Scripture: St. Matthew 8:14-22 (NKJV)
14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying
sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she
arose and served them. 16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who
were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all
who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” 18
And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to
the other side. 19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will
follow You wherever You go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and
birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury
my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their
own dead.”
Devotion
The life of Christ is about service and sacrifice. It is about the crown of
thorns. Most importantly, it is about His service and sacrifice for us.
Christians often want to make their worship about what they do towards God.
Their focus is mistakenly on their own service, their own little sacrifices,
and their own suffering for the faith. But all these things are worthless if
the true focus is not on the deeds of Jesus Christ.
Our Lord is the One Who took on our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. He
made the holy sacrifice that is the only thing able to truly heal the
multitudes. His sinless life and guiltless execution on the cross made eternal
life and salvation possible for all of us. And His Holy Spirit gives us the
true faith to live and serve according to that life in Him.
Sin cripples us all. The selfishness and the demons that cling to us make us
unable to truly love God and one another. But it is by the Word of God, the
Gospel of our forgiveness in the blood of Christ crucified that makes us well,
drives out the demons, and makes us able to rise up and serve in true love. So
it is never about our work or efforts. Even our best works only find meaning in
relation to Christ’s mercy and truth.
We pray: Lord God, heavenly Father, make us well through the Word of Your Son’s
holy life and death for us. Keep us steadfast in this faith by Your Holy
Spirit, and make us to always serve You in love and diligence; In Christ’s
Name. Amen.
The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of
North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and
deacons of the diocese. Daily posts are provided by The Reverend Jeffrey A.
Ahonen.
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