Double Duty

Today’s Verse:

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour…. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. ~Matthew 9:22, 25

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Matthew 9 is an incredible chapter about faith and the power of our Lord. There are six recorded incidents faith being exercised in Christ. Two of these unrelated incidents happened within minutes of each other. One involved the young daughter of a ruler of the synagogue who had died, and the other was a single woman whose health was deteriorating and there was nothing any doctor could do for her. We see Jesus doing double duty. Double duty is when someone does the work of two people. Let us see the lessons found in double duty.

We see the burdens.

First, there is the distraught ruler whose daughter had died from an illness. His heart was heavy for his daughter’s life to be restored. He came without delay in asking Jesus to come to his house to lay His hand on her and give her life. Second, there was a woman who had suffered for 12 years from a hemorrhaging problem. Her health was declining, and under Jewish law, she was unclean to participate in ceremonial worship. Both people did not know each other, but both heard that Jesus was coming their way. They came to Jesus with their burdens. They came to Jesus with the anticipation that He would give attention to their respective problem immediately. Whatever your burden, the Lord is never too busy for you.

We see the belief.

The woman with the issue of blood said, “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” She believed that Jesus could heal her of her disease. She believed that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be whole. Our Lord is touched with feelings of our infirmities. The ruler had faith that if Jesus would go to his house and touch his daughter, her life would be restored. Neither of these people had met Jesus before. Neither of them knew the other. However, both believed that one touch could change their lives. Their paths crossed unexpectedly. They came in faith for their respective problem to be resolved. The power of faith believes that God is able and willing to deal with our problem, even though He is dealing with other problems at the same time.

We see the blessing.

Jesus told the woman, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” She was made whole that very hour. She was happy that she had stepped out in faith to touch Him. Then, Jesus continued to the home of the ruler. The ruler might have felt anxious as Jesus stopped to acknowledge the faith of the woman. However, he might have also felt encouraged when he saw how Jesus ministered to her. After He arrived and asked all the people to leave the house, Jesus went inside with three of the disciples and the parents, touched the daughter by the hand, and raised her up. Two lives were restored within minutes of each other. Two lives experienced the power of Christ. Two lives were blessed because of our Lord’s double duty.

We see the business.

First, we must have faith in the Lord’s ability to work exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. Second, we should be unafraid to multi-task the Lord’s work. We can always do more and trust God to use us more. Third, the mind of Christ seeks to serve many people at one time without complaint or murmuring. Be a double-duty Christian!

Have a zealous God Morning!

Bible Reading Schedule: Psalms 106-107

#Christ #Faith #Matthew #Power