G. K. Chesterton noted, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." The three healing stories in yesterday’s reading were followed by Jesus telling his followers there is no cheap grace. There is a cost of discipleship. Jesus wants to be clear so that people know that while they have been invited to come and live under the reign of God, when they come in, they will have to change the way they are living.
In the next set of mighty works of Jesus, He takes on the power of Sin. I have capitalized the word because I want to distinguish between Sin, which is the power of evil that wars against God and God’s creation, and sins, the things people do that are contrary to the will of God. Sin is much more than bad actions, much more than violating a moral or ethical code. Sin is a power that has corrupted the human heart, pollutes nature and alters its intended order, and is like a cancer that has infected human society.
Yesterday’s reading concluded with Jesus demonstrating His power and authority over Sin by calming a violent storm. In today’s reading Jesus cast out demons and healed a paralyzed man to further demonstrate his power and authority over the forces of evil that oppose God.
To underscore all that Jesus has done, Matthew follows up with three examples of Jesus showing again that all things are different in the Kingdom of God: Jesus calls Tax Collectors to be disciples; hangs out with sinners; and is putting His New Wine into New Wineskins. That is, Jesus is revealing that this new way of living does not fit into the old model of religious expectations.
Whew. This seems like a lot to take in. For me, because of all that I have seen in these first two sets of mighty works, I can rest in the assurance of God’s complete sufficiency to care for me. Or, as we sang last night with Robin Mark:
He lowers us to raise us
So we can sing His praises
Whatever is His way all is well
He makes us rich and poor
That we might trust Him more
Whatever is His way all is well
All my changes come from Him He who never changes
I'm held firm in the grasp of the Rock of all the ages
All is well with my soul
He is God in control
I know not all His plans
But I know I'm in His hands
"All Is Well"
by Robin Mark
from the album The Year Of Grace
What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do or remember about this passage.
Does God want you to change anything in your life?
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