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Friday, July 5, 2013

Two Words

The Two Words All Of Us Want To Hear!
     As we travel trough life, we all encounter heartaches, troubles, and situations where we finally give up trying to solve the problem ourselves and call upon someone else for help. We cry out hoping that they will, not only know of a solution to our problem, but will then help. Such was the case of a prominent Jew in the days of Jesus. He had probably been a success in business and was accustomed to solving all his own problems. He had become so self-assured that he would break rules and laws to get his needs and wants satisfied.
However, one day he noticed a small white spot on his hand. The whiteness continued to spread until he could no longer hide those tell-tale white spots. When he was openly diagnosed as having leprosy he became an outcast of society. His friends were no longer his friends. His co-workers no longer worked with him. Even some of his relatives no longer wanted to be associated with him in person or even by name. Even though he tried to negate the separation that the law required for a leper, all forsook and separated themselves from him.
     His leprosy became worse till he was nearing the point of death from the rotting tissue of his fingers, hands, nose, and vital parts of his body. He was literally rotting to death and losing hope, until he heard of a man named Jesus who could heal people, and hope began to spring back with a purpose. That hope became more singular, even as each passing day showed his body yielding more parts to that dreaded disease. He longed and sought for Jesus almost every moment of every day and night.
     One day as he was walking through a town in Israel, he spotted Jesus on the other side of the street. With hope in Jesus as his only strength, he did not yell out “Unclean, Unclean,” but rather, “Jesus, Jesus” as he hobbled across the street. There he . . . But wait, let the story speak for itself. This is the story as the merged edition of One Gospel with Fulfilled Prophecies tells it:

Cleansing a Leper Mt 8:2-4; Mk 1:40-45; Lk 5:12-16
     During a trip when Jesus was in a city, a man with an advanced case of leprosy saw him. Rather than staying on the opposite side of the street as the law required, he came right up to Jesus. First, he knelt down in front of him. Then falling onto his face, he worshiped Jesus. Then he begged and asked him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean from this leprosy.”
     Jesus was moved with compassion for the man. He reached out and placed his hand on him. As he touched him, Jesus said, “I will. Be made clean!”
     As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from the man and his skin was cleaned.
     Jesus strictly instructed the man saying, “Do not linger around talking to people, but go immediately to the synagogue, tell and show yourself to the priest and then offer the gift to God that Moses commanded as a testimony of your healing.” Jesus immediately sent him away.

Conclusion
     As this man in this Gospel story is our example of getting the attention of Jesus by first worshiping him and then asking, we too must go directly to Jesus and get His attention. By worshiping and then asking, we too can hear the two words all of us want to hear from the One who has the answer for us, . . . “I will.”

     My hope is that as you read the One Gospel with Fulfilled Prophecies, you will learn to worship Him and then hear Jesus say, “I will.”

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Gospel Stories taken from the One Gospel with Fulfilled Prophecies and commented upon by the author

Gospel Stories taken from the One Gospel with Fulfilled Prophecies are created and commented upon by the author and posted each Friday for your enjoyment and discussion.  Comment back to the author your opinion and beliefs by clicking this message.  Thank you.