And Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John
what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame
walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor
have the good news proclaimed to them.” Luke 7:22
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One of the greatest ways that
the transforming power of the Gospel is proclaimed is through the works
accomplished by our Lord. In this Gospel passage, Jesus points to the
works He has done to answer a question about His identity. The disciples
of John the Baptist came to ask Him if He was the coming Messiah. And
Jesus responds by pointing to the fact that lives have been changed. The
blind, lame, lepers, deaf and dead all received miracles of God’s
grace. And these miracles were done for all to see.
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Though the physical miracles
of Jesus would have been awe-inspiring in every way, we should not see
these miracles as actions that were done once, long ago, and that no
longer happen. The truth is that there are many ways that these same
transforming actions continue to take place today.
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How is this the case? Start
with your own life. How have you been changed by the transforming power
of Christ? How has He opened your eyes and ears to see and hear Him? How
has He lifted your burdens and spiritual ills? How has He brought you
from the death of despair to the new life of hope? Has He done this in
your life?
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We all need the saving power
of God in our lives. And when God acts on us, changes us, heals us and
transforms us, it must be seen first as an act from our Lord to us. But
secondly, we must also see every action of Christ in our lives as
something that God wants to be shared with others. The transformation of
our lives must become an ongoing testament to the power of God and the
power of the Gospel. Others need to see how God has changed us, and we
must seek to humbly be an open book of God’s power.
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Reflect, today, upon this
Gospel scene. Imagine that these disciples of John are actually the many
people you encounter every day. See them coming to you, desiring to
know if the God you love and serve is the God whom they should follow.
How will you respond? How can you give testimony to Christ Jesus? See it
as your duty to be an open book by which the transforming power of the
Gospel is shared by God through you.
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Lord, I thank You for the
countless ways in which You have changed my life, healing me of my
spiritual illnesses, opening my eyes and ears to Your truth, and raising
my soul from death to life. Use me, dear Lord, as a witness to Your
transforming power. Help me to give testimony to You and Your perfect
love so that others will come to know You through the way You have
touched my life. Jesus, I trust in You. | |
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