OUR DAILY BREAD : "IF YOU ARE WILLING"

[cimi]

May 1
Thursday


"IF YOU ARE
WILLING"

READ:
Matthew 8:1-4
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Lord, if You are willing,
You can make me
clean. _Matthew 8:2
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Molly wanted her dad's help, but she was afraid to ask. She knew that when he was working on his computer, he didn't want to be interrupted. He might get upset at me, she thought, so she didn't ask him.

We need not have such fears when we come to Jesus. In Matthew 8:1-4, we read about a leper who didn't hesitate to interrupt Jesus with his needs. His disease made him desperate__he had been ostracized from society and was in emotional distress. Jesus was busy with "great multitudes," but the leper made his way through the crowd to talk with Jesus.

Matthew's gospel says that the leper came and "worshiped him" (v.2). He approached Jesus in worship, with trust in His power, and with humility, acknowledging that the choice to help belonged to Jesus. He said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean" (v.2). In compassion, Jesus touched him (leprosy had made him "untouchable" by the standards of Jewish law), and he was cleansed immediately.

Like the leper, we don't need to hesitate to approach Jesus with our desire for His help. As we go to Him in humility and worship, we can trust that He will make the best choices for us. __Anne Cetas

`````````````````````````What an example this leper is to me, Lord. Give me`````````````````````
`````````````````````````a heart of worship, of confidence in Your power, and`````````````````````
``````````````````````````of trust that when I bring my needs to You, You'll```````````````````````
`````````````````````````make the best choice. May I surrender to Your will.``````````````````````
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Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy. __Hebrews 4:16

***************************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 8:1-4****************************

1 When He had come
down from the mountain,
great multitudes followed
Him. 2 And behold, a leper
came and worshiped Him,
saying, "Lord, if you are
willing, You can make me
clean."

3 Then Jesus put out His
hand and touched him,
saying, "I am willing; be
cleansed." Immediately his
leprosy was cleansed.

4 And Jesus said to him,
"See that you tell no one;
but go your way, show
yourself to the priest, and
offer the gift that Moses
commanded, as a testimony
to them."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Some biblical scholars say that of all the Gospel writers Matthew
seems to have been the most concerned with presenting events in
chronological order. If that's correct, then the context of the event
in today's text is critical to our understanding. Directly prior to this
encounter with a leper, Jesus presented His "Sermon on the Mount"
(Matt. 5-7). In that timeless message, Christ detailed a challenging,
lofty kingdom ethic of loving, caring, and serving. Now, confronted
by this leper, Jesus lived out His own teaching by demonstrating love
and compassion for one whose disease had absolutely marginalized
Him (8:1-4). Jesus not only taught these truths, He lovingly modeled
them as well.