Matthew 1:1-16 – Luke 17:19
In the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chap., the following women are recorded:
1. Tamar.
Wife of Er and later of Onan sons of Judah. Onán, out of selfishness, did not want to comply with the levirate law, (Dt.25: 5-10), and God took her life from her.
When she saw that the third son of Judah, named Zela, had grown up and Judah would not give him as a husband, she, pretending to be a harlot, had relations with her father-in-law and had two twins, Perez and Zara. Perez appears in the genealogy of Jesus.
2. Rahab. = Wide. Jericho prostitute. she collaborated with Joshua’s soldiers to preserve their lives. She marries Salmon.
3. Ruth. Moabite, gentile worshiper of pagan gods. She marries Boaz.
4. Bathsheba. Wife of General Uriah of David, she was a Hittite, who devoted herself to magic and the occult. She adulterated with David.
Women wounded for their lives.
1. Tamar. Mocked, discarded by her relatives.
To affirm his offspring he had sexual intercourse with his father-in-law Judah.
2. Rahab. Segregated and offended.
She lived from religious prostitution.
3. Ruth. Displaced, second class.
Moabite, of gentile condition and with influences of other gods.
4. Bathsheba. Ashamed and victim.
He fell under the passionate influence of David the king.
As God is interested in all of them, who living with SPIRITUAL LEPROSY, chooses them to be the holy offspring of Jesus Christ.
healing from leprosy
Jesus heals the 10 lepers.
In Nazareth (between Samaria and Galilee).
1. “And as he entered a village, 10 men with leprosy met him.” v.12
Leprosy. Ulcers that gradually dissolve the skin.
Painful, smelly, shameful sin. That little by little is dissolving the soul. Fiend.
It was considered a contagious and incurable disease (Chirimacha).
But sin is contagious and incurable under human effort.
Sickness sent by God for a sin committed.
a. Mary the sister of Moses.
For having criticized his brother for marrying the Cushite woman and for being zealous for the ministry. Numbers 12:19 – 12:1-2
b. To Gehazi.
For coveting Naaman’s gifts that he wanted to give to his master Elisha. 2R.7:27
c. To King Uzziah.
For offering incense in the tabernacle. Minister without being a priest. 2Chr.26:16-19
Criticism and Zeal
Greed.
Minister without being a priest.
3. God sends leprosy in the soul, no one sees it but the sinner feels it.
4. Every person with leprosy was expelled from the city
Forced to dwell outside the limits.
Leprosy excludes man from society, from the church, from God.
II. The Distance: ¨Which stood at a distance¨. v.12
A. According to the law, all lepers had to stand 150 feet (50 meters) from people.
Sin prevents communication between people.
B. They wore brightly colored clothing, and a bell around their necks.
The sinner is always recognized.
III. The prayer: And they raised their voice saying: Jesus, teacher, have mercy on us¨. v.13
They raised their voices to be heard.
Prayers must be related to our needs.
If we have great needs, let us pray intensely.
AN ACT OF MERCY WAS THE ONLY THING THEY EXPECTED.
Sin does not need our support or understanding, what it needs is GOD’S MERCY.
They said: ¨Have mercy on us¨.
Misfortune had brought them together.
Misfortune unites the unfortunate, but if they do not address God it is calamitous.
IV. Christ’s answer: ¨When he saw them¨. v.14
Jesus not only heard the cry, but also “saw” the condition of their lives.
You go to the priests.
He did not pray, he did not touch them, he did not anoint them with oil, nor did he rebuke leprosy.
2. FORGIVENERS (does not know about resentment, revenge, malice, corruption, bitterness) 3. FAITH (they depend on their parents) 4. TEACHABLE (they learn everything, the old do not because they say they know everything) 5. MINDS OF CHILDREN ( Who do you want to be the rich man or Lazarus?) 6. HEART OF CHILDREN (innocence, love) Do not be children in judgment. Be babes in wickedness, but mature men in judgment” 1 Cor.14:20
– Simplicity, which is transparent candor, total absence of duplicity, all complications and ulterior motives.
– Sincerity, which is openness and spontaneity: the child says what he feels and feels what he says, he does not falsify things nor does he know about protocols or diplomacy.
– Confidence in older people, especially in their parents, who are easily abandoned and whom they trust without calculation
– Astonishment and curiosity, since everything overwhelms and admires him, everything for him is ‘new’; that’s why he never gets bored
– Availability, because it is open to everything, without conditions and without reservations
– The filial sense, which seizes his whole life and which is transformed into awareness of being loved, protected,
Helped and lovingly dependent on his parents, knowing that he absolutely needs them and that he is more ‘secure’ in them than in himself.
HOW TO BE LIKE CHILDREN?
a. born again b. Living under the divine covering c. Allow the Holy Spirit to take control of us.
Matthew 19:13-14 – Then some children were brought to him so that he could lay his hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said to them: ‘Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them. For to such as these belongs the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 18:15-17 – They also brought the little children to him so that he could touch them, and when the disciples saw it, they scolded them. But Jesus called the children, saying: ‘Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child will not be in it.
Mark 10:13-16 – Children were brought to him so that he could touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus, seeing this, became angry and said to them: ‘Let the children come to me, do not prevent them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child will never enter it.’ And he hugged the children, and blessed them by laying his hands on them
Psalms 8:2 – From the mouth of babes and sucklings you founded strength, because of enemies. To silence the enemy and the vengeful.
1 Peter 2:2 – Crave spiritual milk like newborn babes.
C. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
In the Greek language of the New Testament there are two words that are translated “repent,” and each of these words teaches us something about its true meaning:
“epistrefo” = “to return, to turn around”.
Here we can imagine a person who is walking towards an abyss. He is advancing on the path of evil, and he is headed for perdition.
metanoeo” = “change the mind”.
The repentant sinner will change not only his way of acting, but also his way of thinking. Instead of loving sin, he is now going to hate it.
TRUE REPENTANCE REQUIRES A CHANGE OF MIND:
A. Concerning the Nature of Sin
B. Concerning the nature of sin and its relation to God.
C. Regarding the consequences of sin
III. CONCLUSION
A. Don’t make the decision to follow Christ out of emotion
B. Do not run to look for miracles, run to the arms of those who do them
C. Remember that everything we have is by grace
D. Repent from the heart make your decision for Christ
Source: www.centraldesermones.com