Postured For a Miracle | Pastor Jesse Lawford | March 3rd, 2024
Bible REading: Matthew 8:5-13
5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him,
6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”
8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.
9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.
12 But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.
Devotion:
Reflect on the story of the centurion who recognized Jesus' authority and believed in the power of His word to heal. Contemplate any areas in your life where you may have allowed spiritual paralysis to set in due to offense or a lack of responsiveness to God's voice. Pray for the courage to respond to the authority of God's Word and the leadership within the church. Seek healing from offenses and a greater understanding of your role in the body of Christ.
Question For Reflection:
How can you better respond to the authority of Jesus and the leaders He has placed in your life to promote spiritual growth and healing?