Advent Devotional for Dec. 11
Thursday, December 11 Matthew 8:5-13
The power of Jesus’ word to heal.
The story reveals remarkable faith on the part of this Roman centurion. His servant was sick and this centurion—a Gentile and likely reviled by many of the more orthodox Jews—would have hated him. Yet he has faith like no one else. When his servant is sick, not only does he seek out the Jewish Jesus, foreign to him, but he also believes so strongly in Jesus that he simply urges him to speak a healing word, not even to bother coming to the house. Jesus is amazed at this level of belief and reminds his Jewish listeners that this foreigner gets it better than many of them do. In fact, he says, this centurion will eat with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in glory before many pious religious Jews will. And, almost as an aside, the servant is healed.
We often wonder today why we can’t see Jesus in the flesh, and we think we would gain great comfort if we could. Maybe we would be comforted in some ways. But do not underestimate the awesome power of Jesus’ word to heal, and this word is not tied to being able to see him.
We hear Jesus’ word in many ways; most obviously, we hear it in the Scripture, commonly called “the Word of God.” Scripture contains so much that points us to Jesus, helps us to see him clearly and thus be healed. We also can hear Jesus’ word in the words of our neighbors—this is part of what is meant when the church is called the body of Christ. We speak for Jesus too. It is a privilege and a boldness to preach and to think those words speak God’s truth and love to human hearts; but this is not a privilege reserved for the ordained. Christians all are able to speak the word of God to each other, to speak to each other with healing words, words that reflect God’s love and care to a person in need of these.
In what ways is Jesus trying to speak healing to you now? Are you listening? Do you want to be healed?
The power of Jesus’ word to heal.
The story reveals remarkable faith on the part of this Roman centurion. His servant was sick and this centurion—a Gentile and likely reviled by many of the more orthodox Jews—would have hated him. Yet he has faith like no one else. When his servant is sick, not only does he seek out the Jewish Jesus, foreign to him, but he also believes so strongly in Jesus that he simply urges him to speak a healing word, not even to bother coming to the house. Jesus is amazed at this level of belief and reminds his Jewish listeners that this foreigner gets it better than many of them do. In fact, he says, this centurion will eat with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in glory before many pious religious Jews will. And, almost as an aside, the servant is healed.
We often wonder today why we can’t see Jesus in the flesh, and we think we would gain great comfort if we could. Maybe we would be comforted in some ways. But do not underestimate the awesome power of Jesus’ word to heal, and this word is not tied to being able to see him.
We hear Jesus’ word in many ways; most obviously, we hear it in the Scripture, commonly called “the Word of God.” Scripture contains so much that points us to Jesus, helps us to see him clearly and thus be healed. We also can hear Jesus’ word in the words of our neighbors—this is part of what is meant when the church is called the body of Christ. We speak for Jesus too. It is a privilege and a boldness to preach and to think those words speak God’s truth and love to human hearts; but this is not a privilege reserved for the ordained. Christians all are able to speak the word of God to each other, to speak to each other with healing words, words that reflect God’s love and care to a person in need of these.
In what ways is Jesus trying to speak healing to you now? Are you listening? Do you want to be healed?
posted by Michael Jordan at 6:00 AM
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