Jesus came down from the hill. Many, many people followed him. Then a man sick with leprosy came to Jesus. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, "Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want."
- Matthew 8:1-2 (ERV)
THOUGHT:
Sooner or later, after our moment in the sun, we all have to come down from the mountain. Jesus has taught his disciples wondrously and authoritatively. But no sooner does he come down from the mountain than he is hit with problems.
But rather than resenting the problems, he seizes those problems and displays the compassion and power of God himself. The word that was authoritative with the Sermon on the Mount, now becomes the authoritative in the everyday horrors of broken people.
When people come to honestly worship him, they leave feeling incredibly pumped up, because he not only takes care of the physical ailments but their deeper Spiritual ones as well.
PRAYER:
Father, thank you for Jesus' examples of reaching out to those in need around him. Thank you even more that his word is not just powerful in the message, but also in the practical everyday life struggles of common people. His promise gives me assurance that he will not forget my prayer to grow and mature. In the name of the compassionate carpenter of Nazareth I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures:
Jesus continued to say to all of them, "If any person wants to follow me, he must say 'No' to the things he wants. That person must accept the cross (suffering) that is given to him every day, and he must follow me. The person that wants to save his life will lose it. And every person that gives his life for me will save it. - Luke 9:23-24
Young men, I have something to say to you, too. You should accept the authority of the elders. All of you should be very humble with each other. "God is against the proud people. But he gives grace (kindness) to the humble people." So be humble under God's powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:5-7
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