MAY 1, 2014
“If
You Are Willing”
Read: Matthew 8:1-4
Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. —Matthew 8:2
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.
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.
Let us come boldly to
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy. —Hebrews 4:16
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.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
