Day 17

GE 35-36; MT 12:1-21; PS 14; PR 3:19-20

MT 12:9-14 showed me several things.  The Pharisees are out to get Jesus and they are doing everything they can to trap Him in disobeying their rules.  I know, it sounds dumb to us now but I'm sure it made perfect sense to them back then.  But hey, we can all be guilty of wanting God to play by our rules every now and then right?  Well it didn't work out for them any better than it works for us now. Jesus makes it perfectly clear that the little box they want Him to fit in isn't really going to work for Him.  His point was this...If there is somebody that is hurting and I can help them, I'm going to help them.  I don't really care what you think about it or if it steps on your toes or you don't think I should be associating with those folks.  I think we  can learn so much from that example.  To not get caught up in the rules of society but rather see people the way that He does.  It's great to plan great acts of kindness  but He also wants us to react to the needs as they present themselves. I think, if we are not careful we can get so distracted by serving Jesus in our planned and scheduled ministries that we fail to see the opportunities arise around us.

vs 13- I've always liked the image of this miracle. Here was a man with a withered hand.  The description leads us to believe that it had been that way for some time, probably from birth. But when Jesus spoke to him he reached out his hand and it was made "as whole as the other."  There was no rehab, no special treatments, an no follow-up visits.  When Jesus speaks healing it is immediate, complete and whole.  That's just awesome, I don't care who you are.

PR - When you read something like this I think you just need to take hope in that God knows...everything.  We are surrounded by conspiracy theories and doomsday prophecies that can cause a lot of worry. But they don't mean anything when you realize that God created this world and nothing will destroy until He says it's time.  Nothing happens without His knowledge.  Take comfort and peace in that knowledge.