Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Would Jesus Follow You?

Make certain that what you are following and talking about is true because another's eternity may very well be at stake......

Have you ever thought about Jesus following you rather than You following HIM? I have never thought of this, even one time, until I read this passage this morning. Jesus followed this religious leader because of his personal belief that Jesus could heal his daughter.

While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples. And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well." But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well. When Jesus came into the official's house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, He said, "Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep." And they began laughing at Him. But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matthew 9:18-25.

"My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

My question is simple enough. Is my faith in Him convincing enough for Jesus Christ to follow me in order to solve my crisis? What about you, would He follow you?

OR

Would Jesus simply take you at your word and heal another simply because of your personal request of Him? Would He do the same for me?

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment. Matthew8:5-13.

It is easy enough for us to speak of our faith in the Christ, but how does He see your faith, my faith? I am not certain that faith is as simple as saying, “I believe”. What I am certain of is the demonstration and daily practice of our faith in Jesus Christ. Again, it is easy enough to speak it, but to demonstrate that spoken faith is yet another topic for discussion and demonstration.

Each of the characters in these two passages demonstrate different aspects of faith. The first simply believed that Christ not only could, but felt courageous enough to as Jesus to come to his home where his daughter had died and the other was speaking of a servant who had fallen ill. Both took steps of faith in seeking out the Christ. Would we do as much? OR better yet, would He respond to us…to you? Why or why not?

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