Matthew – Page 19 – Be Still…

Matthew 8:14-17 – Be Healed!

This passage has always made me smile. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Jesus’ intention to be fed when he stopped by Peter’s house. But it was a divine appointment. We aren’t told how long Peter’s mom had been bed-ridden. We aren’t told if Peter asked Jesus to come help. Peter would have witnessed Jesus healing people. Do you think he asked for his own mom’s healing?

Jesus didn’t have to be asked. He simply touched her hand. His healing touch was instantaneous. Being a good Jewish mother, she would have been on the ready to make her guests feel welcome. What better way than with food. Her illness was now a distant memory.

Matthew 8:5-13 – Faithfulness

Read Matthew 8:5-13

What surprised you about today’s reading? Was it that a Roman officer approached Jesus for help? Was it that a Roman soldier surprised Jesus with his faith? Was it that a child was healed without Jesus even being present? This story is full of amazing details like that.

It is a story of faith. Bold, unquestioning faith. The officer knew that Jesus had power. Because of the power he had in his line of work, he knew what it was to give an order and have it be accomplished. This Roman officer transferred this knowledge and knew that Jesus’ power could heal his child. Jesus was so powerful that his word from afar would do the trick. That is a great example of faithfulness!

Matthew 8:1-4 – Our Little Secret

Read Matthew 8:1-4

We hear that after coming down from the mountain large crowds followed Jesus. Well of course they did. Jesus had just rocked their world and given people a deeper understanding of what they had known the “law” to be. There were probably a lot of “light bulb moments” for those listening on the mountain hillside that day. Word would spread fast about this man, Jesus, who had taught them with such authority.

We learn that in the business world leaders with authority do much better than those without it. What gives a leader authority? When we look at Jesus’ example, we see a man who took control of the situation. He wasn’t wishy-washy with his message. He spoke with boldness. He knew what he was talking about. Who better to know the law than the one who helped write it! With this authority, Jesus will attract a lot more people to himself. Including the leper.

Matthew 7:24-29 – What Does Your Future Look Like?

Read Matthew 7:24-29

Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount with these words of wisdom. The people were amazed. We should be amazed, even if we’ve heard this time and again. The messages and truth that Jesus has shared with us over the last two chapters in Matthew’s gospel are golden. Jesus puts in a nutshell what his obedient followers should do. He’s made it clear.

Our future is up to us. Will we listen to Jesus and have a firm foundation on which to build our lives? Or will we return to life as we knew it, going through the motions, scraping by, not paying much attention to what Jesus has set out for us? The Holy Spirit is stirring inside us, will we pay attention?

Matthew 7:15-23 – True or False?

Read Matthew 7:15-23

There is a lot to digest in this passage. There’s more to it than just good and bad fruit trees. On the surface, we may miss how serious Jesus’ warning to us is. This is because we don’t realize how it applies to us. After all, we don’t see a lot of prophets like John the Baptist or Isaiah running around these days. For this passage, think of a prophet as someone who speaks “in the name of the Lord.” A religious teacher or leader would fit the bill.

The church is supposed to be a safe place for us sheep. But Jesus tells us there will be teachers who disguise themselves as ravenous wolves to devour the sheep (us), or at least lead us astray. If we can’t trust our church leaders who can we trust? Jesus. We can trust Jesus.