We have to remember that as believers, we are the hands and feet of Jesus in the earth. We are His ambassadors. We may have a lot on our "to do" lists, but we have to be willing to make time for the people God has placed in our lives. That means not only your friends and family, but people you encounter on a daily basis.

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

Psalm 74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21

M atthew 8:5-17 As he entered Caper'naum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him (6) and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress."  (7) And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." (8) But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. (9) For I 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 he does it." (10) When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. (11) I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, (12) while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." (13) And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment. (14) And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever; (15) he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and served him. (16) That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. (17) This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases."

Meditation by Don Schwager

W hat kind of faith and trust does the Lord Jesus want you to place in him? In Jesus’ time the Jews hated the Romans because they represented everything the Jews stood against – including pagan beliefs and idol worship, immoral practices such as abortion and infanticide, and the suppression of the Israelites' claim to be a holy nation governed solely by God's law. It must have been a remarkable sight for the Jewish residents of Capernaum to see Jesus conversing with an officer of the Roman army.

Why did Jesus not only warmly receive a Roman centurion but praise him as a model of faith and confidence in God? In the Roman world the position of centurion was very important. He was an officer in charge of a hundred soldiers. In a certain sense, he was the backbone of the Roman army, the cement which held the army together. Polybius, an ancient writer, describes what a centurion should be: "They must not be so much venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts."

The centurion who approached Jesus was not only courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his cronies by seeking help from an itinerant preacher from Galilee , and well as mockery from the Jews. Nonetheless, he approached Jesus with confidence and humility. He was an extraordinary man because he loved his slave. In the Roman world slaves were treated like animals rather than people. The centurion was also an extraordinary man of faith. He wanted Jesus to heal his beloved slave. Jesus commends him for his faith and immediately grants him his request. Are you willing to suffer ridicule in the practice of your faith? And when you need help, do you approach the Lord Jesus with expectant faith?

“Heavenly Father, you sent us your Son Jesus that we might be freed from the tyranny of sin and death. Increase my faith in the power of your saving word and give me freedom to love and serve others with generosity and mercy as you have loved me.”

Supplementary Reading

Make Time

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us - 2 Cor 5:20

I t's interesting that many of the miracles Jesus performed weren't planned or scheduled. Oftentimes, they happened when He was interrupted.

Walking down the street, a blind man hollered out, "Jesus! Have mercy! Come over and heal me!" Jesus didn't say, "Don't you know I'm the Son of God? I'm important. I've got a lot to do." No, Jesus stopped what He was doing, went out of His way, and healed the man. Jesus was willing to be inconvenienced to help other people in need.

We have to remember that as believers, we are the hands and feet of Jesus in the earth. We are His ambassadors. We may have a lot on our "to do" lists, but we have to be willing to make time for the people God has placed in our lives. That means not only your friends and family, but people you encounter on a daily basis. Today, keep your heart and mind open because God wants to do something in and through you when you choose to make time for Him.

Heavenly Father, today I commit myself wholeheartedly to Your service. Thank You for choosing me and equipping me to be a blessing to the people around me. Use me for Your glory as I set my love and attention on You today. Amen.—Joel & Victoria Osteen

For archive of previous Daily Meditation postings, please visit http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/

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GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.