Tag: miracle

Matthew 8:28-9:1

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            At some point all people, including you and me, must deal with Jesus.  Why? Because he is a force to be reckoned with.
            Eventually, we know that a storm will come.  It may be sunny today, and the forecast might predict more sun or partly sunny for a while.  But we know the weather will change.  Here in Wisconsin we’ve had an unusually dry winter so far.  Not very much snow.  It’s coming, though.  There will be a snow storm.  It won’t be here today or tomorrow.  But it will come.
            Jesus will come.  A person might not have to contend with him today, maybe not tomorrow.  But, eventually, there will be a whopper of a storm and you will have to deal with it.  In today’s Gospel lesson, two men described as being severely influenced by demons approached Jesus.  Inside of them was such a terrible inner storm that they shouted at Jesus.
            Jesus, however, has authority over storms.  He commands them as he wills.  As fierce as the men were (the demons were so many that they were exorcised into a herd of pigs), Jesus had the authority to deal with the situation.  The storm within the men subsided.
            Yet, the storm picked up with the townsfolk.  It seems they had been living their merry lives with no thought to Jesus.  But he showed up.  They had to contend with the authority right there in front of them.  They chose poorly.  We are meant to see a connection in the story between the demons who begged Jesus, and the people of the town who begged Jesus.  They didn’t humbly beg to follow him; they begged him to get away from him, to leave them alone.
            Jesus is an authoritative force to be reckoned with… and he’s coming to your town.  Maybe not today, perhaps not tomorrow.  But things will not always be the way they are right now.  People will have to face Jesus.

 

Jesus Christ, Son of God, you are Lord over the wind, the waves, and the weather.  You also command the unseen, and they obey.  You are God with us.  Oh, that all people would beg to follow you and not beg you to leave!  I am grateful for your power and authority over all things.  Amen.

Matthew 8:14-17, 28-34

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
            When I was a kid, every evening after the news I watched a show called To Tell the Truth.  The show featured a panel of four celebrities attempting to correctly identify a described contestant who has an unusual occupation or experience.  This central character is accompanied by two imposters who pretend to be the real character.  The celebrity panelists question the three contestants.  The imposters are allowed to lie but the central character is sworn “to tell the truth.”  After questioning, the panel attempts to identify which of the three challengers is telling the truth and is thus the central character.  The host would then say, “Will the real _____  please stand up!”
 
            The four panelists would often miss the real person, mainly because they had certain expectations of what the real person’s occupation or experience would be like.  And their expectations just didn’t match reality.  The people of Christ’s day often missed who Jesus really was because their expectations chiefly centered in a Messiah who would beat up the pagan Romans and establish a strong political kingdom that benefited them economically.  And that is why they missed the real deal because Jesus did not fit their preconceived notions of Messiah.  The real Jesus is compassionate, cares about people, and brings transformation to people’s lives, irrespective of whether it can turn a buck for somebody.
 
            The real Jesus puts people before pigs.  That might sound like a no-brainer, but, believe me, in Iowa I knew of more than one farmer who treated his pigs better than his family.  Jesus continually put people first before anything else.  He delivered two men from a terrible demonic bondage with the result that an entire herd of pigs was lost.  However, the town didn’t rejoice over the transformation of the men.  They just begged Jesus to go away before he messed up their economy even more.
 
            Jesus did not come to boost the local economy and make sure the political system was all warm and fuzzy toward the local merchants.  He changed people’s lives brought deliverance from emptiness.  The irony in the story is that the farmers and farming community had their hearts revealed as the ones who were truly empty.  Will the real empty hearted people please stand up!  What do you expect from Jesus? 
 

 

            Jesus, you are the rightful King of this universe.  May I participate with you in your agenda for this world so that I might exhibit the same care, compassion, and concern for people that you did.  Amen.

Matthew 20:29-34

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            The word “irony” is a term used to describe an outcome of an event that is different from expectation.  For example, my family doctor’s name when I was growing up was “Dr. Fail.”  In today’s Gospel lesson, two blind men are healed by Jesus and can see.
 
            Please take a little time and read the short account over a few times and ponder these three ironic observations from the story:
 
·     —A large crowd followed Jesus, but only two persons are his actual followers.
·     — Out the large crowd, it is two blind men that actually see Jesus for who he is.
·     —The crowd following Jesus was actually trying to keep the two needy blind men from Jesus.
 
Although Jesus was surrounded by lots of people, he was attentive to two non-descript men.  He was listening for them.  He responded to them.  He touched them.  Listening, responding, and touching were the ways Jesus blessed people.  We, also, need to have our spiritual eyes wide open to see the great need of lost people around us who need our listening ear, our responsive selves, and our caring touch.  May it be so to the praise of Jesus.
 

 

Gracious Lord Jesus, you heal those who cry out to you.  Help me to be like you and be aware of those around me who need your healing touch so that they might know the wonder of following you.  Amen.

Luke 5:17-26

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Jesus came to this earth to forgive sin and transform sinners.  Today’s Gospel story has a paralyzed man brought to Jesus in an unorthodox way.  His two friends carried the man on a mat, but could not get close enough to Jesus to be noticed.  This was not about to stop the two friends.  They just took him to the roof, created a hole in it, and lowered the man right in front of Jesus!  Our Lord was impressed with their faith, healed the man, and said “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”
 
            There is a very important observation about this story that we need to notice:  the man was healed because of the faith of his friends.  Yes, that’s right.  Read the story again.  It was the faith of the two men in bringing their friend to Jesus that led to the healing and transformation.
 
            If this does not inspire, impel, and inform you to pray diligently by bringing your friends to Jesus in prayer I’m not sure what would move you.  Sometimes great miracles are not brought about by a lone person praying for his/her personal change but by believing people who do not give up in bringing their friend to Jesus.  Think of one person right now for whom God has laid him/her on your heart.  Pray today and every day until there is a breakthrough.  In the metaphorical sense, create a hole in the roof and place your friend in front of Jesus and watch what kind of healing and renovation of life he can affect.
 

 

            Healing God, I thank you for doing your good work of forgiving sins and transforming sinners in Jesus’ name.  I pray you will deliver my grandson from the scourge of epilepsy and give him a new life full of spiritual power through Jesus.  Amen.