Highlighted New Testament Bible

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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

St Matthew, Chapter 9, verses: 18-19, The Ruler's Request for His Daughter.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The ruler asks Christ to raise his daughter).  

Now Jesus is just finishing his talk with the disciples of John.  He has told them that in order to save the new wine, it must be put into new wine skins.  He has told them that his disciples are different and the new wine of life must be put into new disciples in order to save the wine of life and to not damage the old wine skins.  While he is talking to them a ruler comes up and worships him.  The ruler says to Christ, "My daughter has just now died."  

St Matthew does not provide any additional information as to what Christ said after the ruler made this statement.  St Matthew has provided us with the teachings of Christ up to this point.  He has written about the new interpretations of the principles of Life as given in the Sermon on the Mount.  He has written about the journey across the sea and the lack of faith of the disciples.  He has written about the leper, the centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, the paralytic of Capharnaum, and told us how Christ cure many, cast out demons, and healed the sick and lame.  He has not, up to this point, given us any indication of Christ raising anyone from the dead.  The centurion's servant was near death but there was nothing to say that he was dead.  So in thinking about this request from the ruler, there must have been some curiosity, some doubt, some fear and some challenge as to the authority of Christ to raise the dead.

Reviving the dead had not been done before.  But then, the word of Christ and the miracles spread through out the land and who knows what embellishments were added to the stories that were being spoken about him.  So the ruler says that his daughter has just died and he continues with,  "But come, and lay thy hand upon her, and she will return to life."   Christ does not hesitate, does not speak, does not question, he follows.  And the disciples do the same.  They follow him, without any hesitation, without question, without asking how he would raise the dead.

St Matthew tells us in this account how the ruler approached Christ.  The ruler said, but come.  He said besides all the questions, doubts, and fears, but come and lay thy hand upon her.  He said, when you lay your hand upon her she will return to life.  He did not say maybe she will return to life.  He did not say he thinks that Christ can return her to life.  He did not say come and speak to her.  He did not say I don't know if you can help me to bring back my daughter.  The ruler said, come, lay thy hand upon her and she will return to life.  The ruler, according to St Matthew, spoke confidence.  The ruler spoke faith.  The ruler spoke trust in what he had heard of Christ and his miracles.

Can we say the same today?  Can we speak confidently to Christ asking him to perform a miracle in our life?  Can we speak as the ruler spoke to Christ, with solid belief, and unwavering faith, and complete trust?