healing people various types of diseases, including those who those who were spiritually sick (ie. had demons). We see Jesus restoring people from spiritual and physical illnesses that kept them from experiencing life in its fullest.
These incidents show Jesus’ “willingness to heal”, especially for those who have faith in his ability to do this. As Matthew is writing to a largely Jewish audience, we know that often in this culture when a person was sick or with disease, they saw it as God’s punishment for something the person had done wrong. Therefore, when we see the compassion in Jesus and his willingness to heal, we see him dispelling this notion of God’s character.
Indeed one of the worst spiritual abuses to heap on someone when they are sick or diseased is to intimate they deserved it, or it is a result of God’s being angry with them. Although there are consequences for sin God, doesn’t arbitrarily or capriciously inflict sickness on people. Although God allows suffering, Jesus shows us that sometimes God heals, and always stands by those who are suffering.
Prayer: God we thank you that you are not only a God of compassion, but also of power. Give us faith to surrender those things that seem out of our control, including our health. Give us faith in Jesus’ power to heal those who are sick and controlled by demonic forces. Jesus we are grateful that you are willing to heal, showing compassion to those in need. You are a perfect reflection of Your Father’s love. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment