Do you Have A Faith That Impresses Others and God With Hope?
Good Morning Friends,
Yesterday during the children’s chat at worship, the Advent candle of hope was lit as a way of helping us to focus and prepare for Christmas and the coming of Christ.
Today’s lectionary text from the Gospel of Isaiah and Matthew touches on the hope that was made possible by Jesus. Do you Have A Faith That Impresses Others and God With Hope?
Scripture: The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSV)
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
Matthew 8:5-11 (NRSV)
Message: The prophet Isaiah foresaw the Savior of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ, and painted a picture of this hopeful future of a leader who is God-with-us, the child destined to rule forever, the hope of the Davidic throne, and the anointed preacher of the gospel. In addition, Isaiah pictured the mountain of the Lord, which was a reference to the presence of God, to give God’s people in exile hope regarding the triumph of God’s purpose for his people. Isaiah’s vision is first and foremost a picture of God ruling. The power of the picture is one of great hope and a time when all nations will hurry to learn the Way. It is of God’s rule coming to earth as in heaven. And in today’s Gospel story about the faith of a centurion that impressed Jesus, we see that this power to rule is even recognized by earthly military leaders. Here we are to understand that the same Jesus Isaiah prophesied is the very same Jesus that brings us to a deeper vision and level of discernment in relationship to the healing nature of God and the judgement and the gift of eternal life. Here we are to be astonished at the love of God and the peace and good will that is so central to the Christian faith. But first we must have the conviction to believe it and to love.
Pray we see the Word of the Lord written on the hearts of our friends and family. Pray we too be a sign of hope in the world and an instrument of peace empowered. Pray we walk in the light of the leader of the universe. Pray we have a faith that is rewarded with the great peace and joy that our loved ones are delivered from the curse of sin. Pray we come to Jesus with a humility that acknowledges the necessity of God’s mercy, and our own inability to help ourselves. Pray we realize that God reigns now with power. Pray we lift our eyes beyond present circumstances to a future hope. Pray we put our faith this season and every season in the Lord.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 