Good morning! This parable is a great example of faith. While it is a little longer than I usually post, enjoy the depth of the word. Have a wonderful day. 

BIBLE VERSE – Matthew 8:5-13 NLT

“5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.”  And the young servant was healed that same hour.” 

REFLECTION

This is the second miracle that Jesus performed in the book of Matthew.

These verses are interesting because they give us insight on the faith of the Roman officer, the faith of Gentiles (from all over the world regardless of race and color) who would become believers, and in contrast the rejection of Jesus by many Israelites – the people who walked with God for years. 

God constantly showed himself faithful to the Israelites – he rescued and provided for them, and promised them the Messiah whom many Israelites rejected. Yet, those whose eyes were open saw and believed in Jesus Christ. Sadly, those (Israelites) who failed to listen still felt entitled to the Kingdom of God, but they denied Jesus will not make it into the Kingdom.

However, the beauty in this passage is that the officer knew there was authority and healing in Jesus, and he stepped out in faith and asked Jesus to heal his servant – and Jesus healed him.

Questions to Ponder

Can the Lord see faith like this in us? _________

Will our faith amaze our Lord and Savior? ______

Luke 17:6 says,  The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!

Today, will you ask the Lord to increase your faith? _______

PRAYER

Father God, you are good. We thank you for your faithfulness toward us. We thank you for rescuing and saving us. Lord, we thank you for never giving up on us. Lord, thank you for pursuing our hearts. Thank you for giving us a peace of mind and the eyes to see you at work in our lives. You are more than enough. Your ways out number our thoughts. Lord, let our faith in you remain constant. Help us to trust and believe your word more. Lord, we pray for the woman in the hospital bed and we ask for her to be healed. We pray for the mother who is mourning the loss of her son and ask for you to comfort her. We pray for the homes that are in chaos and we ask that you bring forth peace in their homes. Lord, we lift up every prayer that is on the hearts of readers today and we ask that you answer their prayers. In Jesus name, amen. 

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PRAYER REQUEST
Do you have a prayer request? We would love to pray for you. Send your prayer request to: contactus@maryewhiteministries.com

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SAVE THE DATE – For Our Next Women’s Retreat 

Saturday, July 19, 2025 we will host our next Women’s Retreat. Our theme for the retreat is taken from Ephesians 6:10-17.

Our Theme is: She is Armed & Dangerous  – “Take the helmet of salvation & the sword of the spirit.”

Thanks to our faithful donors, the retreat will be in-person and limited virtual participation. Stay tuned for more updates. We have 75 seats available. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

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We Are Looking For Volunteers

Sisters, we are looking for volunteers for our upcoming events and also to fill an open Board position. Our next volunteer meeting is on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. via Zoom.

If you would like to join us or get more information, please send an email to: contactus@maryewhiteministries.com

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Bible Reference: http://biblegateway.com

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