Today’s Reading: Matthew 12:9-21; Romans 8 & 12

One day, Jesus saw a man with a deformed hand. Because it was the Sabbath and they were in the synagogue, the religious leaders asked him if the law permitted him to heal the man. Jesus boldly reminded the leaders that it is permissible to do good on the Sabbath. Jesus turned to the man and told him to hold out his hand. The man displayed hope by holding out his hand, which was immediately healed. Instead of rejoicing in the man’s physical healing, the religious leaders began to plot how they might kill Jesus (Matthew 12:9-14).

Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
In his name the nations will put their hope.” – Matthew 12:15-21

The Old Testament prophecies were written to teach us. They give us confidence in who Jesus was while on earth, and they give us hope for what is to come. When we see evidence that God’s promises have been fulfilled through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, it encourages us to wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled (Romans 15:4). So when we go through difficult seasons, when we experience the suffering that so often comes with this life, we can place our hope in the glorious freedom we will experience one day.

WE ARE GIVEN A NEW HOPE WHEN WE ACCEPT JESUS AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) – Romans 8:19-25

WE WAIT WITH EAGER HOPE FOR THE DAY WHEN OUR ADOPTION WILL BE COMPLETE.

What a day that will be! But God is not calling us to sit passively by and wait in expectation. No, Jesus gave us a great commission (Matthew 28:18-20), as well as many other instructions of how we are to live our lives each day. This eager hope placed within us should inspire us to make a difference in the world around us, so that others might experience this same confident hope.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. – Romans 12:9-18

Lord, we are grateful for the gift of your hope that creates within us an eagerness and confidence. May the presence of your Spirit living within us be evidenced by the way we live our lives, and may others find their way to you through both our words and our actions. Give us the courage to hold out our hand for all that you desire to do in our lives, and the endurance to withstand the hard seasons that come. May our struggles bring us to our knees, submitting to what you want to teach us and allowing you to heal the broken pieces for your glory. Amen.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13