Author: Danny Panter

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 12:9-13 (day six)

Of course it is not unlawful to heal on the Sabbath. Many Pharisees were so self-absorbed, and self-righteous they could not see the truth standing right in front of them. Too concerned with adding to their list of Sabbath successes, they had little time to observe the first and second greatest commandments (love God, and love your neighbor).

There is no law against loving your neighbor, doing good, healing a man’s hand, no matter the day.

The irony is, the aim of the Sabbath was always to be still and know [He] is God; to behold him, and love your neighbor. All the Pharisees were interested in doing was being still and beholding themselves.

It’s a matter of interpretation really. If your view of the Kingdom of God prohibits you from doing good for one reason or another, your interpretation is just as blind and self-absorbed as the Pharisees’.

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 9:20-22(day six)

Truth is, she had no intention of being noticed. For all the reasons already offered (Scott and Aaron), the last thing she wanted was for Jesus, much less the crowd, to become aware of her presence. She needed to stop dying, to stop the bleeding, and be made clean. What she didn’t want were glares thrown like stones reminding her of her disconnectedness.

If I could only touch the hem of his prayer shawl, then I would be healed. No one has to know.

But Jesus did take notice.

“Daughter, take courage; your faith has saved you.”

He called me… daughter. 

She had hope for healing, and He healed her. She had hoped to be unnoticed,  but he noticed her. But something else happened that day she did not expect.

Belonging.

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 9:18-19; 23-26 (day six) 

Matthew 8:24, “And they laughed at him.”

I suppose they didn’t know any better at the time, but they were laughing at the Son of Man who had calmed the storm. Regardless, this miracle, in particular,  points to the coming Kingdom of God, reminding us that its coming will not be pleasant for all.

Every miracle is a call to repentance and surrender, but for those who delay or refuse will only face judgment when Jesus comes into His Kingdom.

With the resurrection of this little girl, I imagine many of Jesus’ scoffers were silenced. Many of them likely believed, but for some their laughter was a sign of judgment to come.

God is not to be mocked.-Paul, Galatians 6:7

Seek the Lord while he may be found. –Isaiah the Prophet, Isaiah 55:6

I once was told,  you only need to worry if the flight attendants are afraid. I’ve been on some harrowing flights, at least ones I thought were harrowing, but I have never been on a flight when the attendant was afraid. That was always the clue that we were going to be okay. I might throw up, but we will be okay.

That’s part of the message Jesus provides in this practical lesson. Don’t watch the storm, keep your eyes on me. When we keep Jesus in view, we find him unflinchingly steadfast, like an anchor. No worry or fear crosses his face; you would only need to worry if it does.

Which is never. He’s the Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas!

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 8:14-17 (day six)

“…, and she rose and began to serve him.” Matthew 8:15b

Many would read this verse and come to the conclusion we should serve Jesus. While that is certainly true, I’m not sure that’s the main message in this story. Peter’s mother-in-law served Jesus, and anyone other guest in her home, because she was well enough (after Jesus healed her) to be a good host. I mean, what would you do if you had guests in your home? You would get up, if you could, and make sure they had every thing they needed. Something to drink, or a meal perhaps.

Her behavior has more to do with Jesus’ presence than Jesus’ healing. Now let me ask, would anything change in your home if Jesus were there? If He were present, what affect would that have? Would you be a good host?

I really think, what was true for Peter’s mother-in-law is true for us, lasting change (or serving Jesus) happens when we realize Jesus is present in us, and around us. He has entered our home, healed us, and is sticking around.

Do you see Him?

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 8:1-4 (day six)

There was far more at stake than his health. The leper went to great lengths to encounter Jesus. Hearing him teaching from afar, he was enamored with the authority in which he spoke, unlike any he had heard before. But the stories of healings, of men and women not unlike himself, were what set him on this path.

There is no telling how many years this man had been separated from his family and community because he was unclean. Perhaps no one had touched him in an equal amount of time. His wife, his children, his rabbi, no one could come near; banished to the outskirts of town. His skin, yes, needed healing, but much more he needed to be restored back to fellowship; he needed to belong again.

He was desperate to be clean, to be known.

And Jesus touched him.

“Be clean,” he said.

And what once was distant and separate was restored.

That’s what the kingdom of God is like.

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 4:1-11 (six)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

Jesus faced the full arsenal of the accuser. He knows what it is like to be weak and tempted in every respect as we are. More than any other, this story highlights for us Jesus’ humanity, and thus His sympathy towards us. While he had every ability and opportunity to overcome his weakness through His divine power, He endured the accuser in His humanity so He could identify with us in our weakness.

This has a profound result, even though Jesus is without sin, the Bible says He is able to sympathize with us in our weakness. This means as we face temptation we have a safe place to go for help without fear of condescension or condemnation, but instead we receive what we need, mercy and grace.

Jesus will not reject us in our weakness; He’s been there, he knows what it is like. We have a sympathetic savior.