Friday, January 9, 2014 ~ Action

GENESIS 23,24

Sarah dies and Abraham buries her in a cave purchased from the Hittites.  He then sends his servant to his relatives and requests a bride for Isaac.  His servant travels and prays that God will bless his journey.  He meets Rebekah, after telling her family how God has sent him to find a wife for Isaac, they agree to let Rebekah leave and she marries Isaac.  

MATTHEW 8

Jesus comes down from the mountainside and immediately begins to heal those that come to him and are sick.  A centurion (Roman officer, commanding 100 men) comes to him and asks jesus to heal his servant.

Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  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...

Jesus is surprised by the man's faith

"I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 

Jesus continues to heal and crowds follow him.  He gets into a boat to head to the other side of the lake. A storm comes up and he the disciples are terrified. He rebukes them.

You of little faith, why are you so afraid? Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 

After arriving on the other side he meets two demon-possessed men coming out of the tombs. Jesus confronts them and commands the spirits to leave them and they are sent into a herd of pigs. The pigs run off into the water and are drowned.  The Men that were tending the pigs ran into town and informed everyone who then come out and ask Jesus to leave their region.

JOURNAL

Faith involves action.  It in all of these passages, the result of great faith are the actions that follow.  I think it is why Jesus says in the sermon that "good trees bear good fruit".  Actions don't earn righteousness, but faith produces action. 

My grandfather was a dean of students in Mississippi and taught economics.  I remember a story he used to tell his students who would refused to study and just "depend on God". 

There was a man who lived next to a river.  One day the tide was rising and it was forecasted that a great flood was coming.  As a boat passed his house, the man in the boat yelled out for him to get in.  The man of the house responded that  "God will save me".  So the waters rose higher, now they were in his yard and steadily rising.  Another boat pulls up and the man asks him to get in.  The man of the house responds, "No, I am trusting God, he will save me".  Finally the waters are in his house and the man of the house is sitting on the roof. A helicopter approaches and calls over the loudspeaker to get in the basket before he is swept away.  The man of the house responds, "No, I have great faith that God will save me".   Well the waters rise, sweep the man and the house away and he dies.  He confronts God in Heaven and asks why with such great faith that he refused to save him.  God responds, "I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want."

“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.”  

Steve Maraboli