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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Friday, February 4, 2022
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute Bible Verse:Matthew 9:27-34 (ESV) "And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district. As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.” " Message:
The two healings we read previously both involved less-than-perfect faith; but the people involved — a woman with chronic bleeding, and Jairus and his daughter — were drawn to Christ by their imperfect faith; and they were healed. Here we see another example of the same theme, for the two blind men seem to be simply part of a crowd who shout out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”
They have not heard, or at least have not understood, Christ’s message. By calling him the Son of David, they show that they comprehend Jesus as the temporal king, the return of a political/religious leader — in other words, the “expected” Messiah, not the unanticipated King of Peace who actually fulfilled the messianic prophecies.
The flaw in their faith is different from those flaws of the two women yesterday, but the result is the same: imperfect faith leads them to a perfect God. Matthew drives home the point that our faith does not need to be perfect. If we see Jesus as special and go to him in faith, he will take us to his bosom, forgive our imperfection, teach us, and heal us.
Jesus heals a blind man
The blind men are not healed initially. Like a person going to church just because it is “what’s happening” — because their friends and family go, or they grew up doing it, or one of a hundred other reasons — nothing indicates that the two men have any real faith. A person may find Christ with imperfect faith, but they must have a real desire to find him.
It is not their imperfect faith that leaves them unhealed initially, but their lack of personal commitment. Remember the woman with the bleeding disease? She struggled through a crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe, and was healed.
But the two men show their commitment by going to Christ in private. Just so, if we want to find Christ, we must go to him when we can be alone with him. He wants, he requires that we have a personal relationship with him.
This is a beautiful moment in Matthew. Two blind beggars, finding their way through a crowded city to the house where Jesus is staying. They knock, and he answers; and he touches their eyes, opening their physical eyes to the world and their spiritual eyes to his eternal truth. He is truly the embodiment of love, responding in perfection to an imperfect, but strong, desire to find him.
The second healing in today’s Scripture develops the second theme of Matthew 9: the beginning of opposition to Jesus’ ministry. He has already been accused of blasphemy and immorality. Now, he is accused of being in league with the devil!
These critics give away the real reason for their opposition when they say, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” They reject Christ because he is unprecedented. He is new. They are hidebound, blinded by their self-satisfaction. They have stopped seeking God — for seeking God’s truth (like seeking any truth) requires always having an open mind. The Pharisees think they know it all; and as soon as we think this, we are doomed.
Defensiveness is the sinful child of pride; it comes when our ego is more important than the truth. If we genuinely want to learn and grow, we must accept criticism as help. We must listen to ideas that are not what we might have thought, or which we don’t want to hear.
Meditation : Prayer : O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, I pray,.....Amen |
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