What Jesus Did! 'Back to Earth!' — Matthew 8:1-3

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside [after his Sermon on the Mount]. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. "Lord," the man said, "if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean."

Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

— Matthew 8:1-3 NLT

Key Thought

Sooner or later, after our moment in the sun, we all have to come down from the mountain. Jesus has taught his disciples wondrously and authoritatively. But no sooner does he come down from the mountain than he is hit with people's problems in today's verses and the subsequent ones. But rather than resenting the problems, he seizes the opportunities and displays the compassion and power of God himself. The word that was authoritative with the Sermon on the Mount now becomes the authoritative word in the everyday horrors of broken people. When people come to honestly worship him, they leave feeling incredibly pumped up, because he takes care of not only their physical ailments but also their deeper spiritual ones as well.

Today's Prayer

Father, thank you for Jesus' examples of reaching out to those in need around him. Thank you even more that his word is powerful, not just in the message but also in the practical everyday life struggles of common people. His example of caring gives me assurance that he will not forget my prayer to grow and mature. In the name of the compassionate carpenter of Nazareth, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Luke 9:23-24
  • 1 Peter 5:5-7
  • Matthew 8:14-17

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Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 8:1-3 NLT — "Be healed!"

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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