Post by Woody Williams on Sept 21, 2024 7:48:25 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Matthew 8:1-13
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When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed
him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him,
saying, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ He stretched
out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’
Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, ‘See
that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him
and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralysed, in terrible
distress.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’ The
centurion answered, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my
roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I
also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to
one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to
my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard him, he
was amazed and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly I tell you, in
no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come
from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in
the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown
into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you
according to your faith.’ And the servant was healed in that hour.
Devotional
----------
Two great examples of faith emerge from this text. The leper, who was
an outcast and marginalized person, is bold to say, "If you choose,
you can make me clean." This is no whimpering prayer, a whining and
lifeless request. This is faith creating a powerful prayer. The
Centurion is similar to the leper. He recognizes Jesus authority to
heal and make new. Humility and faith combine to form a prayer that
has become a prayer used in the liturgy of the church for many years.
It, too, is a prayer of faith and humility. "Lord, I am not worthy to
have you come under my roof, but only speak the word and my servant
will be healed." Jesus was often amazed that it was the marginalized
and non-Jews who responded to him with bold faith. Do we become to
complacent in our religion so that it loses its humility, radical
faith and powerful prayer?
Prayer
-----------
Lord, rekindle in me the gift of faith that I may pray with bold
confidence. Amen
----------
When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed
him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him,
saying, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ He stretched
out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’
Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, ‘See
that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him
and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralysed, in terrible
distress.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’ The
centurion answered, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my
roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I
also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to
one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to
my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard him, he
was amazed and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly I tell you, in
no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come
from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in
the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown
into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you
according to your faith.’ And the servant was healed in that hour.
Devotional
----------
Two great examples of faith emerge from this text. The leper, who was
an outcast and marginalized person, is bold to say, "If you choose,
you can make me clean." This is no whimpering prayer, a whining and
lifeless request. This is faith creating a powerful prayer. The
Centurion is similar to the leper. He recognizes Jesus authority to
heal and make new. Humility and faith combine to form a prayer that
has become a prayer used in the liturgy of the church for many years.
It, too, is a prayer of faith and humility. "Lord, I am not worthy to
have you come under my roof, but only speak the word and my servant
will be healed." Jesus was often amazed that it was the marginalized
and non-Jews who responded to him with bold faith. Do we become to
complacent in our religion so that it loses its humility, radical
faith and powerful prayer?
Prayer
-----------
Lord, rekindle in me the gift of faith that I may pray with bold
confidence. Amen