JESUS IS WILLING

July 17, 2022

When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:1-3

STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND. God has called us to reach both the large crowds and the isolated individuals. At the time Jesus was on earth, lepers were considered untouchables; yet Jesus crossed that divide and put His hand on this man who was suffering. Jesus’ response to the leper’s request resounds across time: “I am willing.” To those isolated today, to those who feel like rejects, to those hiding their problems—call out to Jesus. He is willing.

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him . . . saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Matthew 8:5-8

SAY THE WORD. The Word is not religious routine. It’s exactly what you need. Just like the centurion recognized Jesus’ authority and just said “say the word,” we are called to speak the Word over the circumstances of our lives. If you are going through a season of discouragement, keep going until you make it through.

GREAT FAITH. Faith came to the centurion because he saw Jesus in action and recognized His authority to change things (Matthew 8:5-10)—that’s what we need to provide for our generation. We are called to be a breed of people who show Jesus as He is, willing to stretch out His hand to the untouchables, willing to heal, willing to save.

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff

PRAY THIS PRAYER:
I thank You, Jesus, that You came to give life and give it abundantly (John 10:10). When You show up, things change. You go around doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). Thank You for showing up in my situation and turning things around. Use me to shape history and change the generations with the power of the Gospel. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

will·ing, adj.
Inclined or favorably disposed in mind: ready. Prompt to act or respond. Done by choice or without reluctance.

Copyright © 2022 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “Willing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/willing. Accessed 13 Jul. 2022.