Meditation: Do you believe that God wants to act with power inyour life today? Power to set you free from sin and hurtful desires, fearand oppression. Throughout the Scriptures we see God performing mightyacts to save his people from death and destruction - from Noahs ark that spared his family from the flood of wickedness that had spread across theland to Moses and the Israelites who crossed through the parting watersof the Red Sea as they fled the armies of Pharoah their slave Master andoppressor. Throughout the Gospel accounts Jesus praised individuals who put theirfaith in God as they remembered the great and wonderful deeds he had performedtime and again. Jesus even praised outsiders - non-Jews and pagans fromother lands who had heard about the mighty deeds of the God of Israel.One example Jesus mentioned was Naaman the pagan army commander from Syria who was afflicted with leprosy - a debilitating skin disease that slowly ate away the flesh (2 Kings 5:1-15). Naamans slave-girl was a young Jewish woman who had faith in God and compassion for Naaman her master. She urgedhim to seek healing from Elisha, the great prophet of Israel.When Naamanwent to the land of Israel to seek a cure for his leprosy, the prophet Elisha instructed him to bathe seven times in the Jordan river. Namaanwas indignant at first, but then repented and followed the prophets instructions. In doing so he was immediately restored in body and spirit. Healing the leprosy of soul and body What is the significance of Naamans healing for us? Ephrem the Syrian(306-373 AD), an early Christian teacher from Edessa, tells us that Naamansmiraculous healing at the River Jordan, prefigures the mystery of the healingwhich is freely granted to all nations of the earth by our Lord Jesus throughthe regenerating waters of baptism and renewal in the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). Therefore Naaman was sent to the Jordan as to the remedy capable to heal a human being. Indeed, sin is the leprosy of the soul, which isnot perceived by the senses, but intelligence has the proof of it, and human nature must be delivered from this disease by Christs power whichis hidden in baptism. It was necessary that Naaman, in order to be purifiedfrom two diseases, that of the soul and that of the body, might representin his own person the purification of all the nations through the bathof regeneration, whose beginning was in the river Jordan, the mother and originator of baptism. (commentary ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 5.10-1) Jesus told Nicodemus, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). The Lord Jesus wants torenew in each one of us the gift of faith and the regenerating power ofbaptism and the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) which cleanses us of the leprosyof sin and makes us newborn sons and daughters of God. Confronting the sin of indifference and unbelief When Jesus first proclaimed the good news of Gods kingdom to his owntownspeople at Nazareth (Luke 4:23-27), he did not hesitate to confront them with their sin of indifference and unbelief. He startled his listenersin the synagogue at Nazareth with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God could receive honor among his own people. He then angered them whenhe complimented Gentiles who had shown more faith in God than the chosenones of Israel. Some who despised the Gentiles (non-Jews) even spoke ofthem as fuel for the fires of hell. Jesus praise for outsiders offendedthe ears of his own people because they were blind-sighted to Gods merciful plan of redemption for all the nations. The word of rebuke spoken by Jesuswas met with indignation and hostility. The Nazarenes forcibly threw him out of their town and would have done him physical harm had he not stoppedthem.We all stand in need of Gods grace and merciful help every day andevery moment of our lives. Scripture tells us that the steadfast loveof the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). God gives grace to the humble whoseek him with expectant faith and with a repentant heart that wants tobe made whole and clean again.The Lord Jesus will set us free from every sinful habit and every harmfulway of relating to our neighbor, if we allow him to cleanse and heal us.If we want to walk in freedom and grow in love and holiness, then we musthumbly renounce our sinful ways and submit to Christs instruction andhealing discipline in our lives. Scripture tells us that the Lord disciplinesusfor our good that we may share his holiness (Hebrews 12:10). Do you want the Lord Jesus to set you free and make you whole again? Askhim to show you the way to walk in his healing love and truth. Lord Jesus, teach me to love your ways that I may be quick to renouncesin and wilfulness in my life. Make me whole and clean again that I may delight to do your will. HEAL THE LEPROUS (Mt 10:8) The Lord commands us to heal the leprous. We have the authority and the power to heal the severely sick and the outcasts (see Mt 10:1). We heal the leprous by being like the little slave girl of Naamans wife. She witnessed to Gods healing power (2 Kgs 5:2-3). We heal the leprous by being like Naamans servants. We encourage lepers, and everyone, to swallow their pride and obey God (2 Kgs 5:13). If they, and we, would only obey Gods command, we all shall be healed (Mt 8:8). We heal the leprous by being like Elisha. We tell people what the Lord wants them to hear instead of what they want to hear (2 Kgs 5:10ff). We prophesy. Finally, we heal the leprous and are healed of our own sinful condition by being people of faith who will travel any distance, incur any expense, and repent of every sin so as to receive the grace of God. The Lord heals even the most severely sick through witnesses, encouragers, and prophets. He heals through men and women of faith. Jesus continues to say to us: It is your faith that has cured you. Go in peace and be free of this illness (Mk 5:34). Believe; give healing; be healed. Prayer: Father, beginning this Lent, I will obey You by curing the sick, raising the dead, healing the leprous, and expelling demons (Mt 10:8).
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 01:52:31 +0000
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