Today’s Reading: Matthew 8:28-34 and 9:1-8

When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They came out of the tombs and were so violent that no one could go through that area.

They 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?”

There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

“All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water. – Matthew 8:28-32

Not only did Jesus have power over the wind and waves, Jesus had power over the demons who had been torturing these two men. The demons were bothered by the presence of Jesus and screamed out at him. They did not want the Lord to interfere with their plans. But Jesus saw beyond the violence of sin and saw two men in need of a Savior. Knowing in advance the response he would receive from the owners of the pigs, Jesus chose the freedom of the two over the popularity of the masses.

The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone. – Matthew 8:33-34

ANGER SWEPT THROUGH THE TOWN AND THEY ASKED JESUS TO LEAVE.

How would that day have been different if the townspeople had welcomed Jesus? How many among them would have experienced their own healing if they had chosen to believe rather than to push Jesus away? Opportunities were missed and bondage remained for those who were unwilling to make the sacrifice for another person’s freedom. They chose the status quo over the experience of change that Jesus could have brought about for them and their community.

Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”

But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” – Matthew 9:1-3

SURPRISE SWEPT THROUGH THE CHURCH AND THEY CHALLENGED THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS.

When Jesus saw the man who had been brought to him, he did not see what the man was unable to do but instead saw what the man needed in order to truly be whole. Before meeting his physical needs, Jesus took the time to meet this man’s spiritual needs. But there were others in the crowd with spiritual needs, and it was time for Jesus to address those as well.

Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

And the man jumped up and went home! Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for giving humans such authority. – Matthew 9:4-8

FEAR SWEPT THROUGH THE CROWD AND THEY RESPONDED IN PRAISE.

How often does Jesus want to perform a miracle in our midst but we chose the comfort of our routine over allowing the Spirit to take over? We have our plans and we have prepared our schedule, but perhaps Jesus wants to do something different today. And perhaps what he wants to do requires us to let go of our expectations, lift up our arms in submission, and praise the One who has authority over the storms in our life, the evil in this world, and the sin in our hearts.

Lord, we thank you for your presence in our lives. We are grateful for the freedom we experience because you were willing to die for our sins. We recognize the impact of your amazing grace and we praise you for the healing that is taking place in our midst. May we always respond to you with arms raised up and hearts wide open. Amen.