Faith of Our Fathers.

Genesis 15-16, Matthew 8

When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israelhave I found such faith." – Matthew 8:10 ESV

The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). In that chapter, known as the "Hall of Faith," the author looks back at the faith of Old Testament saints like Abraham, Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Joseph and states, "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13 ESV). They died in faith. They took the hope and confidence they had placed in God with them to their graves, knowing that the real reward was awaiting them after this life, not during it. Abraham would never get to see the fulfillment of all of God's promises regarding his offspring or the land. He would not live to see God bless the nations through his descendant, Jesus. But he kept believing. He kept trusting. He placed his faith in the promises of God. "And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised" (Hebrew 11:39 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

Faith must have an object and, for Abraham, the object of his faith was God. He knew that the promises he had received were only as good as the One who had given them. His ability to believe that God would do what He said He would do was based on what he knew about God. There is no question that Abraham had moments of doubt and there were numerous times when he took matters into his own hands. Chapter 16 of Genesis records the less-than-flattering story of Abram eagerly accepting Sarai's plan for him to fulfill the promise of God through human means.

But the story of Genesis is really about the faithfulness of God as juxtaposed with the unfaithfulness of mankind. God refused to accept Abram and Sarai's substitute plan. He was going to fulfill His promises His way. God doesn't need our help. He doesn't ask for our advice. He simply asks that we trust Him. What makes faith difficult is not God's ability to do what He says He will do, but it is our ability to wait patiently until He does. Abram had to wait and God was not in a hurry. Delay usually leads to doubt. Having to wait makes us uncomfortable. Faith is based on confidence and conviction – in God and His ability to deliver on His promises. There is no doubt that when God told Abram that He would give him more descendants than there are stars in the heavens, Abram wrestled with the believability of that promise. After all, he and Sarai were not spring chickens and, on top of that, Sarai was barren. The odds were stacked against them. But a big part of faith is learning to trust God in the midst of difficult circumstances. Impossibilities are the fertile ground in which faith grows. It is when everything is looking down that we tend to see God show up.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Doubt is a natural and normal part of our human nature. But faith is unnatural, because it is spiritual. It requires a trust in the unknown, and it is something we do every day of our lives, whether we believe in God or not. It requires faith to sit in a chair. You may believe that a chair will support your weight if you sit in it, but until you physically place yourself in the chair, your beliefs remain untested and unproven. Part of Abram's faith was the continued waiting. He had to keep on putting the full weight of his life in the hands of God, trusting that He would hold Him up. Refusing to sit in a chair because you doubt its ability to hold you up says nothing about the integrity of the chair. But it speaks volumes about your faith in the chair. Refusing to trust God's promises because you doubt they may come true isn't an indictment on God's strength, but it certainly reveals the weakness of your faith. 

When God had told Abram that He would give him a son, Abram's response was, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” (Genesis 15:2 ESV). When God assured him Eliezer was NOT the heir He had in mind, Abram stubbornly responded, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” (Genesis 15:3 ESV). When Sarai considered the likelihood of her getting pregnant well past possible, she told Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” (Genesis 16:2 ESV).

They doubted. They feared. Their convictions and confidence wavered. But God showed up. He proved Himself trustworthy and reliable time and time again. And over time, both Abram and Sarai learned to place their faith in God – regardless of the circumstances. We see this same kind of faith displayed in the gospel of Matthew in the life of the Centurion. When Jesus offers to come and heal his paralyzed servant, the Centurion replies, "But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed" (Matthew 8:8 ESV). Jesus commends the man's faith. Why? Because he was placing his hope and confidence in the unknown and unseen. He had no way of knowing that Jesus could do what he was asking. But he exhibited faith – the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. In the same chapter, the leper revealed the same kind of faith, saying to Jesus, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean" (Matthew 8:2 ESV). This man had no track record with Jesus. He had not been healed by Jesus before. But He had a confidence and conviction in Jesus. Jesus was the object of his faith. The healing was the benefit.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Faith is not some nebulous, ethereal thing. It should a highly practical and applicable part of the life of every believer. But the world assaults our faith. It tempts us to doubt God's Word and deny His ability to do what He has promised to do. Abram would have his faith tested daily. So will we. But we must keep going back to the object of our faith. We must ask ourselves the question, "Has he ever given me good reason to doubt Him?" Just because we can't see the outcome does not mean God lacks the ability to bring it about. Our faith must be in His unlimited power, impeccable character, unwavering love, and unquestionable faithfulness.

Father, You can be trusted. But the problem is not You, it's me. I am the one who struggles, not You. My doubt has no basis in reality. It is circumstantial and unsubstantiated. You have never given me reason to doubt You. Help me keep my eyes focused on You and trust in Your proven character rather than in any particular circumstance. Amen.

Look Before You Leap.

Matthew 8:18-22; Luke 9:57-62

But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head." – Matthew 8:20 NLT

So you want to follow Jesus? That's wonderful. But why? Is it because He can perform miracles, heal the sick, raise the dead, feed thousands of people by replicating bread and fish out of thin air, confound the religious leaders, walk on water, or cast out demons with just a word from His mouth. Or maybe you want to follow Him because He offers eternal life. Not a bad choice, when you consider the alternative is an eternity separated from He and God in hell. People choose to follow Jesus all the time. And they did so in His day as well. He was always attracting crowds, and in those crowds there were those individuals who decided, for whatever reason, that they wanted to become official followers of Jesus. It was a common practice in those days to do so. But normally, a respected rabbi would hand pick his followers, just as Jesus did the twelve disciples. But it would not have been rare for someone to voluntarily offer to become a follower. And usually, when they did, they would have had to meet a certain amount of criteria. They would have had to measure up to the rabbi's standards. A good rabbi wouldn't accept just anybody as a follower.

In these two passages, we are given a look into how Jesus handled these occasional "volunteer" disciples. You'll notice that Jesus doesn't tell them that they can't follow Him. He doesn't turn them away. He doesn't reject them as unworthy or under-qualified. He simply asks them to think about what it is they're doing. But He does it in His own inimitable way. When one of the teachers of religious law comes to Him and exclaims, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go," Jesus doesn't ridicule his enthusiasm or question his sincerity. He doesn't ask him for qualifications or require him to take an entrance exam. He just makes a simple statement. "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20 NLT). Luke does not include the fact that this is a teacher of religious law, a Scribe, but I think it is vital to understanding why Jesus says what He does. As a scribe, he would have been an expert in the law of Moses, judicial proceedings, Jewish life, and would have been considered both a teacher and authoritative leader in the community. Their role was vital to keeping the integrity of the Scriptures because they acted as copyists, making sure that the word of God was duplicated accurately. They were men who were well taken care of for their efforts and who lived relatively easy and cushy lived. So when this man tells Jesus that he is willing to follow Him wherever He goes, Jesus knows the truth. This man is used to living in relative luxury. His job is easy and His life is good. He is well-respected and well-compensated for his work. So rather than reject Him, Jesus simply tells him the truth. If he becomes one of Jesus' followers, he will have to leave behind the comforts of home. He will have to give up his comfy bed, regular paycheck, well-appointed house, and respected position in exchange for a life of uncertainty and anonymity. Following Jesus is about emulating His life. Jesus had no place to call His home. So neither would this man. Jesus didn't have a regular nine-t0-five job with a paycheck, so neither would this man. Jesus was obligated to follow the will of God each and every day of His life. And the same would be true for this man – if he decided to follow Jesus. But he didn't. The passage seems to infer that the man's enthusiasm dwindled when he heard the truth. He lost his zeal when he discovered the reality of what it meant to follow Jesus.

It would seem that Jesus was interested in followers who knew the whole truth regarding discipleship. It was not easy. It was not always comfortable. In fact, it was costly. Perhaps we do too many people a disservice today because we fail to tell them the entire truth regarding a life committed to Christ. We paint too pleasant a picture. We go out of our way to make following Christ look like it is going to be a romp in the park. We accentuate the ease by which one can follow Christ, because is it is based on a gift, offered freely to any and all who will accept it. But we fail to tell them that there is also a cost. While eternal life is the ultimate benefit of following Christ, there is still the fact that we must continue to live our lives here on this earth, complete with the presence of indwelling sin, the reality of an enemy who is out to destroy us (John 10:10) and a world that hates us. When someone follows Christ, they will be required to die to self, put off their sin and put on Christ every day, pursue righteousness, and submit to the Holy Spirit's rule over their lives. They will have to learn to "seek the Kingdom of Godabove all else, and live righteously" (Matthew 6:33 NLT), and trust God to meet all their needs. Jesus was honest with this man. So shouldn't we be with those to whom we share the Good News of Jesus Christ. It isn't that the Good News has bad news attached to it. It is that the Good News requires that we open our eyes to just how bad things are around us. There are temptations galore, trials of all kinds, troubles around every corner, our own sin natures to deal with, and daily decisions that will require us to obey God's will rather than our own. Our salvation requires our sanctification. We must be transformed into the likeness of Christ, and that is a lifelong, ongoing process that will not end until God calls us home or His Son returns for us. Following Jesus requires a commitment. It is not just about a ticket to heaven. It is a recognition of and dedication to having Jesus Christ take over our lives and transform us into His likeness, through the presence of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Word of God. And it is well worth it – both now and for eternity.

Lord Jesus, thank You that You are always helping me understand the cost of following You. It is not a burden. It is part of the process of dying to my own will and learning to submit to that of our heavenly Father. I am slowly learning that His will is better. His Word is trustworthy. His Spirit is always right and worthy listening to. My way is wrong. My heart is wicked. My desires can be too selfish and my outlook on life, too limited. But You are changing all that, one day at a time – as I continue to follow You. Amen.

Terror On the Hillside.

Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20

"And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone." – Mark 5:17 NLT

Jesus and His disciples had been sailing across the Sea of Galilee to the eastern shore when they encountered the severe storm. He miraculously calmed the storm with a word from His mouth, leaving His disciples "absolutely terrified" (Mark 4:41 NLT) according to Mark's account. They couldn't believe what they had seen Him do. They talked among themselves, saying, "Who is this man? Even the wind and waves obey him!" (Mark 4:41 NLT).

Clarifications, Not Contradictions

With the sea calm and their minds in turmoil, the disciples finish their journey and land on the eastern shore near the region of the Gerasenes. While Matthew calls the place Gadarene, there is really no contradiction between the two accounts. Recent archeological finds have revealed the remains of a former village called Gersa near the area where Jesus and His disciples would have landed. Nearby are ancient tombs and a steep, cliff-like feature as described in the story. This village would have likely been part of the region overseen by the much larger city of Gadara, which would have meant it was in the region of the Gadarenes. Mark and Luke may be describing the region based on the people who lived there, the Gerasenes; while Matthew is using the name of the people who oversaw the entire region. In either case, we are dealing with a area occupied primarily by Gentiles in Jesus's day, which would explain the presence of pigs, considered unclean by Jews. Another apparent contradiction is that Matthew's account speaks of two demon-possessed men, while Mark and Luke talk about only one. More than likely, there were two, but one was more prominent and memorable than the other. He was the one whose demon called himself "Legion" when Jesus demanded he reveal his name. Mark and Luke provide greater detail than Matthew, but the stories are the same and the endings are virtually identical.

These two men were both possessed by demons. As a result, their lives were miserable, forced to live in isolation in a graveyard, avoided by all those who knew them, because of their violent behavior. Yet, when Jesus arrives, they come out to meet Him. Mark describes one of the men as having supernatural power, giving him the ability to snap any chains that anyone managed to place on him, and the strength to break shackled and bonds with ease. No one was strong enough to subdue him, so everyone simply avoided the area in which they lived. But as Jesus and the disciples disembark from their boat, these two demon-possessed men come out running and screaming down the hillside toward them. You can only imagine what they must have looked like to the disciples. Their appearance had to have been shocking. They would have been filthy, probably naked, with wild hair, long beards, and untrimmed nails. The poor disciples had just recovered from their ordeal at sea to now encounter two demon-possessed madmen running straight for them. Mark tells us they bowed before Jesus and one of them screamed, "Why are you interfering with me Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don't torture me!" (Mark 5:7 NLT). I would love to have seen the faces of the disciples as all this was taking place. They were probably standing behind Jesus, like a group of children hiding behind their father. Or perhaps they had backed off and stood at a distance as Jesus dealt with the situation. But they had to have been scared and confused by the whole situation.

But the disciples weren't the only ones who were scared. The one demon who spoke to Jesus revealed that there were actually many demons in the man he possessed. And they all feared Jesus because they knew who He was. They acknowledge His as the Son of the Most High God. They knew He had power over them, so they begged Him to send them into a herd of pigs rather than send them back to hell. Jesus obliges and the demons leave the two men and take possession of the pigs, causing the entire herd to go crazy and cast themselves off a nearby cliff into the sea. Again, think of the looks on the faces of the disciples as all this came down. As if the demon-possessed men were not enough, now there were pigs involved, which were unclean to all Jews. This must have been like watching a horror movie to these poor men. But again, they were not the only ones experiencing fear.

The poor herdsmen, having seen what had happened to the two demoniacs and, more importantly, to their pigs, ran back into the village and the surrounding countryside telling everyone what they had seen. Soon a crowd gathered. By now the two men were fully clothed and in their right minds. The pigs were long gone. Mark tells us, after taking stock of the scene, the people were all afraid. So they began to plead with Jesus to go away and leave them alone. What an interesting response. Here were two men who had once been demon-possessed and now they were completely healthy and whole. But the people were afraid. While at one time they had feared the demoniacs, now they feared Jesus. He was an enigma to them. He was like nothing they had ever encountered before. He obviously had power. They were seeing the proof of it right before their eyes. But He scared them. His very presence had disrupted the status quo of their lives and caused them anxiety. They preferred things the way they used to be. They were more upset about the loss of the pigs than they were joyful over the new-found freedom of the two men. So Jesus and His disciples got back into the boat and left. And He would never return to this area again.

As the disciples sailed away with Jesus, leaving the townspeople standing on the shoreline, they had to have been blown away by all they had seen. Not only did Jesus have power over the physical elements, He had power over the spiritual world. Even Satan and his demons knew who Jesus was and they feared Him. They had to submit to Him. This had been quite a day for the disciples. They had a lot to process and think about. Their knowledge of Jesus was expanding each and every day. Their understanding of Him was increasing at a rapid pace. And they weren't exactly sure what to do with Him. Like the people back on the shoreline, they were wrestling with all kinds of issues. Jesus was rocking their world. He was turning everything on its head and disrupting their comfortable world. Which is what He still does today. Coming to Christ is one thing. Growing in Christ is another.  Peter reminds us, "Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment" (1 Peter 2:2 NLT). The disciples were growing. They were learning. They were re-learning much of what they thought they knew about the Messiah. And it was proving to be a fearful, faith-stretching process. Their knowledge of Jesus was growing, and so was their faith.

Father, continue to stretch my faith and increase my understanding of just who Jesus is. I want to grow in my salvation. I want to have to wrestle with the reality of who He is and what He is capable of doing in my life. Don't let me get comfortable with the status quo, but continue to stretch me – even if it scares me or makes me uncomfortable. Amen.

Terror On the High Seas.

Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25

"But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger." – Luke 8:23 NLT

Imagine the scene. Jesus and His disciples have gotten into a fishing boat. Their intent was to sail across to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, exhausted from another day of ministry to the masses, has fallen asleep. Suddenly a severe storm blows in, whipping up the sea and creating waves big enough to break over the relatively small fishing boat and fill it with water. While a good portion of the men in this boat are professional fishermen, this storm even has them scared. And Luke records, more than likely from eyewitness accounts, that they were in real danger. The boat was taking on water and close to capsizing. For the non-fishermen in the boat, like Matthew, who was just atax-collector, this had to have been a terrifying experience. This was an intense situation that had the disciples petrified. But there was Jesus, soundly asleep as if nothing was going on at all. So they wake Him up, crying, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?" (Mark 4:38 NLT). They begged Him to save them. To them, this was a real, life-threatening situation that required His immediate attention. They were shocked that He could so callously sleep through this entire ordeal.

It's interesting that each of the Gospel writers records a different response from Jesus. Matthew has Him saying, "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!" (Matthew 8:26 NLT). But it was said prior to Him calming the storm. Mark writes that Jesus said, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (Mark 4:40 NLT). But Mark has Him saying this after He had calmed the storm. Finally, Luke records that immediately after Jesus calmed the storm, He asked the disciples, "Where is you faith?" (Luke 8:25 NLT). What's going on here? Do we have what are seemingly contradictory records of this event? Where the Gospel writers suffering from poor memory or simply utilizing creative license?

Because I believe the Word of God is divinely inspired, and these individual records of this event are accurate and true, what we really have is a three dimensional view of a single historical event. Each records a slightly different part of the same story, because each is writing to a different audience and has a different objective in mind. But when you piece them all together you get a well-rounded picture of what was really going on that day in the boat. There is no doubt that this was a life-threatening event in the minds of the disciples. They were scared to death. There is no argument that Jesus was asleep in the boat while all this was going on. It would be safe to conclude that the disciples, in their fear, woke up Jesus from a sound sleep to see if He could do anything to help them. I'm not sure they knew what He could do, but they were desperate. All three texts make it clear that Jesus miraculously calmed the storm with just a word. He spoke and the wind stopped, the sea calmed, and the rain ceased. The real question seems to be what Jesus said to them and when. It would appear from Matthew's account that Jesus questioned their fear and lack of faith immediately prior to calming the storm. Mark and Luke both have Jesus calming the storm, then asking the disciples about the condition of their faith. It would seem likely that Jesus did both. The fact is that the disciples, fearing for their lives, woke Jesus up and had no real expectation of what or how He could do anything to help them. They were fearful and faithless. So He addressed those two problems with a question. Then He showed them the unnecessary nature of their fear and faithlessness by calming the storm. With just a word from His mouth, the storm ceased and they were saved. But they had been in no real danger all along, because they were with Him. The calming of the storm was simply a proof of His power and protective presence. Matthew records that the disciples were amazed at what they had seen Jesus do. Mark picks up the story post-storm and, evidently, the disciples are still struggling with what they had just seen happen. They are probably slack-jawed and dumb-founded. They can't believe what they have just seen. It was not the outcome they had been expecting. So Jesus addresses their fear and faithlessness again. But this time, He is talking about a different kind of fear. Rather than fear of their own deaths, they fear Him. They are petrified at what they have just seen and who it is that has just done this miraculous thing right before their eyes. But Jesus looks into their hearts and sees their lingering faithlessness. He asks rhetorically, "Do you still have no faith?" He is asking them why their faith is still weak in spite of what they have just witnessed. The word Jesus uses for fear here is a word for timidity. They are cowering. Not before the waves and the wind, but before Jesus. And interestingly enough, Mark records "The disciples were absolutely terrified" (Mark 4:41 NLT). The word for fear here is more intense. It is abject terror. It conveys the idea of fright and flight. They want to run. What they have seen Jesus do scares them more than the storm did. They are absolutely blown away by it all. They even ask among themselves, "Who is this man?" They had seen another side of Jesus that they had not seen before. Even the waves and the wind obey Him. He has power over the elements. He controls nature itself.

But the real issue in this story is their faith. When the waves had calmed and the wind had died down, Jesus asks them, "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:25 NLT). You would think that their faith would have been at an all-time high after what they had witnessed. But according to Jesus, that doesn't seem to be the case. What Jesus really seems to be asking them at this point is, "In what is your faith placed?" He is questioning the focus of their faith, not the effectiveness of it. They had been putting their faith in the wrong thing. Peter, Andrew, and Simon, as fishermen had grown up putting their faith in their boats and their own ability to handle the high seas of life. But on this day they had learned that their faith had been misplaced. Jesus is asking each of the disciples to consider in what or who they are placing their trust. Their circumstances had revealed the true nature of their faith. They weren't trusting God. And even after Jesus had calmed the storm, they were still wrestling with trust in who He was and why He had come. Jesus hadn't come to calm storms, but to conquer sin and death. He hadn't come to make their lives easier or danger-free, but to equip them to fight spiritual battles and wage warfare with the enemy, armed with faith in the power and protective presence of God. As long as Jesus was in the boat, they had been safe. As long as the Son of God was in their presence, they were well within the will of God. The severity of their circumstances should not have changed the intensity of their faith. But like each of us, they were learning. They were growing. And their faith in Jesus Christ was increasing with each passing day.

Father, there isn't a day that goes by that You can't ask me that same question: "Where is your faith?" I misplace my faith all the time. I doubt and fear. I put my trust in the wrong things. I fail to learn from my circumstances and grow in my faith in You. I see You do the miraculous and, rather than rejoice in Your power and abiding presence, I find myself fearing again as soon as things don't go quite the way I want them to go. But thank You that You are constantly working on my faith and teaching me to trust You more. Amen.

Amazing Faith.

Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-17

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel!’” – Matthew 8:10 NLT

I would venture to say that it would take a lot to amaze Jesus. After all, He is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, and the creator of the world. He has literally seen it all. But in this story we read that Jesus was amazed. At what? The faith of an unnamed Roman officer. The Greek word used here for amazed means that Jesus was astounded, astonished – literally stunned by what He heard. Consider the source. This man was a Gentile – a non-Jew. On top of that, he was a Roman citizen. And to make matters even more astonishing – he was a Roman officer. Yet this man had what most of the Jews didn't have: believing faith. Luke tells us this man was a good man who had been kind to the Jews under his jurisdiction, even helping pay to have a synagogue built for them. He was so well respected by the Jews, that they sent a delegation of their elders to seek out Jesus on his behalf. And interestingly enough, the reason this man was wanting Jesus' help was because he had a SLAVE who was sick and hear death. Obviously, this man was a compassionate person who cared for those under his authority. He was more than just a leader of men. He was a servant leader who modeled many of the very characteristics Jesus had just taught about. "Do good to those who hate you." (Luke 6:27 NLT). "Do to others as you would like them to do to you" (Luke 6:31 NLT). "Love your enemies" (Luke 6:35 NLT). "You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate" (Luke 6:36 NLT). "Give, and you will receive" (Luke 6:38 NLT).

Jesus was amazed at this man's faith. As a Gentile and a Roman officer, there was no reason this man should have had any thought of turning to Jesus for help. But his need drove him there. His heart of compassion and his desire to love others, but his inability to help his servant, drove him to seek out Jesus. And he knew that Jesus could help him. He sensed that Jesus had the power and authority to solve his problem. He also knew that he was unworthy of the help for which he was asking. He told Jesus, "I am not worthy of such an honor. I am not even worthy to come and meet you" (Luke 7:6-7 NLT). What humility. What faith. What awareness of his situation. This man was illustrating exactly the attitude Jesus was seeking from His own people, the Jews. But He sadly states, "I haven't seen faith this in all Israel!" (Luke 7:9 NLT).

This man's faith amazed Jesus. It amazes me. And I believe it stunned the people in Jesus' audience that day, including His disciples. Even they would struggle believing the way this man did. They would doubt and struggle with faith over the next few years, even as they walked alongside Jesus and watched Him do miracle after miracle. And I can be guilty of the same thing in my life. The key to faith is humility and a recognition of need. Faith requires reliance and dependence. It is based on an inner assurance that Jesus can and will help. He has the power. He has the authority. He has the desire. He just needs to be asked.

Father, I want my faith to be amazing faith. I want my reliance on You to be complete, not partial. I want to turn to You and rely on You, faithfully. Give me amazing faith like the man in this story. Amen.

The Lord Is Willing. Are You Ready?

Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16

“Lord," the man said, "if you are willing you can heal me and make me clean.” – Matthew 8:2 NLT

How would you react if someone covered in contagious sores and possibly having a disfigured face came to you begging for help? What would you do? How would you feel? In Jesus' day, leprosy was a horrible disease with no known cure. Those who contracted it were shunned by society and forced to live in isolation with other lepers, far from their families and friends. They were considered unclean according to the Law and unable to be restored to a right standing unless their healing from leprosy could be verified by a priest. These people were forced to call out, "Unclean, unclean!" if they came within shouting range of any normal person. This was in order to warn the other person to stay away. They were despised, rejected, unclean, unwanted, and helplessly burdened with a disease that had no known cure.

And yet, in our passages today, we read about one of these unfortunate souls who had the rare opportunity to come into contact with Jesus, the Messiah. He was taking a huge risk making his way into the crowds that surrounded Jesus. He shouldn't have been there. He was an outcast and had no place among these people and in the presence of Jesus. But he came and he cried out, "Lord, if you are willing you can heal me and make me clean!" He somehow knew that Jesus could heal him. The question was whether or not Jesus would. But back to the original question. How would you react in this situation? What would your response be? Revulsion? Fear? Anger? I'm sure the crowds backed away as quickly as possible when they saw who it was that was kneeling at Jesus' feet. They were horrified, shocked and probably a little bit put out that this social outcast had dared to ruin what had been a perfectly good day. But Mark tells us that Jesus was "moved with compassion" and He reached out and touched the man! You can almost hear the audible gasp come from the lips of the shocked onlookers as Jesus reaches out and purposely touches him. To do so was to not only risk contracting this man's dreadful disease, but to make yourself ceremonially unclean. How could Jesus do this? Why would Jesus do this? Couldn't He have healed the man with just a word from His lips? Was contact necessary?

Jesus always had a way of turning the status quo on its ear. He was a radical at heart. He never seemed to do what was expected or what was considered the usual. There is so much wrapped up in the imagery of this story. It reveals so much about Jesus, the healer, and Jesus, the Savior. This is less a story about restoration from leprosy, than a picture of redemption from sin. In this man we have pictured the state of every human being who has ever lived. All men are diseased, infected with sin, highly contagious, and unclean in the eyes of God. Their state is helpless and hopeless. There is no known cure for their malady. Their future is bleak. Their outcome assured. Death is all that awaits them. And yet, like this man, if they come to Jesus in complete submission and faith, and ask Him to heal them, His response will be, "I am willing, be healed!" And just as the man's leprosy immediately disappeared, the sinful state of every man and woman who turns to Jesus for healing with be immediately healed and they will receive new life. Their uncleanness will be turned into holiness. Their certain death will be replaced with assurance of eternal life. Their condemnation will turn into forgiveness. Their isolation into full acceptance. And their healing will be complete and fully verifiable. The change in their condition will be easily recognizable to all who see them. Jesus healed this man's physical condition. But the real reason He came was to heal mankind's spiritual condition. And He is as willing today as He has ever been. All we need say is, "Lord, if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean."

Jesus, I am so grateful that You were willing to heal me. I know that my state was far worse than the man in this story. My sin was going to have a devastating effect on my future. I was diseased and destined to die as a result. But my death would have been an eternal one, separated from You forever. And yet Jesus, You showed me compassion, and reached out and touched me "while I was yet a sinner" and healed me. Thank You!  Amen.

At His Command.

Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41

“This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, 'He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.'” – Matthew 8:17 NLT

When the people in Capernaum had witnessed Jesus cast the demon out of the man inside the walls of their very own synagogue, they exclaimed, "What sort of new teaching is this? It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!" (Mark 1:27 NLT). They were blown away by what they had seen. Jesus spoke and even the demons obeyed Him. He had authority. His words had power. He was more than just another itinerant rabbi roaming the landscape of Palestine recruiting disciples. This man was special.

And as Jesus made His way from the synagogue to the home of Simon Peter, He found Himself confronted with another need, the mother-in-law of His host was sick with a fever. Luke tells us He rebuked the fever and it left her. And her healing was immediate and complete, because she got up at once and prepared a meal for them. By that evening, news had spread and crowds began to gather, bringing their sick and demon-possessed friends and family members to Jesus. Mark says, "The whole town gathered at the door to watch" (Mark 1:33 NLT. But there is an interesting dynamic going on in these passages. You have two groups interacting with Jesus and they each give us a vastly different perspective of just how they view who Jesus is. The people see a powerful healer. They obviously believe He can heal or they wouldn't be going through the effort of coming to Him with their various maladies. They aren't really sure who this man is, but if He can give them release from their physical ailments and deliver them from demon possession, that is all that really matters. They are stuck on a physical plane. But the demons are spiritual creatures and they have a much different perspective on just who Jesus is. Luke tells us that when Jesus commanded the demons to come out of an individual, they obeyed, but not before shouting, "You are the Son of God!" (Luke 4:41 NLT). Luke says that Jesus rebuked them and refused to let them speak because they knew He was the Messiah. They were fully aware of just who Jesus was, and they understood and feared the significance of His arrival in what had been their domain up until that time. He was competition. He was to be feared because He had power over them. He wasn't just some rabbi, He was the very Son of God, the Messiah. Jesus was their worst nightmare realized.

It is interesting that Jesus refused to let the demons acknowledge His true identity. But He knew that if the people began to connect the dots and realized that Jesus was the Messiah, as the demons stated, they would misunderstand. Their view of who the Messiah would be and what He would do was radically different than the role for which Jesus had come. They were looking for a conquering king and a political leader to liberate them from the oppression of the Romans. Jesus knew that the people, including His own disciples, would attempt to force His hand and try to get Him to set up His earthly kingdom now. But Jesus was on His Father's timetable, and He came to provide a different kind of liberation. He was going to set them free, but not from Roman rule. He was going to bring them salvation, but not from political oppression. The demons seemed to know this. They inherently understood that Jesus was out to do war on a spiritual plane. They had experienced His power and had been forced by Him to give up hard-fought territory. They were no match for Him. And it scared them.

It is interesting that many people today are looking to Jesus for only what they can get from Him, and their interest is purely physical in nature. They want better lives, happier marriages, more successful careers, better behaved kids, and trouble-free futures. They fail to realize that the realm in which Jesus works is a spiritual one. He came to do spiritual warfare with a spiritual enemy. He came to deliver from spiritual captivity and to heal spiritual diseases. This is not to say that Jesus cannot or will not heal us from physical sickness, but His main concern has and always will be our spiritual condition. He is out to restore us to spiritual wholeness and completeness. He wants to transform our hearts and radically change our inner beings so that we become increasingly like Him. Our greatest desire should be for spiritual healing. We should constantly look to Jesus and see Him for who He is, the Son of God, with the power and authority to radically transform our inner lives and completely restore our sin-sick hearts.

Father, it is so easy to get stuck on a physical plane and lose sight that our greatest problem is a spiritual one. We are spiritual creatures and the battle we fight each day is a spiritual one. Keep us focused on the real reason for which Your Son came. Don't let us lose sight of the prize and become distracted by short-term fixes that relegate Jesus to some kind of life coach who is here to make our physical lives better. Give us eyes to see life from a spiritual perspective. Amen.