SCRIPTURE: Ezra 1; Ps. 84,85; Luke 7
Luke 7:1-10
1-5When he finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum. A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly and didn’t want to lose him. When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking him to come and heal his servant. They came to Jesus and urged him to do it, saying, “He deserves this. He loves our people. He even built our meeting place.”6-8Jesus went with them. When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, “Master, you don’t have to go to all this trouble. I’m not that good a person, you know. I’d be embarrassed for you to come to my house, even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well. I’m a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes; another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9-10Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works.” When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well.
OBSERVATIONS: The crowd says, “He deserves it.” The captain says he’s not worthy. The crowd works the system. The captain just obeys. He understands authority and command.
APPLICATION: If God says it, it will be. If God commands it, should I not obey? Why is that so hard sometimes? The application here is as difficult as it is simple. DO what I am ASKED by GOD to DO.
PRAYER: God, I’m sorry for the hesitations, the procrastination, and the downright disobedience. Help my heart to bend and break, my will to be sacrificed for your own, and my life to be lived as you would have me live. In and through Christ I ask it, amen.
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