Matthew 15: True and False Faith (5)
Pray Psalm 138.7, 8.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Sing Psalm 138.7, 8.
Regent Square: Angels from the Realms of Glory
Your Right Hand will save and keep me; all I need You will supply.
For Your love is everlasting, reaching from beyond the sky.
You will not forsake or leave me; You will save me when I cry.
Read Matthew 15.1-31; meditate on verses 29-31.
What do you “marvel” about concerning Jesus?
Prepare.
1. Where did Jesus conduct these healings?
2. How did the people respond?
Meditate.
Remember that we said true faith is persistent? Doesn’t give up easily? Stays the course?
Jesus gave the multitude another opportunity to exercise true faith by hiking up the mountain (v. 29). Would they make the trek, carrying or helping their sick and lame, blind and mute neighbors and friends?
Of course they did. And Jesus healed them all (v. 30). Jesus was not being cruel by making the people work a little harder to get to Him. He was providing an opportunity for them to strengthen their faith and resolve, and to show their neighbors and friends just how much they loved them.
The people showed what the true end of all these healings must be: marvel at Jesus, glorify God (v. 31). That’s what the good works we are called to do should always aim at, showing the greatness and beauty of Jesus, so that people will give glory to God for sending Him for our salvation.
God is doing amazing and abounding good works for us throughout the day. Do we take the time to notice? To marvel at Jesus and His awesome power and love? To praise, thank, and glorify the Father for His unfailing faithfulness and love?
We fulfill the purpose of God’s good works—whether we are the doers or the beneficiaries—when we marvel at Jesus and glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5.13-16).
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“By awesome deeds in righteousness
You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You Who are the confidence
of all the ends of the earth,
and of the far-off seas;
Who established the mountains by His strength,
being clothed with power;
You Who still the noise of the seas,
the noise of the waves,
and the tumult of the peoples” (Ps. 65.5-7).
God’s awesome deeds in righteousness, for righteousness, and through righteousness.
“Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done;
and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order;
if I would declare and speak of them,
they are more than can be numbered” (Ps. 40.5).
“For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
O LORD, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep” (Ps. 92.4, 5).
We marvel at Jesus, and glorify God.
We long for our lives to foster in others
this same marvel and glory for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We must be willing to climb the mountain daily to sit at Jesus’ feet.
To lug our lameness, maimedness, blindness, and muteness there for healing—
through repentance and His renewing power.
Found within this daily trudging act of faith
we will enjoy from the Spirit
the ability to employ His gifts for serving—
guiding others with their personal impairments
to the same feet of Jesus for healing (Gal. 5.22, 23)
“For it is God Who works in you
both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2.13).
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Who gave Himself for us,
that He might redeem us from every lawless deed
and purify for Himself His Own special people,
zealous for good works” (Titus 2.11-14).
Climb the mountain—reach the goal of all healings—to marvel at Jesus and glorify God.
Trudging and lugging for our own good, and the good of others.
Reflect.
1. What in your life leads you to marvel at Jesus? What does it mean to marvel at Him?
2. What can you do to help others marvel at Jesus, so that they see His beauty, goodness, truth, compassion, love, and power in a new and more personal way?
3. How can we glorify God in all the daily, small stuff of our lives?
Now He goes to the mountain awaiting those who are diseased. The lame are brought up the mountain. They are no longer merely touching the edge of His garment. They have advanced a higher step. They are being brought to His feet! Therein they are showing their faith doubly, first by struggling up the mountain even though lame, then by wanting nothing else but only to be cast at His feet. John Chrysostom (344-407), The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 52.4
Pray Psalm 138.1-6.
Looking ahead, what opportunities for glorifying the Father will you have this day? Commit them to Him now.
Sing Psalm 138.1-6.
Regent Square: Angels from the Realms of Glory
I will give You thanks and praise You, God of gods, with all my heart.
I will bow before Your temple, grateful praise to You impart.
For Your Name and for Your glory, You have magnified Your Word!
On the day I called You answered, made me bold within my soul;
when I walk in troubled places, You revive and make me whole.
For Your hand will gently shield me, and my fearsome foes control.
All the kings of earth will praise You when Your words of truth they hear;
of Your ways, of Your great glory gladly they will shout and cheer.
For the proud shall not approach You, yet You hold the lowly dear.
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).
You might want to check out our book Small Stuff, available here in PDF and here in book form.
We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues our readings from the book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Our Crosfigell teaching letter begins a new series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column considers questions all church leaders must address. 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.
