March 24, 2010 (Mark 4-5, Matthew 8:14-10)

"Faith" is what stuck out to me in my reading today, and I have a feeling that will be a recurring theme. I am also reading a book about George Mueller - a man who took God at His word, so it seems 'faith' is what God is speaking into my heart.

The first account is about when a big storm blew up while Jesus and some of his disciples were in a boat. Jesus was asleep, but his disciples were frantic and woke Him up asking Him to save them because they were going to drown. How in the world could Jesus have been sleeping through a storm that was obviously so powerful that His disciples thought they were going to drown? What peace governed His life? Obviously the knowledge that He had power over all things. Perhaps this was even sent by Him to be a teaching lesson for His disciples. What storms are in our life to focus us on the saving power of God? This story was in both Matthew and Mark, but I liked the wording of the Mark account better:

^{Mark 4:39} When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Quiet down!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?”

Not only is it important to have faith, it's important that our faith is in Him.

Next we see where some people brought him a paralyzed man. His response:

^{Matthew 9:2} Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”

Next there are three instances, back to back:

First a leader came to Him because his daughter had just died. Then as Jesus was on His way to his house, we see the story of the woman who had been sick for twelve years. Then after Jesus left the little girl's home, two blind men followed behind. Boom, boom, boom....back to back teachings on faith:

^{Matthew 9:18} As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”

¹⁹ So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. ²⁰ Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, ²¹ for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

²³ When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. ²⁴ “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! ²⁶ The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

²⁷ After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

²⁸ They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?”

“Yes, Lord,” they told him, “we do.”

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” ³⁰ Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” ³¹ But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.

The next thing that struck me was Jesus' compassion for the people. He is the same today. He still has compassion for the lost. And because of what He has given us, He expects us to give to others:

^{Matthew 9:36} When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. ³⁸ So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Matthew 10:8b "Give as freely as you have received!"

And then, finally, words of encouragement as to how much He loves us:

^{Matthew 10:28} “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. ³⁰ And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."