Where The Rubber Meets The Road

Matthew 8:1 Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. 2 Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.

14 When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. 15 But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him.


It was the start of a new work-week for the disciples. They had spent the previous day listening to Jesus give his Sermon on the Mount. All the powerful teaching they heard would now be put before them in their usual, everyday life. In Matthew 5-7, Jesus gave all the information they needed to know. Now in chapter eight, it was time for the application of what they heard.

In Jesus' day a pious Jew would thank God every day he was not born a leper, a woman, or a Gentile; these are the three people God tells of in chapter eight. What was God revealing through each of these people?

This teaching is different. Usually rabbis cite generations of rabbis before them when making claims about the meaning of Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus honors the law, but He is clear—the law must be read in a new way.

The Leper (v. 2-4)

He came by himself. There was no one with him. There will be times when you will have no one but Christ; just come to Him, He did not wait for an altar call or a certain point of a service. There was no one clapping for him when he went for a miracle, there was no music, He made his own altar time. He worships before any miracle takes place. Our worship is not because of my miracle or for my miracle but because of Who God is.

Of all of the miracles performed by Jesus, few were as spectacular as those where He healed lepers. We don't know why this man came to Jesus in such an advanced state. Surely, he must have thought his leprosy was so terrible that even Jesus could not heal him. He perhaps heard that Jesus told of a God of love, and lived a different lifestyle. Jesus was moved with compassion. "He touched him." Jesus didn't have to touch him. He healed others without a touch. Why did He do it? I believe He did so to show compassion, to affirm and to reassure. It had been so long since this man had known human touch but Jesus sensed that he needed it. He loved someone very different from Him.

Later in Matthew we hear those immortal five words from Jesus as He tells his disciples, "I was hungry, and you fed Me; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." We, too, must touch the untouchable -- we have been touched, we must touch. Some people need the touch of reassurance while others need the touch of compassion. Still others need the touch of faith and others the touch of Christian witness. Whom do you need to touch?

The Centurion (v. 5-13)

He, a Roman, was probably the worst Gentile in the eyes of the Jews. Making matters worse, he came to pray for one of the most despised people groups–the slaves. Learn to pray for the despised. It is difficult to gossip about, be bitter against, or hate those you pray for regularly. He did not forecast his prayers. He did not tell Jesus what to do but simply told Jesus the problem and let Jesus decide.

esus is being called upon to practice what He has just preached. He is asked for help by the enemy. What He had just said was "Love your enemies." Now He is required to put that into action. And He does. Something remarkable happens here. The faith demonstrated by this normally unacceptable centurion was far greater than that of even the religious elite. Despite the fact that Jesus risked the anger of those who would have disapproved of His aiding the Gentile oppressor, He acts.

The Mother-in-Law (v. 14-15)

Not only did Jesus receive the unacceptable and touch the untouchable but also in the final encounter in this passage we see that Jesus Valued the Unprofitable. The third healing which takes place in this passage is that of Peter's mother-in-law. Quite frankly, this woman was of no practical value to Jesus or, for that matter, to Peter either. She was most likely an illiterate second-class citizen, probably an elderly woman living in the house of her son-in-law. Not only this, but the woman was also a person who could do little for His ministry. She had little wealth or influence, unlike the centurion. This disease carries no drama in the healing like that of the leper. The "fever" which she had may have been a disease that was contagious -- some have suggested typhoid, cholera or malaria. Yet once again He heals. The scripture says He "touched her." An amazing thing happened. The woman was no longer a burden but became a blessing.

No one asked Jesus to heal Peter's mother-in-law. Jesus saw for Himself that she was sick. Many times God moves without me asking because He is sovereign. The part of the body going to be used was touched by Jesus. Jesus touches you not just to be healed but also to be used. We do not just need people going to healing services but people being healed and getting into service for Him.

What question is God asking you? Who is He asking you to touch? Who is He asking you to accept? Who is He asking you to value? Who is He asking you to love?

Freedom In Christ

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (KJV). In order for our relationship with God to be pure, we must be free. Without freedom, we are still in bondage to the things of this world. If the spirit of the world is our master, we will never freely serve the Lord. Instead of agreeing with Him, we will seek to have Him agree with us. Without the Spirit, we cannot know the things of God; much less understand them (see  1Corinthians 2:9-16).

Without realizing it, it would be easy to misuse the verse that says, “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). How often have we heard people say, “I’m walking by the spirit of the law,” which is another way of saying “I am going to walk a little bit in the flesh?” It is similar to “a little white lie.” It is still a lie and is ungodly. Walking a little bit in the flesh is still walking in the flesh. Using Scripture to do so is dangerous ground.

Without freedom in Christ Jesus, we would still be trying to earn the Father’s love and involve ourselves with dead works, trying to somehow make our way into heaven. When we walk in the freedom that comes with the Law of the Spirit of life, we will cease from our own feeble attempts to manipulate God. For example, why should we incorporate the Word of God in our prayers? Are we to quote Scripture to God in order to hold Him accountable to His Word in order to get what we want? That is fleshly prayer and borders on witchcraft. When people twist the things of God to fulfill fleshly desires, they are walking in rebellion. The reason we use Scripture in prayer is so that we come into agreement with God and pray according to His perfect will. 1 John 5:14-15 clearly says, “If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (KJV).

When we walk in love, we will freely ask the Father for those things we desire without manipulation. Our love bonds us to His will and desires, which in turn causes us to ask for those things that are pleasing to Him. If you feel the need to manipulate anyone to get what you want, it is time to examine your heart through the Holy Spirit. We obey Him because we love Him, not because we are trying to earn His love. Everything we do for Him will spring out of the relationship. With freedom comes the desire to please Abba (Daddy), Father. In that liberty is fullness of peace and joy. Everything Jesus did was the result of His love for the Father. He had, and always will have, complete confidence in His relationship with Him. God desires us to have the same confidence. Why else would He desire to conform us into the image of Jesus?

Guard Your Heart

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." - Proverb 4:23

Nearly 3,000 years have passed since King Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs, yet this timeless treasure of practical wisdom is still applicable today. The wisest man of his day, King Solomon failed to heed his own advice and fell into idolatry. Let us take a look at his life, for there is much we can learn. 

King Solomon’s life had great beginnings. The young King of Israel was humble, and his heart was devoted and surrendered to God. One night he had a dream and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon replied, “Give me wisdom and knowledge to govern the people.” Pleased with Solomon’s request, God gave him not only wisdom and knowledge but also wealth and honor. 

King Solomon was greater in wisdom and wealth than all the kings of the earth. During his 40 year reign, Israel was the most powerful and prosperous nation in the region. Silver and gold were as plentiful as rocks on the roadside. His reputation as a man of great wisdom spread far and wide, and people came to hear him speak from all nations. 

King Solomon built the first Temple in Jerusalem and adorned it with the finest gold and polished stones. He engaged in massive construction projects and built cities and ships and a magnificent royal palace. He was a superb statesman who expanded commercial trade with surrounding nations, thus increasing the wealth and riches of the nation of Israel. 

Beneath the gold and glitter of Solomon’s reign, serious problems were surfacing. He made an alliance with Egypt and married the daughter of Pharaoh – one of his many political marriages – which led to his downward spiral. He had 700 royal wives and 300 concubines, many of whom practiced paganism. God had warned His people not to take multiple wives and intermarry with pagan nations, but Solomon ignored it. He compromised his faith by building pagan temples for his wives and worshiping with them. King Solomon’s divided heart resulted in a divided kingdom. The Kingdom of Israel was split during the reign of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. 

Near the end of Solomon’s life, he wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes and reflected on his life. All of his accomplishments had left him unfulfilled. Here was a man who had everything – power, wealth, intellect and fame – yet he declared it all meaningless in the end. He had seen it all, tried it all, and done it all, yet it left him dissatisfied and wanting more. He took a hard look at his life and concluded that only through God can there be true fulfillment. 

King Solomon’s life reminds us that the problems associated with power, lust, and greed in our modern world have existed for thousands of years. He teaches us that perishable pursuits do not satisfy in the long run, and we always want more than we have. He teaches us that life apart from God is meaningless, and true fulfillment comes from knowing His purpose for our lives. Above all, Solomon teaches us to guard our hearts against anything that will cause us to stray or compromise our walk with God. 

Father, thank you for teaching us valuable truths from the life of King Solomon. Let these truths lead us to a deeper commitment to Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Burning Fire or Cold Ash?

We are not so much called to a particular place or task. We are called upon to commit ourselves to God. He then takes us where he wants us and uses us in the way he chooses. We are not indispensible to the mission. The mission will be completed with or without us. 

We often look out upon the harvest field and we see a particular need. We then tend to sell ourselves to the need we are observing. But, there are billions of needs among billions of people in a million different places. We can’t be everywhere at once and we can’t serve in more than one place. Rather than commit ourselves to a place or a people shall we not commit ourselves to Christ and then trust him to direct our lives. It is a deception to believe that the needs far away are greater or more important than the needs nearby. A lost soul is utterly lost whether he is in the jungles of Africa or living in the house next door. 

It seems we sometimes are tempted to compromise the sovereignty of God by relegating it to an inferior position behind our organizational efforts. A high school teacher could assure you that they would be deeply offended if they walked into their classroom every day and their students were clamoring to inform them of what plans they had for class that day. Organization and structure is a necessary part of any ministry but we must take care that it does not squeeze God out of the picture. Paul says that God has “…arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” (1 Cor. 12:18) Utter chaos would erupt if the body parts gave direction to the head but when the parts yield to the head a wonderful symphony of movement can be experienced. We are parts of the body, when we yield to Christ we become efficient kingdom builders. 

God’s operational modus is much different than that of the secular world. We so readily adopt the secular idea of go, go and go. We preach consecration and commitment and we tie those ideas to frantic action. We have to do more, go further and be better. But God says for us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” Strength and efficiency are found in the quietness of God. The idea here is to calm down, put away frenzy and trust God to do what he will. 

Moses was a man called and prepared by God to do a great and wonderful thing. He would deliver the people of Israel from slavery in the land of Egypt. Exodus chapter 2 tells the tragic story of how Moses got in the way of God’s plan for his life. He saw one of his fellows being mistreated by an Egyptian and he took care of business. He defended one of his own. His act could probably be justified to some degree, but his failure was he chose to do it his way instead of God’s way. 

Moses was well educated, he had lived among the Egyptian elite, he understood their culture, he was a fine, masculine specimen and extremely intelligent but in spite of all those things he was not yet ready to be used of God. So, God sent him away for forty years for further training. 

We so often feel comfortable in our ability, but God is not looking so much for ability as he is availability. He wants a heart that will submit to his will, a heart wise enough and willing enough to get out of the way so God can do a great work. In order to get us to that place, God sometimes allows us to experience long periods of feeling useless. We may feel insignificant and unappreciated until we finally realize that God’s way works and our way doesn’t. 
There must have come a time during those forty years of exile that Moses felt like he would never really amount to much or accomplish any great thing for God. But God has a habit of choosing “the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; … the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27) 

God didn’t call Moses out of exile until he was prepared. In Exodus 3 Moses saw a burning bush. He was fascinated by what he saw. I’m not so sure that instantaneous combustion was so unusual in the hot desert but what was so perplexing to Moses was the fact that the bush was not consumed. It just kept burning and burning. 

Did Moses compare himself to the bush? Moses had a ‘crash and burn’ moment in his life and it cost him forty years. Did he look at the bush and say? “I wish I could have just kept on burning. Instead, I was consumed by the flame of my own passion and self assertiveness”. Did Moses look at the burning bush and say, “Lord, make me to burn continually for you. Don’t let me fail. Don’t let me falter but let me burn eternally in my passion and service for you.” John Wesley seemed to get the idea when he admonished his fellow clergy to “Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.” 

God called to Moses by name, “Moses, Moses!” Why does God seem to choose some for greatness and others never are called? Was Billy Graham, Mother Theresa and D.L. Moody more special than others in the eyes of God? Do Charles Stanley, John MacArthur and John Piper have certain, peculiar traits that make them more special in the eyes of God? Of course not. They are affective in service because they made themselves available. Many others will live out their entire lives in mediocrity because they never inquired why God never called them by name. They were sent into the wilderness and their fire was never rekindled. They passed their days and years in a heap of cold ash. 

How did God choose that particular bush? I don’t think it was difficult, I don’t think he spent a lot of time trying to make that decision. I think any old bush on the desert floor would suffice. You don’t need special talents, you don’t need a great education or a stellar record or even an especially winsome personality to do great things for God. You just need to be willing, to be available, and leave the rest up to him.

A Prayer: Smiling when your heart is weary

Dear Lord,

Help me to remember that on my darkest days, there is always someone who is experiencing something worse. Help me to smile even when my heart is weary, overburdened, and sick with worry. Lord help me smile to help brighten someone else’s day, encourage someone else’s heart, help lift another broken spirit. Help me to remember that the very thing I need and long for I must first give it away. In order for me to have sunnier days, I must learn to brighten someone else’s day. Lord help me to remember how a simple smile can change the chemical reaction in my own body and bring a natural form of healing to the inner most parts of my being. Lord help me smile when no one else is smiling around me, when the world is filled with sorrow, and even when I am not able to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the naked eye.

Lord remove the veil of darkness, and give me hope. Open my spiritually blinded eyes that I may discover he truth, that even when I’m not able to smile, you are still smiling down upon me and anointing everything I touch with my hands. Lord, your grace and mercy is sufficient and you continue to smile and laugh when our enemies mock us, accuse us, and plot against us, because you see that their day is arriving. Lord, you said for me to not let my heart be troubled or afraid. You promised to carry me through every storm, heartache, and everything that threatens the plans you have for me. For you are still in control. Lord, let your light be a reflection in the midst of a darkened path, and when I stumble my way through the darkness, cover me with your protection and give your angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart; be acceptable in your sight. Lord, create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right spirit, that in all of my ways I will acknowledge you and you promised to direct my path. Lord, fight every battle I am faced with, and help me to remember that You are the potter and I am only clay. While people may win battles, they never win the war with you on my side. Help me be still while you mold and shape me into the woman or man I am purposed to be, and bless everyone that crosses my path today, that they may be blessed with the beautiful smile you drew across my face with your own hands.

Help me to remember when my family and friends forsake me, that you will never leave my side, and in those moments when I’m feeling all alone, help me to remember that you are closer. You said that you are near to those who have a broken and a contrite spirit. Lord, tech me how to smile more. For we never realize the power in a smile, or what extending an encouraging word to a stranger, offering a compliment, or a performing a simple gesture could do to make someone else’s day brighter. We never know how the simple things in life could save life until this precious gift is suddenly snatched away from us. Lord, no matter what is going on around me…give me the strength to just smile.