Thoughts on the Bible Readings (1 Samuel 19; Isaiah 63; Matthew 8) for July 7th

In Matthew 8 verses 1-4 Jesus cures a leper. This chapter shows Jesus' authority in both word and deed. The leper knew Jesus had the power to heal. The only question was: "Would Jesus heal him?" Our Lord cured the leper and sent him to the priests to testify that Jesus could do what the Law couldn't do: Romans 8 verses1-6. Verses 5-13 speak of the faith of a Roman centurion. He asked the Lord Jesus Christ to heal his servant. The Roman asked Jesus to simply speak the word and the servant was to be healed. Verse 5 says that the centurion, being a man commanded by Rome, saw Jesus as the empowered servant of God - Jesus' Father through whom salvation comes - and with divine power and authority to heal. Our Lord Jesus said that this type of faith exceeds that of the nation who claimed to be God's children. Jesus declares in verses 10-13 that such faith showed that man to be a true son of Abraham. The Lord's words are reminiscent of the promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis 13 verses 14-16. By contrast the lack of faith of the chosen people would see them excluded from gaining the benefits of the Abrahamic promise. Verses 14-17 describe many miracles fulfilling the words of Isaiah 53 verses 3-4. Verses 18-22 tell disciples that the cost of following the Lord Jesus Christ is to forsake all other pursuits now and start that following of Jesus immediately. Verses 23-27 tell of Jesus' authority over the elements of nature in calming a storm. The cures he performs show him to be the Son of God who can save life. Verses 28-34 describe the curing of two demented men. We need to have our minds healed from the madness that is endemic in human nature and only our Lord and his Father can do that. We will be partially cured now as we heed the words of life and completely cured when by God's grace we are given an immortal body incapable of sinning.