Following Jesus - Part 528

Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." And the fishermen that heard Him straightway left their nets to follow Jesus. For them, the decision was easy. Jesus was their hope and salvation. But they were not the only ones, as we read further in this passage. In Galilee, where Jesus went about "teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people, His fame spread.

And they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy, and He healed them. And there followed Jesus great multitudes.

In Matthew 11 too, "the blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them." You see, the people recognized that one cannot live by bread alone. Throughout the scriptures, we find examples of people wanting to know our God and Saviour Jesus.

Indeed, let our faith be like the woman out of Canaan who cried out unto Jesus in Matthew chapter 15, "Have mercy on me O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." In the beginning of this passage, as noted, Jesus did not immediately respond to the woman. Not a word.

In fact, at one point, His disciples wanted to send the woman away "for she crieth after us." But Jesus knew that this woman had faith. She knew who the Master was. Jesus told the disciples, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Upon hearing these words, the woman came and worshipped Jesus. She said, "Lord, help me!"

Still, Jesus answered the woman saying, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to the dogs."  But she said, "Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Master's table." Jesus then said unto her, "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

The woman knew that we could not live by bread alone. We need every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. In other words, like the examples of the woman and fishers above, Jesus wants us to worship Him. The only "begotten" of the Father. The Lord thy God who created our world in Genesis now in flesh, bringing His plan of salvation to you and I. I the Lord thy God have become your Saviour.

This is why we intertwine ourselves with the Word -- the Bible -- Jesus Himself so that we too can know our God and Saviour. Jesus - the only name under heaven whereby we can be saved. Jesus - the only mediator between God and man. Jesus - the lily of the valley. Jesus - who said, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Rest in Jesus. Know that Jesus is more than enough for you and I. No more searching for answers. For the Lord of heaven and earth is revealing unto us -- believers in Jesus -- His kingdom. Jesus wants to bless you today! Stand in the offering plate.