Father, there are many things going through my mind this morning – personal struggles, heartaches for others, just the wear and tear of the world. May I feel Your presence today. May I hear You speaking to my heart. May I live every moment for You today. Amen.
Matthew 8:1-4 (<<click here to read the passage)
Many years ago, I remember hearing the tragic outcome of an act of compassion. A pastoral acquaintance of mine had gone on a mission trip outside the country. After a day of labor, this pastor, in his interactions with local people, came across a man who was very ill. If I remember correctly, the man was lying on the ground. In an act of kindness and love, the pastor stooped down to help the man in his predicament and picked him up. When he did so, he discovered that the man’s back was covered in blood. The man was suffering from AIDS, and the pastor unknowingly had exposed himself to a death sentence through the abrasions on his own hands from his day of labor and his act of love.
Lord, in today’s passage, You didn’t let a potentially contagious disease stop You from reaching out and touching someone who needed You. There is no mention of revulsion or hesitancy. You didn’t have to touch him; You could’ve just spoken his healing into existence, but You placed Your hand on a man whom probably no one had touched for a very long time – he was an outcast, rejected by society. You communicated more than just Your ability to heal – You communicated love and compassion.
I don’t know what this day may hold, or the next or the next, but Lord, I would ask for Your compassion. May I be a true reflection of You in a world that so desperately needs to feel the touch of acceptance and love that, in reality, comes only from You. Amen.
(Feb 20th, 2018, Tues, 6:39 am)
Oct 29th, 2026, Thurs, 10:36 am
