Matthew 8: Setting Things Right (7)
Pray Psalm 145.1-3.
I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
Sing Psalm 145.1-3.
Brother James’ Air: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want
I will extol You, God, my King, and ever praise Your Name!
I bless You, LORD, for everything each day, and e’er the same!
Great are You, LORD, my praise I bring; unsearchable Your fame!
Read and meditate on Matthew 8.1-34.
Review all Jesus did. How do you see His face in each situation?
Prepare.
1. How many different ways do you see the power of Jesus in the works reported in this chapter?
2. How do the works Jesus did validate the words He taught in chapters 5-7?
Meditate.
Paul reminds us that the Kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power (1 Cor. 4.20). Perhaps he was thinking of this part of the Gospel of Matthew as he wrote those words. Having spent three chapters speaking about the Kingdom of God, and calling all who heard Him to seek that Kingdom as the defining priority of their lives, Jesus promptly moved to back up those words with demonstrations of Kingdom power.
And what power we see in Him in chapter 8! He heals with a touch, or even merely a word. He commends great faith and warns half-hearted would-be followers. He overcomes the ravages of leprosy, paralysis, fever, and all manner of sickness; and He initiates the plundering of Satan’s domain by casting out demons and sending them to their destruction. He even commands the wind and sea to obey Him.
The power of the Kingdom inheres in Jesus. He rules the world and exercises His power to deliver people from sin and its destructive effects. The works of Jesus validate His words, and should lead us not so much to do the same works He did, but, believing His words, to do works of mercy and righteousness in our own Personal Mission Field, drawing on His power as we rely on His words and seek the progress of His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
To follow Jesus is to trust His words, to increase in His righteousness, and to draw on His power for overturning the ravages of sin and bringing peace and joy into the world. In the Kingdom of God, words and deeds combine to turn the world rightside-up for Jesus.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
One of the callings we have as believers is to pray for our pastors, and to be good examples to them.
They are, after all, only human; but bear an extra burden for the position they are occupying.
God expounded upon, and gave example of, those who were bad witnesses to their overseers:
“This is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD;
who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us right things;
speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
Get out of the way,
turn aside from the path,
cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us’” (Is. 30.9-11).
Those are people we most assuredly do not want to be.
We want to pray for our pastors, encourage them to teach us the Law of God, and
help us to see His Word truly; prophesy to us right things—proclaim His Word clearly.
Speak hard things to us, teach us, rebuke us, when necessary, lead us into the Truth.
Please exemplify God before us and make Him Ever-Present in our midst.
Guide us into our own Personal Mission Field so that we can exemplify Jesus in our midst.
Jesus explained to the healed leper the method for being a good witness to his pastor and neighbor alike.
After his healing, Jesus told him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them” (Matt. 8.4).
That is exactly what we want to be like. Followers of God’s Law. Bearing a good testimony in the church and outside the church, just by being obedient servants of the LORD.
“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
“It is a joy for the just to do justice…”
“He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor” (Prov. 21.3, 15, 21).
We must follow Righteousness to be righteous.
We must follow Jesus to be like Him.
We must do what He commands to acquire a good testimony before our pastor, family, and neighbor.
See Jesus.
Imitate Jesus.
Be the person of good repute noted in the Scriptures.
Turn your eyes always upon Him.
Do what He commands.
Jesus the very thought of Thee with sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see, and in Thy Presence rest.
Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame, nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than Thy blest Name, O Savior of mankind!
O Hope of every contrite heart, O Joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art! How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah! this, nor tongue nor pen can show,
The love of Jesus, what it is, none but His loved ones know.
(Attr. to Bernard of Clairvaux, c. 1150)
Reflect.
1. What can you do to pray more consistently for your pastor(s)?
2. When do you most experience the power of the Kingdom working in you?
3. What have you seen thus far today of Jesus? How does that guide you to follow Him?
…nothing ought to be to us more urgent than the affairs of the kingdom of heaven. We ought with all diligence to cling to these and not to put them off in the slightest, though our engagements be exceedingly indispensable and pressing. John Chrysostom (344-407), The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 27.3
Pray Psalm 145.10-21.
Meditate on all the good and mighty works of the Lord, especially those He has done for you. Praise and thank Him for them. Call on Him to be near you throughout the day, and to grant you rest in Him.
Sing Psalm 145.10-21.
Brother James’ Air: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want
Your works shall thank You; all Your saints shall bless and praise You, LORD.
Your reign we bless without restraint; Your power fills our words.
Our children we shall educate in all Your splendor, LORD.
Your Kingdom evermore shall be; You reign forever, LORD!
Your works You do so faithfully, according to Your Word.
The falling You uphold and the oppressed You rescue, LORD!
The eyes of all look up to You to meet our needs each day.
Open Your hand, provide the food we need, O LORD, we pray!
Kindness and righteousness You do, O LORD, in every way!
Be near to all who call on You; all those who fear You, bless.
Preserve all those whose love is true; save us in our distress.
Our mouths will speak with praise of You; Your holy Name we’ll bless.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column looks at David as a visionary leader. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
