“And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” – Matthew 8:2-3

As you reflect on this encounter, don’t just admire the power of Jesus to instantly heal a chronic and degenerative skin disease. Admire His tender love and mercy. To be a leper in those days was to be shunned as a permanent outcast. Lepers were forced to dress distinctively as a warning to others. They had to shout that they were unclean to anyone who got close to them. They couldn’t participate in the religious or social life of Israel. Work usually became impossible because nobody was allowed to work with them. Their disease became their identity and they couldn’t escape it.

It was likely that nobody had touched this man for years. To touch a leper was to become unclean and to risk becoming a leper yourself. It was against the Law. Imagine being so feared and despised that nobody would even touch you! Then Jesus touched this man. Jesus didn’t just choose to dramatically heal every aspect of this man’s broken life. He did so by touching him.

In that moment, Jesus validated that this despised outcast was still a human being. Jesus affirmed that he was still made in God’s image and still precious to His Creator. He was, in fact, worthy of being touched. When nobody else would touch him, Jesus gently stretched out His hand and touched Him. Jesus didn’t need to touch him to heal the man. He chose to touch Him, an act of compassion concerned not only with healing his body, but healing his spirit that felt so very unclean, unloved, and outcast. That’s your Savior! Meditate on His mercy, gentleness, love, and compassion because He’s Who we’re called to imitate today!

“And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” – Matthew 7:26-27

Jesus was quite serious about everything He taught. We aren’t just meant to admire what He said, we’re meant to do it. Seriously. This is why His command to make disciples included teaching them to do everything He’d commanded. When we celebrate Jesus, proclaim Jesus, go to church and get charged up worshiping Jesus, but don’t actually DO what Jesus commanded us to do, we set ourselves up for disaster.

If you’re cheering for Jesus but not actually obeying Him, then He isn’t the Lord of your life. No matter how much you might “like” Jesus, if you aren’t trying to grow in your obedience to everything He said, including the hard parts about peacemaking, persecution, rooting out your temper, turning the other cheek, practicing authentic worship, letting go of your anxieties, freeing yourself from money’s dominance over your heart and mind, and so much more, then you’re in trouble! Why?

Because storms will come! Life on this earth invariably includes storms. They vary in size and duration, but everyone experiences storms. Setbacks, defeats, disasters, failures, illnesses, and griefs. If you haven’t rooted yourself in faithful obedience to Jesus, it means you’re still trying to manage and control everything yourself. You’re still operating in your strength and pursuing temporary priorities rather than living in Christ’s strength and pursuing His eternal priorities. When the storms come, you will get wiped out. Your faith may be wrecked if you believe you’re in Christ but are really rooted in yourself rather than in Him. Use times of fair weather to build a strong foundation of obedience to Christ, so that when the storm comes, your foundation will hold up and grow stronger!

“But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” – Mark 10:43

On this day, we thank and honor all who have served this country in uniform. If you served, thank you for the sacrifices you made for the freedom we enjoy. May God help us all use that freedom well for His Kingdom and glory!

This particular day is rooted in the solemn remembrance of the end of World War I. The horrors of “The Great War” were believed to be so terrible there would never be another war. Unfortunately, there have been many since 1918 and millions more have answered the call and put on the uniform to serve. Today, war rages once more in Europe, tension is rising in Asia, and the world feels more dangerous than it has in decades. Let us pray earnestly for peace and seek God’s protection for all who are currently serving.

Jesus demonstrated that it’s better to serve than to be served. He taught us that genuine love looks like sacrificial service. He revealed that true greatness looks like humility. May we all learn these lessons well. Not all are called or able to serve in uniform, but all are called to serve. Serve the Lord. Serve His Kingdom. Serve your country and community. Serve your neighbors. Serve your brothers and sisters in Christ. Be a servant to all, just as your Savior was.

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” – Matthew 6:3-4

God always knows our thoughts and feelings. He always knows why we do things, even the things that look and sound the best in the opinion of the world. God understands our motives better than we do. What we think we’re doing for good and righteous reasons isn’t always as selfless and holy as we imagine. This is why Jesus repeatedly urges us to practice our good deeds and acts of righteousness privately, refusing to draw attention to ourselves.

God always knows what and why we do, so we don’t need to worry about Him missing anything we’ve done. By keeping our good deeds quiet, we protect ourselves from doing them for the wrong reasons. It’s very easy to start doing good things to earn applause, respect, a pat on the back, or a name on a plaque. Are we truly doing those things for others? For God’s glory? Or for our glory? It can be hard for us to judge but God always knows.

Cultivate a love of doing secret good deeds for God’s glory. Find joy in quiet gifts and sacrificial generosity to the poor and to the advancement of God’s Kingdom. Develop a love for quiet prayer in your home and car. Grow your love for helping people when nobody else knows or notices. Come to love spiritual disciplines you seldom mention to others. Find your satisfaction in good things that will never be known or spoken of. Teach yourself to do these good things solely for God’s pleasure and the joy of King Jesus.

“But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” – Matthew 5:39

Are you ready, willing, and able to do this? Seriously. Jesus does it toward you. Each of us figuratively slaps Jesus on the cheek every time we sin. Every time… Sin is always rebellion against Christ’s authority. It’s always defiance against His Lordship over our lives. It’s always a rejection of His right to rule despite being the Sustainer of the universe and its Redeemer.

Each of us has slapped Jesus countless times. And yet, He continues to offer us Himself, His grace, and His forgiveness. Because of your sin and the sin of every other person, Jesus submitted to the cross. But first, He was betrayed by a friend, arrested, slapped, spit on, mocked, condemned by a mob, struck on the head, crowned with thorns, and brutally whipped. Only then did He carry His heavy instrument of death to His place of execution. Then He was nailed to that cross He carried and lifted up to die a slow and agonizing death.

Make no mistake, Jesus has already turned His cheek for your sake over and over. He commands you to do the same. As a follower of Jesus, you’re called to not just like Him and worship Him on Sundays. You’re called to be like Him – in thoughts, words, and deeds. Seriously. Jesus is asking you to turn your cheek toward those who’ve struck you, insulted you, or persecuted you just as He does for you. He’s asking you to submit to persecution and injustice, just like He did. He’s commanding you to live in peace when every bit of your being cries out for violence. Will you follow Jesus today?