JANUARY 30 | LUKE 5:27-32

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DAILY READING

Luke 5:27-32

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REFLECTION

Is There A Doctor In The House?

by Judy Webb

"Jesus answered them, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:31-32

This was Jesus' response to the religious know-it-all's when they asked the disciples why Jesus ate with scum. I have been chewing on this response for a few days, and all I can say is "thank goodness he did." Otherwise, where would you and I be now? I struggled for years with low self-esteem, and I never felt worthy of any attention at all. But when I turned to read from a Bible one day, I realized just how broken and sick I was and in great need of a doctor...a Great Healer.

Jesus has been in the healing business all my life. First He provided a grandmother and grandfather who came alongside and often healed my broken spirit. They always listened to me and encouraged me as I grew up. They were a healing salve to my bruised heart.

Then, later in life, Jesus provided 5 different women at 5 different stages of my life, to speak words I needed to hear. Words of kindness, friendship, and positive reinforcement. They didn't know what my life had been like or was at that moment, but they had faith and a love for Jesus, which they shared.

One day, I realized just how valuable they were to me. I recognized Jesus had sent these precious friends into my life for healing and they were just the medicine the doctor ordered. They didn’t act as bandages for a small cut, but as life support to one who was gasping for breath.

These care-givers modeled for me a life I wanted to pursue. How about you? Do you feel a call to help a friend in pain? Do you long to provide a transfusion that will bring health to hearts and spirits? Make an introduction to the One Who Heals All Things. That is why he came here: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Tell them the story of how God brought you back to life. Who knows, maybe your testimony is just the medicine they need to heal and breathe again.

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PRAYER

Dear Lord,

There is so much pain and hurt in the world. Show us how to help others find the cure they need. Some days just coming alongside a friend is just what the doctor ordered.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JUDY WEBB

I have been a member of UALC for 26 years and have been writing devotions for this site for about 17 of them. Writing is my passion. As retired staff I still love everything about UALC and its members including my small group.

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January 29 | Matthew 9:1-8

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DAILY READING

Matthew 9:1-8

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REFLECTION

First We Are Forgiven

By Jennifer Jerrome

Today’s scripture is titled “Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man.” It’s a narrative that can be found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and all recount how Jesus first forgave the man’s sins and then healed him.

Which begs the question, “When our sins are forgiven, are we healed?”

Yes! Maybe not in such a dramatic fashion as picking up our mats and walking away after years of immobility, but still remarkable.

This wasn’t Jesus’ first miracle, but there was something different about it. When Jesus saw the paralyzed man, He said to him, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven” (v. 2).

He called the man, son and just four verses later He refers to himself as the Son of Man.

But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins (v. 6).

There is a connection between the man and Jesus, they are both sons, emphasizing Jesus’s connection with humanity while also retaining his Father’s authority to forgive sins.

Jesus is both human and divine. He is the Messiah in the body of a man.

God knew that in order to truly connect with his people, he needed to become one of them. He needed to take on flesh. And though Jesus is human, he is also divine with the power to do things no one else can do.

The Jewish leaders knew that only God had the authority to forgive sins so when a man said, “Your sins are forgiven,” they thought surely this must be a lie. No one can do this but God Himself. How could this man BE God? Could this man be God?

It’s interesting to note that while both Matthew and Mark write that Jesus addressed the paralyzed man as “Son;” in Luke’s gospel he says, Friend, your sins are forgiven. This highlights the special connection Jesus felt towards this man and in fact all men and women.

Humanity needs the divine. When we are forgiven, the darkest parts of us are healed.

PRAYER

Thank you, Jesus, for forgiving our sins and healing us – body, mind and spirit. May we all pick up our mats and walk away, knowing we are made whole by your love. Amen 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JENNIFER JERROME

I have known I was a child of God from the beginning. I was baptized and raised in the Catholic church and began attending UALC about 18 years ago when my husband I were searching for a place to worship and serve as a family. UALC has helped shape our faith over the years. We have been through several seasons of life and the constant has been our faith and family.

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January 28 | Luke 5:17-26

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DAILY READING

Luke 5:17-26

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REFLECTION

Who Is This Guy?

By Pam Mann

What an uproar Jesus is causing throughout the countryside! He is such a masterful teacher that teachers of the law can’t keep away. Sure, they resent the authority with which Jesus teaches but they keep coming to hear him. Who is this guy anyway? They must wonder.

Then, there’s the fact that the power of God is upon Jesus to heal the sick. Of course, every diseased or disabled person wants to find Jesus. Who is this guy? Can he heal even me? They wonder.

Jesus is such a phenomenon that he needs a stadium, not an ordinary house, to receive all the folks who want to know who He is. The house is packed to overflowing when the men arrive carrying their paralyzed friend on his mat. It’s likely that they also wonder: Who is this guy?  But they’ve come this far. They’re not going home without meeting the man face-to-face and learning firsthand if all the stories of miraculous healings are true. Well, if you can’t get through the crowd, you go up and over them. Worry about the busted-up roof later.

The homeowner doesn’t even stop them. When the paralytic gets lowered down in front of Jesus, he doesn’t reprimand them for the property damage. Instead, Jesus jumps to this most important issue for every soul in the house. He says: “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Hmm... is forgiveness what the fatigued friends of the paralytic were seeking? Imagine their puzzled looks while the Pharisees and teachers of the law are muttering to each other. The teachers wonder: Who is this guy who thinks he can forgive sins? Only God can forgive sin!

Jesus says to the grumblers: I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

Now is the moment for all present to learn who is this guy? Who Jesus is? He says to the paralyzed man: Get up and walk. The man rises, takes his mat, and walks home!

Who is this guy? He is the One who has all authority and power. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Who is this guy? He is the true God who can forgive sin.

Who is this guy? He is the healer of body and soul. He is the Messiah, the long-awaited One, in whom the fullness of God dwells.

Don’t hang back. Dismantle anything that keeps you from the presence of Jesus. Ignore the naysayers and head straight to Jesus. Heed His command to stand and walk. Be amazed.

PRAYER

Praise to You, Jesus! You are the lover of our souls, the healer of our bodies, the sacrifice for our sin, and the power source for our walk in You. We know who You are, and we want to know You deeper.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAM MANN

I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.

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