Thursday 1 Dec 2016

December 1: Matthew 11:1-6

Key Verse: Matthew 11:5
The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Devotion:
You must have been able to see Jesus coming from a mile off! Not because He was big, but because there must have been a crowd following Him wherever He went! We see similar things happening to celebrities and politicians nowadays – the only real difference being that a sizeable section of those crowds are there to look for scandal!

John obviously heard the news Jesus was nearby when he was in prison and needed to know whether Jesus was the Messiah they had been promised or not. The way Jesus told the couple of disciples from John really sums Him up. He told of His miracles where He continued to show His love for people by healing them of their infirmities. Not just those who had natural problems such as being blind from birth, but those who had diseases which would cause others to shun them. Leprosy was an ailment which required people to be withdrawn from society so it would not spread. Very few people would even take notice of those who were lepers.

Christ also mentioned He preached the gospel to the poor. His meaning was probably both the poor in society and the poor in spirit. But both would again be people that would be overlooked in some manner. Books and teaching were for those who could afford it, for those who had some substance...

No matter who we come across in life, everyone needs to hear about the gospel! Jesus knew the people to reach to give the maximum result. He knew who needed His word the most – those who were furthest from His word. But He also knew all about people’s hearts and how they can always find something to gossip about or to scandalise! His message ends in simplicity. Blessed those who are not prejudiced against Him and scandalized against Him. Blessed are those that will accept the gospel for what it is and not find fault in it or to bend it so that it suits themselves.

Points to Ponder:
Who do you know that most needs the gospel?

Have you asked God to help you to show them just how good He is to you?