12/18/11-Messiah Prophesied to Heal

12/18- Day 22- Light four candles.
The Messiah shall have a ministry of miracles- Isaiah 35:5,6; Matthew 9:35 (John 11:43-47; 21:25)

³ Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; ⁴ say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” ⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. ⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.  (Isaiah 35:3-6)

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:35-36)

(Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus- Carl Bloch- d. 1890).

Thoughts: God is the Great Physician.  He is the One who made us- every molecule and atom of us.  He knows us by name and knows what is going on before the MRI or CAT Scan or biopsy is taken. God does not just care about our souls and our minds.  He also cares about our bodies.  Jesus showed that clearly when He came.  The Messiah brings spiritual and physical relief.  This is a sign of God’s love and compassion breaking upon our hurt and problems.  He heals people because He is compassionate for them.  In turn, we are called to do all we can to help people who are in need.  We are his hands and feet now. 

Prayer: Give me compassion, Lord, for those who are sick around me.  Give me a heart like yours that cared for those who were hurting whether they were clean, dirty, multiple or single problems.  Let me be patiently kind and compassionate toward them. 

9/30/10- Matthew 21:14-17 Worship for all

14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became angry 16 and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself'?" 17 He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

(Christ Healing in the Temple- Benjamin West 1811 designed for and placed in the first hospital in America in Pennsylvania)

Thoughts: According to Leviticus 21:18-21 the physically impaired could not offer sacrifices at the temple.  So in effect, Jesus was opening up the worship of God to these who were impaired.  He was building a spiritual handicap ramp so they could come. 
Why would the priests be mad that he healed these and that the little children were calling him the "Son of David?"  The status quo was changing, and "that's just the way it is" wouldn't work anymore. 
All people are welcome to come and worship.  Christ, however, seeks to change us, heal us so that we will be whole physically, mentally, and spiritually.  In heaven, we will be made whole in every way- and our sin (which we too easily embrace- Prostitution was made legal in Canada yesterday) will be washed away and we will not desire it anymore.  To be made whole and pure in the presence of God is a wonderful hope!



Prayer: Lord, as you healed people in the temple, so heal my heart to worship you. 

John Calvin abridged: Christ showed he had authority to cleanse the temple with his miracles. The lame and the blind were witnesses to his power. We see how ungodly and malicious were the scribes and priests who opposed him.  For they not only opposed him for the childrens' songs, but also because of his miracles. Christ was showing his kingship, and those in tyranny did not like their power diminished.  Christ acknowledges it is unnatural that children should praise him instead of the priests who were called to do so. But even if the children were to be quiet, the very rocks would praise him.