The Active Christ

Matthew 4:23-25

My Lord Jesus Christ,

You are ever active and acting.  Your earthly ministry started with action.  You turned the water into wine at a wedding feast.  Your actions confessed that You believe in marriage!  You proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom to growing audiences.  You healed the sick from various diseases.  You cured pain.  You cast out demons.  You healed epileptics.  You gave strength to the paralyzed.  Your youthful vigor, enthusiasm, passion, love, and mercy flowed from you with dynamic energy and action.

William Barclay captures your actions like this.  You “came proclaiming the gospel... to defeat men’s ignorance.”  You “came teaching in the synagogues... to defeat man’s misunderstandings.”  And you “came healing all those who had need of healing... to defeat man’s pain” (Barclay on the Gospel According to Matthew, vol. 1, p. 77).

Ignorance, misunderstanding, and pain. I can certainly provide You with all three, wrapped up in the simple package of my life.

I know ignorance.  There is so much I do not know about You, about life, death, and what happens to me after I die.  I am ignorant about the big questions that matter.  I believe what You teach me in Your Word, but confess my ignorance to You.

I am filled with misunderstanding.  Not only do I misunderstand You, Your messages to me, even Your written Word recorded in sacred scripture, but also I struggle to understand others.  Conflict arises from misunderstandings in my life and relationships with others.  Misunderstandings between good people crop up in my family relationships, my workplace, my neighborhood, and even at church.

I know pain.  Disease and illness, life-threatening and fleeting plague my experience.  My friends are struggling with pain, injury, sickness, and death.  Every time we share prayer concerns, physical issues top the list.  We live with pain.

Your teaching, preaching, and healing are aimed at addressing the very real issues with which I grapple in my life.  You came to earth as the Son of God made flesh–completely God and completely human.  You empathize with my life.  You understand.  And You act!  Thank you.

I want to be like You.  I want to be active and acting for You and for Your glory.

In the Name of my very active Lord Jesus Christ,
Amen.