Thursday April 3, 2020

The New Testament beautifully reveals much about God. Even though we are reading the bible we know that each word is God breathed and it is an opportunity to get to know God. Just think for a moment; for so many years God rested in heaven and people on the earth. It was a separation. God would speak to one person and that person spoke to the people. We already know what happens when the leader sins then everybody suffered. In past times we only learned about God through a leader and it was not individualized. God did not have the opportunity to be among the people. Jesus on the earth meant God could represent himself. He could be God without any confusion. He did not send a worker he came himself and he taught the disciples so when he left they could carry on his mission. We know that God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son.  Can you image what people probably thought falsely about God. Is God mad at man? Is God seeking to control man? What is his purpose? What is God doing? God had the opportunity to teach the people about the kingdom of heaven. I also like to think of it as God showing man his heart. He also shows us that our hearts is desperately wicked and we need to have a changed heart. I also like that God knows each one of us personally. 


He Came Down

Jesus begin by teaching the people new  things on the mountain top. His teachings was something new to the culture and and the Nation.  Some of us are familiar with church and we know that the sermon on the mount is where the idea of the pulpit comes from. It is designed as an elevated structure that the man of God preaches from. A long time ago it was because it was considered a high place and the preacher was inspired by God and the teachings was not common. It was kind of a place to teach high and heavenly concepts. This is common throughout the bible for example Moses spoke to God on the Mountain top. The burning bush took place on a high mountain as well as the ten commandments. The people would sit lower out of respect for the word of God. It is not just anybody being represented but it was God. Secondly In Matthew I see that God is uniquely happy to be around people. He really loves people. It seems to me that God desired for it to be like that. After his teachings He comes down from the Mountain and people begin to ask of him. Lord could you heal me?, Lord could you heal my servant? Lord I need you to do this for me? It was his ultimate goal to walked among the people. He became flesh to dwell among  us. Once again He genuinely liked the people. He likes us. He really likes us. Its common for us to desire to be around people who think like us or act like us but God came around sinful people that was nothing like him. 





Based upon the readings it is safe to confess that God came; to make us healthy, whole, or sound; he will restore to us our health; we will be free from ailment. God came to bring an end or conclusion, to conflicts between people or groups, usually with the strong implication of restoring former amity; settle; reconcile.

Healing sometimes goes beyond not feeling well sometimes it is in the body, mind, or spirit. 
Jesus came to free us from evil; cleanse; purify:
Jesus came to heal the soul.

Healing is a action word and according to its definition we can say, Jesus came to effect a cure.
(of a wound, broken bone, etc.) to become whole or sound; mend; get well (often followed by up or over






Psalms 33
Praise to the Creator and Preserver.

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart—those with moral integrity and godly character].

Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with the harp of ten strings.

Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully [on the strings] with a loud and joyful sound.

For the word of the Lord is right;
And all His work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the loving kindness of the Lord.


By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
And all their host by the breath of His mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as in a wine skin;
He puts the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear and worship the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He makes the thoughts and plans of the people ineffective.

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The thoughts and plans of His heart through all generations.

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance.

The Lord looks [down] from heaven;
He sees all the sons of man;

From His dwelling place He looks closely
Upon all the inhabitants of the earth—

He who fashions the hearts of them all,
Who considers and understands all that they do.

The king is not saved by the great size of his army;
A warrior is not rescued by his great strength.

A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.


Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],
On those who hope [confidently] in His compassion and lovingkindness,

To rescue their lives from death
And keep them alive in famine.

We wait [expectantly] for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.

For in Him our heart rejoices,
Because we trust [lean on, rely on, and are confident] in His holy name.

Let Your [steadfast] lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
In proportion as we have [a]hoped in You.


Matthew 9
A Paralytic Healed

And Jesus, getting into a boat, crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to [Capernaum] His own city.


They brought to Him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic, “Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God].” 

And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]!” 

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 

For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven and the penalty paid,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [Both are possible for God; both are impossible for man.] 

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority and the power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” 

And he got up and went home [healed and forgiven]. When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God and praised Him, who had given such authority and power to men.
Matthew Called


As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew (Levi) sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk].” And Matthew got up and followed Him.

Then as Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] came and ate with Him and His disciples. 

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 

But when Jesus heard this, He said, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick. 

Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].”

Questions for the Master 
Then the disciples of John [the Baptist] came to Jesus, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees often fast [as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?” 

And Jesus replied to them, “Can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 

But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 

Nor is new wine put into old wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.”

 Healing
While He was saying these things to them, a ruler (synagogue official) entered [the house] and kneeled down and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 


Jesus got up and began to accompany the ruler, with His disciples.
Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the [tassel] fringe of His outer robe; 

for she had been saying to herself, “If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed.” 

But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.” And at once the woman was [completely] healed.


When Jesus came to the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players [who were professional, hired mourners] and the [grieving] crowd making an uproar, 

He said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they laughed and jeered at Him. 

But when the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 

And the news about this spread throughout all that district.


As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, screaming loudly, “Have mercy and compassion on us, Son of David (Messiah)!” 

When He went into the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith [your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal] it will be done to you.” 

And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows this!” 

But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole district.


While they were going away, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus. 

And when the demon was driven out [by Jesus], the mute man spoke; and the crowds wondered in amazement, saying, “Never before has anything like this [miracle] been seen in Israel.” 

But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by [the power of] the ruler of demons.”


Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages [in Galilee], teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness [His words and His works reflecting His Messiahship].

When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd. 

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few. 

So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.