Our Place in Heaven ***

S: Matthew 8: 1 – 22

O. After the teaching on the mountain, Jesus is met by many people, sickened and diseased. Jesus heals them, and continues to teach his disciples.

A. Jesus makes a point to tell one man he had healed of leprosy to not tell anyone how he was healed. He even tells him to do as “required by the law of Moses”. We shouldn’t proclaim the good that we do, and when we do good acts, we should do so without doing wrong.

The story of the soldier is particularly curious. The soldier is asking for his servant to be healed, but is unwilling or unable to bring Jesus to him to do so directly. Yet, the soldier believes absolutely that Jesus will heal him, even without that direct contact.

Jesus remarks to his disciples after this healing on how extraordinary this level of faith truly was. He then teaches that even though heaven was created for the people of Israel, many of the Israelites will be cast into the darkness as opposed to being allowed into heaven. However, others that are not from Israel will be allowed into heaven. It is open to anyone and our ancestry is not the key. Our level of faith forged through our direct relationship with God and the Universe is the key.

This next statement by Jesus is very intriguing.

“Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to even lay his head.”

I think this is saying that heaven is with us right now, we do not need a place to lay our head as our place is secure.  Our home is our deep relationship with God and the Universe. This relationship is all we need.

This day’s scripture ends with the following.

“Another of his disciples said, ‘Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.’
But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.’”

What matters is what we do now. We honor the dead by continuing on the path, not by the ceremony of burial. Ceremony is empty of any good. We must leave behind everything and begin anew today.

P. May I take the steps to forge a relationship with God and the Universe.