Today’s Reading: Matthew 15:21-39; Mark 7:24-37, 8:1-13

SHE BEGGED FOR MORE.

Next we see a direct contrast between what was in the heart of the Jewish leaders and what was in the heart of one Gentile woman. This woman’s daughter was possessed by a demon who was tormenting the daughter severely. With the intense love of a mother, this woman continued to beg Jesus to heal her daughter, even to the point that the disciples begged him to make her go away. The Jewish people, including the disciples, did not want to share Jesus with the Gentiles, whom they considered below them. Jesus, knowing the sinful prejudice in their hearts, had this conversation for their benefit:

Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep – the people of Israel.”

But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.”

“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. – Matthew 15:24-28

JESUS GAVE MORE.

While the Jewish leaders were demanding miraculous signs and explanations (Matthew 16:1-4), this Gentile woman was worshiping Jesus and HUMBLY BEGGING for a miracle. She received what she wanted because she came to Jesus with words that revealed her heart – a heart of faith.

This woman was not the only Gentile to display faith. Many brought their lame, blind, crippled, mute and sick to Jesus to be healed. They were amazed when Jesus healed them. Word spread fast among the people of how wonderful Jesus was. For three days they stayed near Jesus in anticipation of what he was about to do. Jesus had compassion and fed 4000 men, along with the women and children, with only seven loaves and a few small fish. They displayed a heart of faith and experienced the miracle of satisfaction.

So where do I sit on this continuum between those who try to serve a Jesus-on-demand and those whose life reveals a heart of faith? Do I ever demand a miracle from God or demand an explanation for something He has allowed in my life? Or am I in the habit of simply inviting the God of miracles to come and do something supernatural among us?

This week I had a friend reveal to me what she and her husband are praying for. The magnitude of the miracle she is requesting from God is bigger than anything I have ever prayed. I found myself humbly asking God for that kind of faith — a faith that would dare to pray BIG, believing that God is capable of giving us anything we ask for while trusting Him no matter how He answers.

Lord, give us a heart of faith as evidenced by both the life we live and the words we speak. As we worship you, may you be pleased with the heart of our worship. We thank you for giving your life on a cross for our salvation. We worship you today with hearts wide open so that you can reveal in us anything that needs changed, and so that you can place in us the desires of your heart. Lord, we pray this morning for those who are grieving a loss, or who are in desperate need of a miracle today. Today we come to worship you and to humbly beg for your healing touch. We love you! Amen.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 15:1-20, 16:1-4; Mark 7:1-23

One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.” – Matthew 12:38

THEY DEMANDED MORE.

The Pharisees demanded miraculous signs from Jesus. There was a popular expectation in Jewish tradition that the Messiah would perform spectacular miracles on demand when he arrived. So to test whether or not Jesus was the Messiah, the Jewish leaders demanded that he perform for them.

But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights…” – Matthew 12:39-40

JESUS REVEALED MORE ABOUT WHO HE WAS.

Jesus was revealing to them THE most incredible thing that would happen in all of history and they missed it. The people of Ninevah repented when they heard Jonah’s message but the Jewish leaders refused to repent when they heard the gospel message straight from the Son of Man’s lips. The queen of Sheba had traveled a great distance to hear words of wisdom from Solomon and she was not disappointed at what she found, yet the Pharisees refused to listen to the words of wisdom spoken by someone SO much greater than Solomon (12:41-42).

Jesus told the religious leaders that he would spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth or the grave, and it was as if they never heard him. Instead of listening closely and finding the miracle Jesus was revealing, the Pharisees DEMANDED AN EXPLANATION from Jesus.

“Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” – Matthew 15:2

Jesus answered their demanding question with a demanding question of his own: “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’…” (Matthew 15:3-4a).

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart –that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.” – Matthew 15:10-20

Just as the religious leaders were revealing the sin in their hearts by the words they spoke and the demands they made, we also reveal our spiritual condition by what we say. When our heart is not completely submitted to what God has for us, we see the results of that in our behavior and our conversation. So choosing our words carefully and intentionally avoiding strong language does not have to be a sign of legalism, but can simply be the outflow of the Spirit’s work in our lives. He takes away the desire to sound like the world and behave in a way that does not bring Him glory.

Lord, we thank you for the ways your words continue to teach us today. We ask that you continue to do a work in our hearts and that you will be glorified in everything that we say and do today — not as a result of our human effort but as an indicator of the impact you are having on our hearts. Father, open our eyes to the miracles you are willing to perform all around us if only we will believe. Thank you for saving us from ourselves and teaching us your ways. Amen.

Today’s Reading: John 6:22-71

“Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” – John 6:30

What a ridiculous comment for the crowd to make just after Jesus had fed the 5000 with only five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus had provided for their physical needs by healing their sick and feeding them in a similar way to how God had provided manna from heaven for their ancestors. But apparently healing the sick and feeding 5000 people with a child’s sack lunch was not enough.

THEY WANTED MORE.

They wanted more and so do we. How often does God provide over and over again for us, yet we sit back and say we have never experienced a miracle or seen God move in a mighty way. God provides for our needs yet we desire more. We look at what others have around us and see what we do not have, rather than focusing on what God has so generously given us.

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35

Jesus warned them not to get caught up in the perishable things this world has to offer (the things that do not last), but spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you (John 6:27). But witnessing miraculous signs was not enough for this crowd, they wanted the ability to perform these miracles themselves; they wanted power and glory (John 6:28-29).

At times our focus is on the desire for God to do something great and mighty through us for others to see. But God’s response to us may be the same as it was to the crowd – to first seek Him, consume Him, believe in Him and fully experience life through Him.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” – John 6:47-51

“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” – John 6:53-58

GOD WANTS TO GIVE US MORE.

God is saying – I can answer your prayers and provide for your needs here on earth, I am capable of that. I can once again show you my generosity and you can experience the miracle of My provision, but I want to provide you with so much more than what you are asking for. I can heal you of your disease, but you will still die eventually. I am offering you something so much greater; I am offering you eternal life!

Perhaps the miracle is not in the provision but in the satisfaction. We know that God is able to provide – the moment of surprise is when we rest in His care, trusting and believing in Him whether or not He provides as we have asked. The miracle is in our satisfaction with what God has done and will do according to His will. Consume the Bread of Life and you will experience the miracle of satisfaction.

At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” – John 6:68-69

ARE WE SATISFIED WITH WHO JESUS IS?

Some would not allow themselves to be satisfied with who Jesus was and what Jesus asked of them. For the disciples, Jesus was enough. They were satisfied that he truly was the bread of life and they were determined to follow Him in pursuit of the answers instead of walking away when they didn’t fully understand. Jesus was enough.

So what about us? Will we be satisfied with all Jesus has to offer us or will we turn away and desert Jesus? Will we be satisfied with who Jesus is and who He is calling the church to be? What miracle will God perform in our hearts today? Let’s choose to rest in God’s provision and find satisfaction with who He is and what He wants to do in our lives.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 14:13-36; Mark 6:30-56; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-21

Jesus went away to a remote area to grieve the death of John the Baptist but the crowds followed him. He had compassion on them and healed their sick but it was getting late and the people were getting hungry. They were quite a distance from the villages, so the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the crowds away so that they could begin their walk back to where they could buy food.

This is your chance, Jesus! It’s getting late and the crowd is getting hungry. This is the perfect opportunity for us to lose this crowd and have some alone time.

But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary – you feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.
“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up from heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! – Matthew 14:16-21

Instead of sending the people away, Jesus invited them to sit down and allow him to supply their needs. He broke bread and they ate as much as they wanted. The great love of our Savior was displayed that day. At a time when both tradition and human reasoning gave him permission to pull inward and enter a time of grieving, Jesus had compassion on others and thought more of their needs than his own. What a great example for us today. But now that the needs of the crowds had been met, Jesus set another great example for us — he separated himself from the people in order to spend some time alone with his Father.

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted his disciples get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once, “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called out to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
“Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over to the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” – Matthew 14:22-31

Jesus took time to be alone with God but did not turn away from the needs of others. I strongly believe in taking time to grieve; I strongly believe in spending time alone in God’s presence. God calls us to this. But He also calls us to walk away from that time filled with Him in such a way that we are ready to care more about others than we do about ourselves. This is not always easy to do.

Lord, thank you for the compassion you daily show your people. You are a God who supplies our needs and meets us at our time of crisis with the words, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here!” Only you know what lies before us this week. As we fill ourselves with Your presence, please go with us. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear the needs of others around us. May we focus on you and in doing so see others, rather than focusing on our own needs. In your power, may we experience the kind of faith that has us walking on water – believing that you will supply our needs so that we can turn our eyes off our own situation and see the opportunities around us. Amen.

After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. – Matthew 14:34-36

Today’s Reading: Matthew 11:1-19, 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 3:19-20, 7:18-35, 9:7-9

When John the Baptist criticized the ruler of Galilee for marrying his brother’s wife, Herod Antipas threw him into prison. While in prison, John heard about all that Jesus was preaching and doing. He sent his disciples to Jesus to confirm that he was the promised Messiah.

Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen – the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, ‘God bless those who do not turn away because of me.’” – Matthew 11:4-6

Jesus then turned to the crowd and affirmed the ministry of John the Baptist, clarifying that he was the one the scriptures had referred to as the messenger sent ahead of the Messiah to prepare the way for him. And then Jesus made this powerful statement: “I tell you the truth, of all who ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11), yet you accused him of being possessed by a demon and me of being a glutton.

Because of John’s preaching, the Kingdom of God was advancing. This was the time all the prophets had been looking forward to; this was the time that the law of Moses had prophesied about. John had fulfilled his God-given purpose. His wisdom was made obvious by the way he lived his life and by the results of his ministry.

When they heard this, all the people — even the tax collectors — agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism. — Luke 7:29-30

Herod Antipas also rejected God’s plan and the ministry of John the Baptist. He was so angry with John that it was not enough to simply have him imprisoned, he wanted to kill him. But Herod knew that killing John the Baptist would start a riot because the people believed him to be a prophet, so he kept him imprisoned.

At Herod’s birthday party, his niece danced for him (the daughter of his brother Philip, whose wife Herod had married). Her dance pleased Herod and his guests, so he offered her a gift of her choosing. Her mother, Herodias, took this opportunity to seek revenge on the prophet who had spoken so boldly against her marriage to Herod. No one was more surprised than Herod when the girl came back and demanded the head of John the Baptist be brought on a tray right then for all to see. Everyone at the party had heard his promise to the girl, and everyone was watching to see his response. Out of pride, Herod granted her wish and John the Baptist was beheaded that very night.

When Jesus heard the heartbreaking news of John’s death, he got in a boat and sailed to a remote area to be alone (Matthew 14:13). Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt when he heard of the death of his cousin? The man whose purpose in life was to prepare the way for him had just been killed in a brutal and dishonoring way. Jesus, feeling the same emotions any of us would have felt, retreated to an area where he could grieve alone. He had spent so many days reaching out to others and taking care of the needs of many, but now it was time for him to take care of his own needs. Or was it?

But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. – Matthew 14:13b-14

Having more compassion for others than he had love for himself, Jesus reached out to others in response to their reaching out to him. This is who Jesus was and this is who Jesus is today. When we reach out to him, he responds to us. When we faithfully fulfill the purpose we are given, he encourages us. When someone seeks to hurt or destroy us because of our faithfulness, he grieves for us. Jesus responds to our needs with compassion, which is exactly what he did next…

Today’s Reading: Matthew 10:1-42; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6; Psalm 94

“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” – Matthew 9:37b-38

Right after saying this, Jesus called his twelve disciples together and equipped them for ministry. He gave them the authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. He gave them instructions for ministry that are still helpful to us.

Be generous.

“Give as freely as you have received.” – Matthew 10:8b

Be wise.

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.” – Matthew 10:16

Be opportunistic.

“But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.” – Matthew 10:17-18

Be filled with the Spirit.

“When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking – it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” – Matthew 10:19-20

Be a humble follower of Christ.

“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!” – Matthew 10:24-25

Be strong.

“Don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.” – Matthew 10:26

Be a voice.

“What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!” – Matthew 10:27

Be God-fearing.

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” – Matthew 10:28

Be aware you are valuable to God.

“What is the price of two sparrows – one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” – Matthew 10:29-31

Be loyal and true.

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” – Matthew 10:32-33

Be faithful and put God above everyone else, including yourself.

“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” – Matthew 10:37-39

Be the body of Christ.

“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” – Matthew 10:42

When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went to teach and preach in towns throughout the region. – Matthew 11:1

Jesus taught his disciples by what he said and by how he lived. He ate with them and walked with them. By doing life with the disciples, Jesus was strategically positioned to teach them and to show them love. Jesus became an example of what it means to truly BE about the Kingdom of God – how to BE a servant and how to BE a follower. Now it is our turn to BE all God calls us to BE.

Psalm 94:12 – Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 8:28-34, 12:38-45; Luke 4:38-44, 8:26-39, 11:24-32

After Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, she got up and began to prepare a meal for him. Her immediate response was to serve Jesus. As a result of her healing, people started bringing their sick to Jesus and he healed them too, no matter what the sickness or disease. They came asking for Jesus’ healing touch and they were able to witness the power and authority of Christ.

THEY ASKED JESUS TO DO MIRACULOUS THINGS AMONG THEM AND HE DID.

Word about Jesus was spreading all over the region. When he taught in the synagogue, people were amazed by his teaching. When he healed the demon-possessed, people were awestruck by his power and authority! Everyone was talking about this Jesus from Nazareth. Lives were touched and hearts were encouraged from far and near. Many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus and he displayed his authority by casting the demons out. These demons recognized that Jesus was the Son of God but he rebuked them and would not let them speak (Luke 4:38-44).

Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!” The news about Jesus spread through every village in the entire region. – Luke 4:36-37

THEY ASKED JESUS TO HEAL THEIR SICK AND HE DID.

When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed. Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone. – Luke 6:17-19

Jesus was making a difference in the ENTIRE region. Wherever he went, he was surrounded by crowds of people – people coming to hear his teaching or bring their sickness to him for healing. Every person who came to Jesus for healing was healed. There was no sickness too great, no disease too complicated, no demon too powerful. Jesus was surrounded by crowds yet he took the time to heal each one.

One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn’t speak, and when the demon was gone the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed, but some of them said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” – Luke 11:14-15

Because they refused to recognize that Jesus’ power came from God, they missed the opportunity to be blessed by him. The religious leaders and Pharisees came to Jesus and demanded that he perform a miraculous sign in order to prove his authority. His message to them was clear — their hearts were evil and they would be judged. The Queen of Sheba would stand against them for she had traveled a great distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon, yet they refused to believe in Jesus even though he was right there in their midst (Matthew 12:38-45).

THEY DEMANDED THAT JESUS DO MIRACULOUS SIGNS AND HE DID NOT.

Matthew tells us of two men possessed by demons who met Jesus in the region of the Gadarenes. They had been made to live among the dead and were so violent that no one could go near them. The demons recognized Jesus and began screaming at him. “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?” (Matthew 8:29)

Luke tells this same story, but only mentions one man who was filled with many demons. He was homeless and naked, living in the cemetery outside of the town. When they placed him under guard or in chains, the strength of the demons allowed him to break free and escape into the wilderness. He was completely under the power of the demons.

The demons begged Jesus to cast them into a nearby herd of pigs rather than the bottomless pit. When they entered the pigs, the whole herd ran down the steep hillside and into the lake. The herdsmen ran into town and all the people came out to see what had happened. They found the man sitting peacefully at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane. The people had a choice at this point to believe in the power of Jesus, but they chose fear instead of faith. They begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone (Matthew 8:31-34).

THEY ASKED JESUS TO GO AWAY AND HE DID.

But the man who had been freed from the demons chose faith because he was finally free from his fear. His immediate desire was to serve Jesus — to follow this man who could speak the word and demons would flee. But Jesus called this man to stay in his hometown and proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him so that others could believe (Luke 8:38-39).

So what will we choose today? Will we choose faith or fear? If we choose to focus on our fears instead of focusing on Jesus, we will miss the opportunity to see his power displayed in our lives. Let’s consider those areas of our lives where we are experiencing fear or torment and give them to the One who can cast them out of our presence and replace them with peace and submission.

HOW IS JESUS AFFECTING YOUR LIFE? WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO HIM?

Today’s Reading: Matthew 4:23-25, 13:44-46; Mark 1:35-39

HOW IS JESUS AFFECTING YOUR LIFE? WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO HIM?

Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon-possessed or epileptic or paralyzed – he healed them all. Large crowds followed him wherever he went – people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. – Matthew 4:23-25

Large crowds of people were so taken by Jesus that they were willing to follow him wherever he went! Now that’s passion! But it is very similar to our reaction after Jesus radically changes our lives, isn’t it? We fall SO in love with this Jesus, who would heal us or love us or die for us, we would do whatever he asks us to do. We would go wherever he leads us. We give whatever he stirs our hearts to give in order to fund the mission of spreading God’s word.

Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Jerod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. – Luke 8:1-3

They were so excited about what Jesus was doing that they were willing to LIVE SACRIFICIALLY and GIVE SACRIFICIALLY. As they traveled with Jesus, they heard the same message over and over again and it was changing their lives – the message of the Good News about the Kingdom of God.

HOW IS JESUS AFFECTING YOUR LIFE? WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO HIM?

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Again, the King of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” – Matthew 13:44-46

To want something so much that I am willing to lose all else that I might gain that one thing.

To value something so much that I am willing to forfeit everything in the pursuit of it.

To care about something so much that nothing else matters except that one thing.

This is what God is calling us to.

Devoted.

Sold-out.

Passionate.

Do I value the Kingdom of Heaven more than my own earthly kingdom?

Do I value heavenly treasures more than earthly treasures?

Do I value spiritual rewards more than physical rewards?

Do I value my relationship with God above all other relationships?

HOW IS JESUS AFFECTING YOUR LIFE? WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO HIM?

Holy Spirit, move in me today. I long to hear from you. Empty me of all that is sin and all that is self and fill me with you. Change me so that I value what you value; change me so that I cannot help but respond to the effect you are having on my life. Amen.