verses 9-13 Matthew's House
Matthew who was once a tax-collector, explains his own first meeting of Jesus. Jesus called him while he was in the act of collecting taxes! Matthew's house becomes a hang-out spot for Jesus and his friends, many of who were social outcasts. Lets make our homes like Matthew's house: a place for the people of God to bring God's love and healing to the people that society has thrown out.
verses 18-26 Two Chosen
God likes the number 12 for some reason and often when you read something in scripture that has the number 12 in it, the people the number is describing are chosen.* In this passage, a man is asking Jesus to come heal his 12 year old daughter** at the same time that a woman sneaks up to touch Jesus' clothing and is instantly healed of her 12 year long hemorrhage. Jesus heals both the females and the numerology here is powerful when one thinks of the culture of that day. To a Jew, blood meant uncleanliness and unpreparedness for worship and this woman had been bleeding for 12 years! To not be able to go to worship services or even go near people for fear of making them unclean for the service as well and then to be healed by Jesus and deemed chosen is quite remarkable. Also going near death was uncleanliness to a Jew. Jesus let a bleeding woman touch him and healed her and went and touched a dead girl and healed her. God was making a statement here! Jesus is Lord and able to heal everything unclean about us. Also the fact that both were women emphasizes the fact that we are chosen not on the bases of our sex, race, or position in life.
verses 35-38
"When he (Jesus) looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. 'What a huge harvest!' he said to his disciples. 'How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" Immediately after this he chose 12 of his followers to be these much-needed workers (10:1-4)
* cr 2 Kings (story of Elisha), Matthew 10:1-4,
** cr other gospel accounts of her age, since Matthew doesn't mention that she is 12
1 comment:
Nikki,
I'm Randy Alcorn's assistant and would like to reach you to let you know that I've been following up on the question you had on his blog and am awaiting an answer from a physician friend.
However, I need your email address in order to respond. Please email me at kathy@epm.org.
Thanks!
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