Day 285

Jesus the Miracle Worker

Read: Matthew 7-9

The Sermon on the Mount concludes with the famous parable about the man who built his house on the rock and the one who built his house on the sand. This teaches that while believers are saved by Christ’s atoning death, how we will face the trials of life will depend on how fully we put the teachings of Jesus into practice in our lives. Salvation is more than justification (having our sins forgiven). It also includes sanctification (growing to be more like Jesus in character and conduct) and glorification (receiving the complete victory over the results of sin in both soul and body).

Having finished preaching, Jesus meets people with special needs and solves their problems through his power. He cleanses a man of leprosy, that dread disease that not only destroyed the body but cut the sufferer off from society. He restores the servant of a centurion who was suffering from paralysis, marveling at the faith of the centurion. He takes the fever away from Peter’s mother-in-law, who then gets up from her sick bed to serve him. He stills the storm when the disciples are caught in the middle of the lake in a small boat. He brings two men possessed with demons back to normalcy. He not only heals a paralytic but forgives his sins. Greatest of all, he brings a little girl back from the dead. While we are to use the means God has provided for healing, let us pray to him who alone can heal.

PRAYER
Father, through Christ, heal us of our physical and spiritual ailments. In his name we ask it. Amen.