Tagged: message of the day
“How blest are…” –Matthew 5:3 When Jesus gathered His disciples around Him and began to teach them the Beatitudes, what were His disciples expecting? Jesus had called these men to join His kingdom (see Mt 4:22ff). He took them on tour with Him where they saw His amazing power to heal the masses and bring deliverance from the evil one (see Mt 4:23-24). The disciples saw Jesus’ popularity and ability to draw great crowds (see Mt 4:25). When Jesus took them up the mountainside, they possibly anticipated becoming VIPs in His kingdom. They may have expected power, prestige, and money....
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“I am certain that his eyes will be opened. Smear the fish gall on them. This medicine will make the cataracts shrink and peel off from his eyes.” –Tobit 11:7-8 Tobiah healed his father of blindness by applying fish gall to his eyes and peeling off the cataracts (Tb 11:12-13). Hezekiah was healed of a terminal illness when Isaiah applied a poultice of figs (Is 38:21). Paul gave Timothy medical advice to take some wine for a stomach ailment (1 Tm 5:23). The Bible approves of medicine (Wis 1:14) and commands us to hold the physician in honor (Sir 38:1)....
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“It is better for me to die.” –Tobit 3:6 Tobit was blind, upset with his wife, out of a job, financially strapped, and misunderstood. He seemed to be a burden on his wife, son, and everybody else. Tobit thought the best thing for everybody’s sake was for him to die. Sarah had seen her seven husbands killed by a demon on seven wedding nights (Tb 3:8). Sarah was obviously an embarrassment and grief to her parents (see Tb 8:9-10). She was making life miserable for her maids (Tb 3:9). Sarah felt that if she died, it would be a relief...
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“I became very angry with her over this.” –Tobit 2:14 Tobit became blind and disabled (Tb 2:10). In those days, there was no provision for Tobit to be employed, so his wife Anna took a job as a weaver (Tb 2:11). This put a strain on their marriage. Finally, they had a big fight (Tb 2:13-14). Tobit became so depressed he prayed to die (Tb 3:6). Although some of our expectations for husbands and wives are mere cultural biases, some aspects of marriage are established by God’s design. Therefore, before we exchange male and female roles, we must take care...
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“Blest is she who trusted.” –Luke 1:45 Once on this feast day, I taught a Bible Study for the clients at a pregnancy center in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Cincinnati. Before a client can receive a distribution of material items from the center, he or she is required to attend a Bible Study, where the spiritual distribution of faith and encouragement occurs. We studied the differences between Mary’s reaction (Lk 1:34) to the annunciation of Jesus’ conception and birth as compared to Zechariah’s reaction (Lk 1:18) to the annunciation of St. John the Baptist’s conception and birth. Though...
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