Passage of the Day:
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith, Matthew 8:5-10.
Reflection:
The first 7 individuals who had encounters with Jesus this past week were social outcasts. Jesus didn’t care what other people thought about Him, especially first century religious leaders. Nonetheless, Jesus kept in step with the Holy Spirit daily, seizing each opportunity God provided. Seeing that Jesus was extremely busy, this military leader of 100 men in the Roman Legion, treated Jesus like a spiritual commander. Familiar with the chain of command, all this Centurion needed was Jesus’ word, believing healing would then be carried out.
Prayerful Action:
But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, Romans 10:8-9.
Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:
The author of today’s featured passage is a descendant from the Tribe of Levi. As a member of this priestly tribe, Matthew is amazed by the faith of this outsider. Perhaps, this is a sign of hope, that there are more followers of God out in the world than you think. As the apostle Paul writes to the Church in Rome in the Call to Action, faith comes from hearing the message, which is belief in the good news about Jesus, Romans 10:17. The more Christians take the time to read and study the Bible outside of church, the greater the likelihood that your faith will increase this fall.
Song of the Day:
The Red Letters come from the words spoken by Jesus in the 4 Gospels highlighted by red print. You can still buy Red Letter Bibles today. May today’s song inspire you to increase your faith by reading and meditating upon God’s Word, Joshua 1:9.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 