trust – Page 11 – Be Still…

Matthew 9:1-8 – What Good Friends!

Friends like that are a treasure. The life of the paralyzed man changed that day in a big way because of his friends. You might wonder what happened before the men carried their friend to Jesus. Perhaps the paralyzed man had never seen Jesus healing other people because he wasn’t able to get around. Would he have doubted his friends who obviously had seen Jesus’ miraculous work? They were sure that Jesus could help their friend. Jesus could see their faith.

Then it got a little dicey. Jesus simply said to the man, “Take heart, your sins are forgiven.” Well, that would have been quite a statement. God is the only one who can forgive sins. Who did Jesus think he was? The teachers of the law in the crowd were mumbling among themselves. Jesus knew their hearts, too. He called it out almost as quickly as their opposition began to grow.

Matthew 8:28-34 – What are Your Demons?

Read Matthew 8:28-34

We are not perfect. We all have a “dark” side whether we admit it or not. Maybe we like to talk about other people (gossip), maybe we like to spend money we don’t have (greed), maybe we want things we can’t have (covet), maybe we stretch the truth a little to embellish a story (lie). We can even say, “the devil made me do it.” But this is serious. We do let evil in and sometimes it stays for good.

Like in our story today. Jesus and his disciples encountered two men who were overcome by demons making them “violent.” This same story, with a few differences, also appears in Mark and Luke’s gospels. There must be an important lesson here. Let’s not take time to compare these differences in perspective. Let’s focus on what Matthew is telling us.

Matthew 8:23-27 – Storms of Life

Read Matthew 8:23-27

This is a Bible story I have acted out time and time again. As a Sunday School teacher, you always hope that using an “experience” like a re-enactment will help the kids to grasp a little of what’s happening here. It’s more than the waves. It’s more than Jesus being a deep sleeper.

This is something that happened, rather than a parable or story Jesus is telling. But the lessons we see here are plentiful. We see Jesus get into a boat with his disciples, presumably to retreat to a quieter destination where the crowds aren’t closing in. We see Jesus falling asleep out of pure exhaustion. Jesus is God, but he is also human, and he has been in demand with his teachings and healings. Who wouldn’t be totally spent and ready for some peace and quiet?

Matthew 6:25-34 – Are You a Worry Wart?

Read Matthew 6:25-34

If not ourselves, we all know people who consume themselves with worry. What happens when we worry? We focus on something, usually something out of our control, and we fixate on it. No other thought can penetrate. It increases our stress level and certainly blocks us from any meaningful relationship with God. That is why Jesus had to focus on this phenomenon for a bit.

Why do we worry in the first place? Are we control freaks who believe we can change things by worrying? Jesus focuses on material worries, like food and clothing, yet he also says, don’t worry about your life. What sort of things do you worry about? Your finances? Your children? Your health? You are not alone. Jesus isn’t going to just talk about the symptom here, he’s getting to the root of our worry and how we can stop it.

Romans 11:13-24 – Are You Connected?

Read Romans 11:13-24

We are branches. How glorious that we have been grafted in as part of God’s family. It’s an honor we often take for granted I think. We are now able to receive the nourishment God intended for Abraham’s descendants. It’s still waiting for them, but it is available to us who are connected now.

One thing is certain, we shouldn’t take this gift for granted. We should not flaunt it in an unhealthy way. If we live our lives in reverence to God, trusting him, and striving to become more like Jesus, people will notice. We don’t need to “brag” about our inheritance. That’s not being attractive. Instead, we live our faith.