Israel – Page 18 – Praying Pint

33.l. “You have given me relief when I was in distress”

Matthew 15:21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Psalms 4:1  Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

Jeremiah 50:6-7    “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.  All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, ‘We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the LORD, their habitation of righteousness, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’

Ezekiel 34:5-6   So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;  they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

Ezekiel 34:16    I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

Ezekiel 34:23  And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.

Acts 13:46    And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

The dark corners of the country, the most remote, shall share Christ’s influences; afterwards the ends of the earth shall see his salvation. The distress and trouble of her family brought a woman to Christ; and though it is need that drives us to Christ, yet we shall not therefore be driven from him. She did not limit Christ to any particular instance of mercy, but mercy, mercy, is what she begged for: she pleads not merit, but depends upon mercy. It is the duty of parents to pray for their children, and to be earnest in prayer for them, especially for their souls. Have you a son, a daughter, grievously vexed with a proud devil, an unclean devil, a malicious devil, led captive by him at his will? this is a case more deplorable than that of bodily possession, and you must bring them by faith and prayer to Christ, who alone is able to heal them. (Henry)

This mother speaks as though she herself were the one that needed healing, identifying herself with her oppressed daughter, as though the horrible anguish, distress, and torment lay upon her own spirit and could not be relieved without the cure of her suffering daughter. (Guzik)

But he answered her not a word,…. Not that he did not hear her, or that he despised either her person or petition, or that he was not moved with it; but to continue her importunity, and try her faith, and make it manifest: for like reasons the Lord does not always, and immediately, answer the requests of his people. This giving her no answer, either that he would, or would not help her. (Gill)

But he answered her not a word,…. Not that he did not hear her, or that he despised either her person or petition, or that he was not moved with it; but to continue her importunity, and try her faith, and make it manifest: for like reasons the Lord does not always, and immediately, answer the requests of his people. This giving her no answer, either that he would, or would not help her. (unknown)

Send her away; for she cries after us.—It appears that after no response from Jesus the mother turned to the disciples. The disciples words, as interpreted by our Lord’s answer, were, in some sense, a plea in favor of the woman. They wished Him to grant what she asked for, and so to dismiss her. And yet we feel that their words were far harsher than their Master’s silence. They wanted only to be rid of her presence, which had followed them from the streets into the house, to be freed from the loud eager cries which vexed them. (Elliot)

I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; as a priest, or as a Saviour and Redeemer, he was sent to make satisfaction and atonement for the sins of all God’s elect, and to obtain eternal redemption and salvation for all of them, whether Jews or Gentiles; but as a prophet, in the discharge of his own personal ministry, he was sent by his Father only to the Jews; he was the “minister of the circumcision”, Romans 15:8 that is, a minister to the circumcised Jews; he was sent only to preach the Gospel to them, and work miracles among them, in proof of his Messiahship; and upon their rejection of him, then his apostles were to be sent among the Gentiles; but he himself was sent only to the Jews, here styled “the lost sheep of the house of Israel”: by “the house of Israel”, is meant the whole body of the Jewish nation, so called from Israel, the name of Jacob their father, from whom they sprung; and by the “lost sheep” of that house, are more especially designed the elect of God among them: for though all the individuals of that house were “lost” persons, considered in Adam, and in themselves, as the rest of mankind, and Christ, in the external ministry of the word, was sent to preach to them all; yet the elect of God are only “sheep”: they are the sheep of Christ, of his pasture, and of his hand, whom he has the particular care and charge of; and who, in their natural state, are lost and straying, and could never find their way, or recover themselves from their lost state in Adam, and by their own transgressions; but he came to seek, and to save them, and to these his ministry was powerful and efficacious. (Gill)

32.o. “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 45:22-25  “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’  “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

Isaiah 55:1-3  “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Micah 6:6-8   “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Isaiah 66:2     All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Isaiah 1:4  Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.

Isaiah 28:12     to whom he has said, “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”; yet they would not hear.

What would you pay to have everlasting rest for your soul? What would you do to have it? Where would you go to find it?

We get many invitations in life to “come” go to something, a new job, sporting event, family gathering, preacher, politician, professor, teacher, etc….. many of these invitations are for a few who have been selected or by some other means been identified as worthy of the invitation. We get invited to some events but there is a cost associated with the invite. There are barriers at the event that prohibit people who try to coming in but do not have proof that they paid the cost of admission. Sometimes we get invitations to “free events” but there is pleading, intimidation, pressure, arm-twisting, and coercion that certainly indicate this is not a free event. Sometimes we get invited to an event that promises something big and spectacular but falls way short of delivering it and we feel cheated because what we expected was not obtained.

Here is an invitation to all, which if it did not come from God would seem foolish. Who could ever invite “all”? “Come to me”, does not indicate any barrier on who can come. It is an open invitation to come.

Some look at this invitation and say it is foolish, there is no God and this is just some attempt to get followers to follow a meaningless promise. Others reject it because there is no way they want someone else paying their way into heaven or they want to pay part of it themselves. They want to earn it on their own. Others reject it because they see no need for it. Others reject it because they have taken the invitation by someone else and followed after its promises. Whatever the reason people reject or do not yoke up with Christ there is no rest for their souls now or for eternity.

In the invitation from Jesus, there is a yoke (bond, attachment) that unites the invitee with the inviter. “Take this yoke upon you and learn from me” the yoke and its burden (faith, believing, trusting, relying, following, obeying) is not burdensome but is light and gives rest to your soul. This yoking and learning from and about Jesus gives us discernment between worldly and heavenly. Through this yoking and learning and discernment, we find rest for our soul. The invitation and the promise of rest for your soul are without any cost. Jesus paid all the costs and has invited all people to join Him in eternal life – heaven.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have everlasting life. Find rest for your soul in and through Jesus Christ. He invites you without cost.

32.m. “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God”

Matthew 11:20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Jude 1:11   Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Ezekiel 3:6-7   not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you.  But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart

Hebrews 10:26-31    For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

“Unresponsiveness to the voice of God is the characteristic of this generation, and will be its downfall.” (France)

It is not only western industrial nations that have had access to the gospel. Technology, computers, internet, websites, translations, radio, TV, etc…. leave no room for excuse. No other society has had access to God’s Word, (Scripture, Gospel of Jesus Christ) at their fingertips, yet they reject and deny it of any value for their soul.

“The people in the cities listed above did not attack Jesus Christ; they did not drive him from their gates; they did not seek to crucify him; they simply disregarded him. In the end, neglect will kill much more than persecution ever did.” (Barclay)

When I read, “But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”, “ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God”, “But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” Here it is implied that there are in fact different degrees of judgment. Some will be punished more severely in the final judgment than others. In fact, those who were living out sin and doing all kinds of fleshly and worldly sinful things will be judged to some lesser degree than those who flat out know the offer of redemption and salvation but not only reject it they deny it any room in their heart for it. God has opened their heart to the Gospel and they neglect, reject, and deny any need for it.

It is not hard for me to understand and believe in heaven and hell. What is hard for me to understand is how a person whose heart and mind have been open to the need of salvation and have heard the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have an understanding of heaven and hell and choose hell. Lost on us is an understanding of eternity. Eternal life or eternal hell. Separated from the love of God forever. The busyness of life needs to be slowed down in most lives. Being too busy for giving thought to eternity just doesn’t make sense now and for sure will not in the future.

32.k. “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

Matthew 11:7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Mark 9:11-13 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Luke 1:15-17 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Malachi 3:1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty

“John had often borne witness to Jesus; now Jesus bears witness of John.” John was a servant, prophet of God, a special messenger, and yet, He was considered the greatest under the Old Covenant but second even to the least in the kingdom of God under the New Covenant. “As we may say, as a rule, that the darkest day is lighter than the brightest night; so John, though first of his own order, is behind the last of the new or Gospel order. The least in the Gospel stands on higher ground than the greatest under the law.” (Spurgeon)

I must say I do not fully understand this. The Old Covenant Law pointed to the need of cleansing from sin, and by faith people trusted in what God said about sacrifices for cleansing of their sin. It was not the act of the sacrifice but rather by faith trusting in what God said. There is a big difference in trusting the act (sacrifices) and trusting in God. One says I am clean of sin because of the sacrifice I do, and the other says I am clean of sin only because of God’s grace and mercy allowed through a sacrifice.

The New Covenant proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ, the sacrificial lamb for the forgiveness of sin. One sacrifice for all of a persons sin. Where the Law pointed to the need for cleansing and a continual sacrifice for sin, the New Covenant, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, proclaims one sacrifice for all sin. Both the Old and New Covenant required Faith in what God said and not what man does or thinks is right.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” The Old Covenant points to the need of a new birth and the New Covenant provides it.

32.h. “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven”

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

Matthew 10:32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Being a follower of Jesus ( a faithfully surrendered humble, repentant, reliant, trusting, and obedient, heart) has brought persecution to millions of his followers. They have been driven away from their homes, banished from families, every material thing taken away, beaten, despised, murdered, slandered, lost jobs, laughed at, etc… There are those right now in countries around the world where this is commonplace. They truly are physically and mentally persecuted. There are people in these countries who honor and glorify following Jesus Christ in the face of persecution every single day. Their love for Jesus Christ and obedience to Him is greater than life apart from Him, no matter the physical or mental cost to them this side of eternity. There is nothing like persecution to weed out true followers from those who are not.

It is hard to fully understand this type of faithful trust, surrender, and obedience in what we call civilized countries where persecution is nothing more than a strange look or comment from unbelievers. This is not persecution. When life is somewhat easy and prosperous and there is no challenge to a person’s faith, it is easy to be very complacent and neglectful in our Christian walk. In fact, there is little evidence we are even Christian. Are we so blinded by cultural and social norms that we are not even aware that we outwardly deny Christ by the way we live?

Each individual Christian life should supply enough evidence – evidence that can be seen by the world – that they are indeed Christians. It is to be feared that many modern Christians if arrested for the crime of following Jesus and tried in a court, would have the charges dismissed for a lack of evidence. (Guzik)

We should examine our hearts and minds in light of, does my life honor and glorify Jesus Christ in such a way that if obedient following Him became a crime punishable by death, I would be the first arrested? Or, is it more than likely they would just pass me by not even giving me a second look? How shameful would this be? How many will enter eternity saying Lord, Lord, only to hear in response, “depart from Me, I never knew you”?

32.g. “it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.”

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Because so many were so spiritually neglected, Jesus sent these apostles out. “The beginnings of the mission to the neglected ‘lost’ sheep of Israel. Who were the lost sheep of Israel? In a sense, all of them were. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way. (Isaiah 53:6). Yet in another sense, there were also lost sheep that were abused and neglected by their spiritual shepherds, the scribes, priests, and Pharisees. This is the sense of Jeremiah 50:6: My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray.

The disciples both had a message to preach and a power to display. In this, they were truly followers of their Master. They were not to seek or desire payment – “You received without paying, give without pay”. They should expect God to meet their needs, without taking undue concern for their own needs. Furthermore, they should expect that God would normally meet their needs through the inspired hospitality of others. Even though the twelve could expect their needs to be met through the people they served, they should never require their needs to be met as payment. The foundational principle was freely you have received, freely give.

All we have we have been given by the author and creator. We are stewards of what He has given us. We do well to keep this in mind and live humbly before God.

32.f. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”

Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

As Jesus encountered the depth of human need He was moved with compassion for them. He spent His time teaching and healing. Jesus here described what man is apart from God; that we are like sheep having no shepherd. This means that we are in a lot of trouble until we come under the care of our Shepherd. Being without a shepherd was worse than being under Roman bondage. The people had people who claimed to be spiritual leaders, scribes, priests, and Pharisees. For all their work and piety, these proclaimed spiritual leaders offered nothing that would guide a person into a right relationship with God. Jesus said these leaders do not attend to their flock nor do they harvest ripe fruit and allow it to go to waste.

“Pretenders were many, but real ‘laborers’ in the harvest were few…Man-made ministers are useless. Still, are the fields encumbered with people who cannot use the sickle. Still, the real gospel teaching men are few and far between. Where are the instructive, soul-winning ministries?” (Spurgeon)

How many preachers, teachers, and leaders go about their vocation proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ without compassion for the lost souls of men. Oh, they may have started out this way but have since turned this holy ministry of the Kingdom of God into seeking more money, recognition, and honor for themselves. They have turned from compassion for lost souls to lusts of the flesh, having a form of godliness but have become blind to the author and finisher Jesus Christ who rightly deserves all honor and glory. These teachers, preachers, and leaders may have lost their pure compassion for lost souls. It has become diluted or traded in for human and worldly ideals. The thing is, God’s Word does not return void. Though these people teach with hearts and minds divided amongst godly and worldly, God’s Word is still able to reach lost souls. God’s Word should never profit man in ways other than that which will honor and glorify Jesus Christ. In the blessings of forgiveness, redemption, salvation, healing, peace, joy, courage, strength, and love from Jesus Christ we surely benefit while on this side of eternity. However, all of these benefits are for His honor and glory.

Pray for teachers, preachers, and laborers who are willed with the continued presence of the Holy Spirit and with their hearts, mind, and souls focused and consumed on honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ. Bind temptations of this world from affecting their ministries. Protect them from everything that will draw them away from this holy honor to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

32.d. “Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison). Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Isaiah 53:2-3    For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isaiah 53:12   Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Daniel 2:44-45   And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,  just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Psalms 72:17-19     May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!  Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.  Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!

John the Baptist understood it was good for him to become less visible and known, for Jesus to become more visible and known. In even larger aspects, this should be the motto of every Christian, especially leaders among God’s people. Jesus should become greater and more visible, and the servant should become less and less visible.

John the Baptist shows us that we may be very popular and outwardly successful, and still be humble. John the Baptist had fame and crowds that modern celebrity pastors could only dream of, yet he was an example of genuine humility. John that Baptist also did not quit his work just because Jesus was doing similar work and doing it for more people. He labored on, content to do what God called him to do even though Jesus gained more and more attention and John less and less.

When we intentionally choose in all we say, think, and do, to do for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ, it is then we will not even notice our fading but rather more and more of Jesus radiating in and through us and others.

32.b. “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Matthew 9:1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Psalms 32:1-2 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Isaiah 44:22   I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Jeremiah 31:33-34   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Romans 4:6-8    just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:  “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;  blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Isaiah 35:5-6  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;  then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

Isaiah 43:25   “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

We also note that the presence of so much sickness among Israel was evidence of their unfaithfulness to the covenant and their low spiritual condition. God gave them the opposite of what He promised under Exodus 15:26: If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.

I am not sure this man’s paralysis had anything to do with a particular sin. Could it be that Jesus wanted all to know the importance of sin and the need for forgiveness? Physical healing has benefit this side of eternity but does nothing in terms of eternity destiny. I wonder how many people would choose physical healing over the forgiveness of sin? By far the better choice would be forgiveness of sin. This man’s friends had faith even though it does not mention the faith of the paralytic. Their faith drove them to bring their friend to the feet of Jesus Christ. I doubt they were thinking of “forgiveness of sin” being the result of their faith. They wanted their friend to be healed. yet, Jesus gave far better healing, a healing of the soul with eternal value. What was the reaction of the Scribes – within their own minds they proclaimed Jesus to be blaspheming. Know their thoughts Jesus address the evil that is in these scribes’ hearts. Jesus pardons sin first and this is seen as an act against God by the very people (scribes) who should have been able to recognize and know Jesus was the promised Messiah. Certainly, they were familiar with prophecy in scripture. Psalm 103.3 “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and healeth all thy diseases.”

Jesus knew the faith of the paralytic and his friends. Jesus knew the condition of the paralytic’s heart regarding sin. Jesus knew the thoughts of the Scribes. We can see physical healing when it takes place, but forgiveness of sin in another person is beyond our knowing. Jesus gave proof of His ability o forgive sin by healing the paralytic. People seeing the healing gave glory to God. You have to imagine this act of healing gave pause to the Scribes. Surely some of them took it to heart, and yet, others would not.

Healing of the heart and soul through faith in Jesus Christ results in eternal life. Rejecting this healing results in eternal Hell and torment.

31.w. “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 8:5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

“He seeks a cure, but does not prescribe to the Lord how or where he shall work it; in fact, he does not put his request into words, but pleads the case, and lets the sorrow speak.” (Spurgeon)

Jesus did not hesitate to go to the centurion’s house, and we half wish the centurion would have allowed Him. It was completely against Jewish custom for a Jew to enter a Gentiles’ house; yet it was not against God’s law. The centurion also showed great sensitivity to Jesus, in that he wanted to spare Jesus the awkward challenge of whether or not to enter a Gentile’s house – as well as the time and trouble of travel. He didn’t know Jesus well enough to know that He would not feel awkward in the least; but his consideration of Jesus in this situation was impressive. In his concern for both his servant and for Jesus, this centurion was an others-centered person. The centurion fully understood that Jesus’ healing power was not some sort of magic trick that required the magician’s presence. Instead he knew Jesus had true authority, and could command things to be done and completed outside His immediate presence. The centurion showed great faith in Jesus’ word. He understood that Jesus can heal with His word just as easily as with a touch. The man’s understanding of Jesus’ spiritual authority made Jesus marvel. His simple confidence in the ability of Jesus’ mere word to heal showed a faith that was free of any superstitious reliance on merely external things. This was truly great faith, worthy of praise.

The fact that such faith was present in a Gentile caused Jesus to announce that there would be Gentiles in the kingdom of heaven. They will even sit down to dinner with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! As well, Jesus reminded his Jewish listeners that just as the Gentile’s racial identity was no automatic barrier to the kingdom, their racial identity was no guarantee of the kingdom. Though Jews were sons of the kingdom, they might end up in hell.

A person ought to know their eternal destiny and who it is that has proclaimed it to be so. To humbly repent sin, and follow, obey, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ, we are promised eternal life – heaven. To reject Jesus Christ we are promised eternal Hell. God’s Word is true. God’s promises are steadfast and either a place of refuge, hope, peace, joy, courage, strength, etc… or they are denied, rejected, turned away from, or given no thought at all. Eternal life – Heaven and eternal death – Hell are real. Some may think the soul/spirit dies upon death. Nothing could be further from the truth. Eternal death in Hell is very much alive in torment and anguish forever and ever. Give thought to What God promises. Narrow is the path that leads to eternal life and broad is the road that leads people straight to Hell.