“I will come and heal him,” He told him. Matthew 8:5-6 HCSB
I am very proud of our four children. Each has been willing to go and do what God has called them to do. Bethany served in China, India, and Mexico on mission trips. Nathan helped plant a church in New York City. Jonathan served the poorest of the poor in West Africa, and Sarah assisted with clean up after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Each one has developed a heart for missions and has been willing to follow God’s leadership.
Jesus did not care if this man was a Roman soldier. He would not let the opinion of others prevent Him from doing what God had called Him to do. The Jews hated the Roman soldiers because of their ridicule, control, and oppression. Jesus, however, looked beyond the soldier’s ethnicity and His position as a Roman centurion and saw Him as a human being that deserved to be loved and cared for as much as anyone else. Jesus was willing to go to the house of a Gentile to heal someone which would have made Him ceremonially unclean by the rules and regulations of the the Scribes and Pharisees. He often disregarded ritualistic rules in order to minister to the needs of others.
Challenge: Are you willing to go and do what God has called you to do? Are you willing to go against the opinion of others to follow God’s will for your life? What is God calling you to go and do? Pray for God’s wisdom and direction.