Daily Devotional For Saturday, August 16, 2025
Good morning Southside! It’s Saturday and the weekend is here for you to rest and relax. We live in a world where sickness, death, anxiety, worries and fears are as common as “no see-ums” are in Wilmington. When Jesus was here, He took the time to heal lepers, people who were blind, deaf, and crippled. Jesus also cast out demons and even raised people back from the dead. It is clear that Jesus loved people and hated what sin and this fallen world did to them. Look at Matthew 15:30-31:
“And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them. (31) So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel” (NASB).
Pastor Alan Jackson says this, "I have visited many sick people over the years. I pray for them and try to encourage them, but I can’t heal them. Sometimes people are restored to health; sometimes they aren’t. Today people are experiencing great psychological and emotional troubles. Anxiety, depression, fear, and loneliness have been part of the human condition since that first sin in Genesis 3. But the restrictions and isolation of recent years triggered a widespread malaise that many people of all ages are still feeling. I can’t offer professional medical advice, and on my best day I can’t heal a gnat’s wing. But I do know that God loves us and is faithful to accomplish His purposes in our lives. Skepticism about what He does and why is not helpful." This is why we need to trust God's word in Isaiah 55:8-9:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. (9) “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (NASB).
So, what should we do? We continue to trust God when life turns against us. We should continue to pray for the healing of all people with whatever is affecting them. Many times we have to learn to live with the mystery. We can't see the future, but God can. He orchestrates situations, circumstances and people to His will. There is coming a day when God will right every wrong and maybe let us see there what we could not see here. That gap is called faith and what Matthew writes here possibly would have reminded his readers of the words of the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 35:5-6:
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; (6) then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert” (ESV).
Matthew is clear that Jesus healed everyone in this story he gives us. Matthew was showing his Jewish readers that Gentiles would share in the blessings of the Messiah. How do we know this? In Matthew 15:31, the phrase “. . . and they glorified the God of Israel” is a Jewish way of referring to non-Jews. Other Gentiles had already received Jesus’ healing touch. One was a centurion in Matthew 8:13. Other Gentiles such as the demon-possessed men in that region in Matthew 8:33. This story by Matthew is very similar to a story in Mark’s Gospel in Mark 1:32-34. Jesus loved people but He hated the consequences of sin.
Matthew describes that “large crowds” came to Jesus. This probably means there were multiple separate large masses of people that came around Jesus for healing from different regions and cities. Word had spread fast. What is amazing to me is Jesus’ reaction. He could have sent His disciples to these approaching masses of people to tell them, “We are so sorry. Our Master is tired and is resting. Maybe some other time when we come through here. You’ll need to go home.” Nor did Jesus act unreachable when the people arrived. Jesus did not use His disciples as bodyguards or bouncers. Jesus never acted like some superstar that could only be reached through His agent.
Jesus showed compassion on people because that was and is His nature. This is an awesome scene. It is a joyful scene. The blind saw. The deaf heard. The lame walked. The mute spoke. The demon-possessed were freed. They start celebrating and giving glory to God. Why? The glory of God is the fruit of compassion. Matthew’s point is that many from all races and nationalities will recline at the table of our Lord. Look at Matthew 8:11. This is Paul’s point also in Romans 1:16.
Up to this point, Matthew has shown how the people of Israel and their religious leaders would not respond positively to these gold star invitations by Jesus. Instead, they made excuses and they rejected Him. Here, to the shock of Matthew’s Jewish readers, it is the Gentiles who responded in masses. Jesus does something here that would be shocking to the Jews of His day, including His own disciples. We see this in the verses preceding Matthew 15:30-31. The Apostle Paul talks about this in Galatians 3:28. Since the Jews were rejecting Jesus, Jesus goes to the Gentiles or Gentileville so to speak. Let me show it to you:
In case this Gentile inclusion idea isn’t plain to you, let me show it to you in the verses before us. First, we have verse 21: “And Jesus went away from there [Gennesaret] and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.” Why would Jesus walk from Gennesaret to Tyre and then from Tyre up to Sidon? It is thirty-five miles from Gennesaret to Tyre and twenty-five miles from Tyre to Sidon. That’s a long way to walk. Why walk? And why walk there? The distance is not as shocking as the destination itself. Tyre and Sidon?
That’s Gentile territory. What’s Jesus doing out there and up there? One New Testament scholar asks this question: “Why is Jesus leaving the promised land for “paganland”? (Source: Frederick Dale Brunner, The Churchbook: Matthew 13-28, p. 97). What is the Son of Abraham/the Son of David (the Jewish Messiah) doing there? New Testament scholar Craig Blomberg summarizes the move perfectly: “Jesus has obviously withdrawn from Israel ideologically in Matthew 15:1-20; now he … withdraws geographically” (Source: Craig L. Bloomberg, New American Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 242).
I really like how New Testament scholar D.S. O’Donnell summarizes this passage this way: “Jesus is on a short-term mission trip. He is showing the Great Commission before He commands it (Source: D.S. O’Donnell, Preach The Word Bible Commentary, “Matthew: All Authority In Heaven And On Earth, p. 428).
In Matthew 15:22 Matthew refers to a Canaanite woman coming to Jesus. Remember them? They were the enemies of the Hebrews in the Promised Land. These were the bad guys and gals. These were the enemies and archenemies of Israel. These are the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Egyptians and the Canaanites. What is interesting is this: Matthew’ point in Matthew 15 is that Jesus, who did come out of Egypt as a young toddler, is now bringing Israel’s enemies out of spiritual exile.
Assignment: Jesus showered compassion on the enemies of Israel. Who would you say is your enemy? Do you shower compassion on them or do you cut them down to others, gossip about them, rehearse over and over in your mind the reasons justifying your lack of compassion to them? Today, confess this sin to the Lord and find ways to show them compassion for the “glory of God” (Matthew 15:31).
Scripture To Meditate On: Colossians 3:12, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, I pray for ______________ who is experiencing tragedy in their lives. Father, I want you to bless people who have hurt me. You are a God of miracles and I leave the mystery to You. Thank You for all You have blessed me with in this life. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly