Our paragraph topic is: (The centurion's faith) Part 1.
We begin a new topic today as Christ begins to move around in the country preaching, and teaching, and making miracles, proving his authority. He enters Capharnaum and a Centurion approaches him saying, "Lord, my servant is lying sick in the house, paralyzed, and is grievously afflicted." Christ says to him, "I will come and cure him.” Christ has just given us an example of the leper who, with great courage and faith, asked Christ, "Lord, if thou wilt." And now a soldier comes to him and asks for help. St Matthew in his writing tells us that the Centurion came to Christ in the first place. After he had tried other means, after he had consulted the physicians of the day, after he had tried all of the remedies known to him, he came to Christ and laid his problem at the feet of the Lord.
The Centurion begins by acknowledging that Christ is Lord. Here is a man who humbles himself by having compassion for his servants. Here is a man who throws off the trappings of office and honor and dignity to show his love for those who serve him. This is his servant, not his wife or son or children, or relative but his servant that he pleads for. His servant is paralyzed, sick in bed, grievously sick on the verge of death and his heart is grieved. His soul is pained. His mind is bereft of the thought of loosing one so dear to him. And yet Christ is there for him.
Christ says, I am ready. Christ says, I will come. Christ says, I feel your pain. Christ says, I know your hurt. Christ says, I will cure him.
Often times we do not get to plead for our loved ones before they die. The thief comes in the night and takes them away without notice and we are left with an empty hole that cries out in pain. Often times it is only after they are gone or during the most dire conditions that we plead with God to save a family member, or a loved one. In most cases we do not plead for a co-worker. We do not plead for those who serve us, the postman, the garbage collector, the meter reader, the store clerk, the cashier, the repairman, the soldier, or anyone who provides service to us today. Yet here is a man of high stature, a centurion, who pleads for his lowly servant that he loves and cares for. It shows a level of humility and compassion that goes beyond title and position. It shows a basic recognition of who we are as human beings, children of God, created in his image. Do you have compassion for your fellow man? Do you have the sensitivity and the humility to care for others or is your world all about you? Christ said, I will come. Will he say the same to you?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
St Matthew, Chapter 8, verse: 4, The Leper.
We finish our paragraph topic: (A leper) Part 3.
Jesus cleansed the leper and told him not to speak of it to anyone. Large crowds followed Christ. Did he not want his miracles to be known? He had touched a leper which was forbidden in those days. Fear of catching the disease made people avoid getting near a leper, for it was thought that touching a leper was how the disease was transmitted. And Christ touched the leper and made him clean. He told the leper to tell no one, and to go show thyself to the priest. He then was to offer a gift for a witness.
In those days the priest had to absolve a leper of his uncleanness. The priest had to be a witness to a leper being clean. The priest had to examine a diseased person before they could resume a place in society without the attached stigma of the disease. So it was important that the leper did not advertise his miracle. It was important that he received absolution by a priest before going into the public. It was important that he followed the instructions of Christ and offer a gift as a witness to his cure.
How often today do we offer a gift as a witness to our salvation? How often today do we give thanks for the cure that has been performed in our lives? How often today do we recognize that Christ has worked in our lives and not just circumstances? What gift can we offer for our cure from addiction? What gift can we offer for our release from pornography? What gift do we have that is worthy of our cure from cancer? What sacrifice is great enough that we can place on the altar to show our gratitude for his love for us?
We leave with his cure and our hearts are filled with joy. We know within ourselves that we have been cured. We feel the newness in our bodies and a wellspring of happiness overtakes us. Tell somebody. Tell all. Shout it to the world. Tell it on the mountain tops. Tell it in the streets. The Savior has cured me. He has made me clean. But Christ says keep it to yourself. Tell no one. But go to the priest and show yourself that the priest may know. Tell the priest that he may bear witness to your miracle. Tell it to the priest that he may declare to the world you have been healed.
Offer the gift that is prescribed. Offer the gift that you have received. Offer life. Offer hope. Offer love. Offer joy. Offer salvation to those who are in need of salvation, as it was offered to you. For our God is an awesome God. He is our rock and our redeemer. He is our healer and our comforter. He is our peace. Go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed.
Jesus cleansed the leper and told him not to speak of it to anyone. Large crowds followed Christ. Did he not want his miracles to be known? He had touched a leper which was forbidden in those days. Fear of catching the disease made people avoid getting near a leper, for it was thought that touching a leper was how the disease was transmitted. And Christ touched the leper and made him clean. He told the leper to tell no one, and to go show thyself to the priest. He then was to offer a gift for a witness.
In those days the priest had to absolve a leper of his uncleanness. The priest had to be a witness to a leper being clean. The priest had to examine a diseased person before they could resume a place in society without the attached stigma of the disease. So it was important that the leper did not advertise his miracle. It was important that he received absolution by a priest before going into the public. It was important that he followed the instructions of Christ and offer a gift as a witness to his cure.
How often today do we offer a gift as a witness to our salvation? How often today do we give thanks for the cure that has been performed in our lives? How often today do we recognize that Christ has worked in our lives and not just circumstances? What gift can we offer for our cure from addiction? What gift can we offer for our release from pornography? What gift do we have that is worthy of our cure from cancer? What sacrifice is great enough that we can place on the altar to show our gratitude for his love for us?
We leave with his cure and our hearts are filled with joy. We know within ourselves that we have been cured. We feel the newness in our bodies and a wellspring of happiness overtakes us. Tell somebody. Tell all. Shout it to the world. Tell it on the mountain tops. Tell it in the streets. The Savior has cured me. He has made me clean. But Christ says keep it to yourself. Tell no one. But go to the priest and show yourself that the priest may know. Tell the priest that he may bear witness to your miracle. Tell it to the priest that he may declare to the world you have been healed.
Offer the gift that is prescribed. Offer the gift that you have received. Offer life. Offer hope. Offer love. Offer joy. Offer salvation to those who are in need of salvation, as it was offered to you. For our God is an awesome God. He is our rock and our redeemer. He is our healer and our comforter. He is our peace. Go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed.
Monday, January 17, 2011
St Matthew, Chapter 8, verse: 3. The Leper.
Today our paragraph topic is: (A leper) Part 2.
We continue our topic today with the second part of this discussion of A Leper. As I reflect upon the topic, it could just as easily been, A Hooker, or An Addict, or, A John, or A Pornographer, or A Sinner, or A person with AIDS, or A person with Cancer, or anything that takes us to depths of despair where we are hopeless without any sign of help. This is a powerful topic for us today because it applies to all, no matter what condition we find ourselves in. It could be at home with our families, at work with our co-workers, at work with our supervisors or managers or our company. It could be with our position in life and the feeling of hopelessness of being trapped without having some solution. It could be in our relationships with our parents, our friends, our love ones, even our children who have gone astray. It could be with our physical health and the sickness that we face not knowing the certainty of where we will be in the future, health wise. It could be with any and all situations that we face in life where we are out of control and have a sense of hopelessness. "Lord, if thou wilt."
Christ in his overflowing love for us stretches forth his hand and touches us, just as he touched the leper and says: "I will; be thou made clean." We are blessed with his love and instantly we are healed. Addicts are cured instantly of their addiction never to return to using. Sickness is banished from the body leaving the person cleansed and whole, baffling the medical community as to how the cure came about. Hookers are made whole never to return to the streets again, now having a love for God and not for man. The desire for pornography is removed from the mind allowing the person to be cleansed of the spirit of lust and now to lead a spirit filled life. "Lord, if thou wilt."
There is so much in our lives today that need the healing hand of Christ. And all we have to do is ask him, if he will heal us. All we have to do is believe that he loves us. All we have to do is open our hearts to him. It may be difficult for those who have not experienced pain or suffering or a behavior that we did not like, that kept us in a trapped lifestyle. It may be difficult for those who have money, who have options, who have a good job, who have great relationships, to perceive the pain and anguish that one goes through when trapped in the world without an option. It may be hard for one to understand the compulsion that drives one to do the things that are against one's own desire to change, telling oneself that we have control and we will just do this one more time. And that one more time creates a spiral that leads down and down to our destruction. It may be difficult to comprehend, until one goes through the cycle of destruction, how deeply one has fallen into the pit of damnation and the depths of despair one has reached.
Christ is our redeemer. Christ is our healer. Christ is our savior. He can reach into the pit and retrieve us from damnation. He can bring us back from the abyss. He can remove all curses of evil upon us. He can cleans our bodies from all sickness. He can do all things if we let him. In our darkest days of despair, if we open our hearts to him and ask for his help, he will come. In our moments of need he can be our comforter. In our times of pain ans suffering, physically, mentally and spiritually, he can be our salvation. Let us not forsake him for the world. Let us not reason with our minds that we know the answers. Let us not close the door to our hearts and mock those who believe. For one day your time of need will come and who will you call upon. "Lord, if thou wilt." And Christ said: "I will".
We continue our topic today with the second part of this discussion of A Leper. As I reflect upon the topic, it could just as easily been, A Hooker, or An Addict, or, A John, or A Pornographer, or A Sinner, or A person with AIDS, or A person with Cancer, or anything that takes us to depths of despair where we are hopeless without any sign of help. This is a powerful topic for us today because it applies to all, no matter what condition we find ourselves in. It could be at home with our families, at work with our co-workers, at work with our supervisors or managers or our company. It could be with our position in life and the feeling of hopelessness of being trapped without having some solution. It could be in our relationships with our parents, our friends, our love ones, even our children who have gone astray. It could be with our physical health and the sickness that we face not knowing the certainty of where we will be in the future, health wise. It could be with any and all situations that we face in life where we are out of control and have a sense of hopelessness. "Lord, if thou wilt."
Christ in his overflowing love for us stretches forth his hand and touches us, just as he touched the leper and says: "I will; be thou made clean." We are blessed with his love and instantly we are healed. Addicts are cured instantly of their addiction never to return to using. Sickness is banished from the body leaving the person cleansed and whole, baffling the medical community as to how the cure came about. Hookers are made whole never to return to the streets again, now having a love for God and not for man. The desire for pornography is removed from the mind allowing the person to be cleansed of the spirit of lust and now to lead a spirit filled life. "Lord, if thou wilt."
There is so much in our lives today that need the healing hand of Christ. And all we have to do is ask him, if he will heal us. All we have to do is believe that he loves us. All we have to do is open our hearts to him. It may be difficult for those who have not experienced pain or suffering or a behavior that we did not like, that kept us in a trapped lifestyle. It may be difficult for those who have money, who have options, who have a good job, who have great relationships, to perceive the pain and anguish that one goes through when trapped in the world without an option. It may be hard for one to understand the compulsion that drives one to do the things that are against one's own desire to change, telling oneself that we have control and we will just do this one more time. And that one more time creates a spiral that leads down and down to our destruction. It may be difficult to comprehend, until one goes through the cycle of destruction, how deeply one has fallen into the pit of damnation and the depths of despair one has reached.
Christ is our redeemer. Christ is our healer. Christ is our savior. He can reach into the pit and retrieve us from damnation. He can bring us back from the abyss. He can remove all curses of evil upon us. He can cleans our bodies from all sickness. He can do all things if we let him. In our darkest days of despair, if we open our hearts to him and ask for his help, he will come. In our moments of need he can be our comforter. In our times of pain ans suffering, physically, mentally and spiritually, he can be our salvation. Let us not forsake him for the world. Let us not reason with our minds that we know the answers. Let us not close the door to our hearts and mock those who believe. For one day your time of need will come and who will you call upon. "Lord, if thou wilt." And Christ said: "I will".
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