Scripture reading
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
–Matthew 11:4-5
Thought of the Day
Philip Yancey is an author that I like. His book, “The Jesus I Never Knew” is one of my favorites. In it, Mr. Yancey helps the reader explore who Jesus the Christ really is and what His teachings really mean to us as believers. In one of his early chapters, he writes about those who doubt who Jesus really was. Our scripture today is when John the Baptist while in jail, wondered if Jesus was truly the Messiah. When Jesus heard about these doubts, He sent these words back to John through his disciples. Mr. Yancey included this paraphrase by Frederick Buechner of this passage;
“You go tell John what you’ve seen around here. Tell him there are people who have sold their seeing-eye dogs and taken up bird watching. Tell him there are people who’ve traded in aluminum walkers for hiking boots. Tell him the down and out have turned into the up and coming and a lot of dead beats are living it up for the first time in their lives.”
I like this paraphrase. It helps me understand how Jesus turns lives upside down and right side up. It helps me know how Jesus transforms people in amazing ways. It helps me remember how He changed my life a long time ago and continues to change me each and every day.
Prayer
Prayer
Lord, You change people but You never change. Your love is constant and good. Amen.