The Word This Week
Father’s Day 2024…
There was quite a contrast between what was going on outside Simon’s house to what is going on inside.
Outside, the religious leaders were plotting how they might put Jesus to death in some kind of stealthy manner. They wanted to kill Him in such a way as to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. If trickery could be employed in order to bring this result, good. If they could kill Jesus without appearing to be directly involved, so much the better.
The religious environment at this time was one of death and destruction.
Meanwhile, inside the house of Simon the leper, there was an environment of worship.
We don’t know much about Simon except he is referred to as ‘the leper.’ That would have been a very detrimental nickname to carry in their day. Leprosy was a seriously debilitating disease for which there was no cure. No one would dare be in the presence in the presence of a leper who was not also a leper, since leprosy was so contagious. Lepers were required by law to keep themselves away from the general population.
Yet here we find Jesus in this one’s house whose very name is ‘Simon the leper.’ Why?
Simon has been healed. We don’t know for sure, but Simon may have been the leper Jesus healed in Matthew 8:1-5. Since leprosy in the Bible is a type of sin, and leprosy was incurable, for Jesus to heal Simon was incredible. It was certain proof of Jesus’ power not only to heal physically, but also to heal us from our sin.
Have you been healed from your sin?
The most notable thing about Simon in this case is Jesus is present in his house. But more than that Simon’s home is an environment where true worship can take place.
Of all things a father who has been healed of sin should foster in his home is to make certain it is a place Jesus is welcome at all times and that it is an environment where Jesus is worshiped in Spirit and in truth.
With everything going on outside our homes these days, it is up to us as fathers to make certain the environment inside our homes is as unlike as possible from all that is presently going on outside.
Pastor Bill
There was quite a contrast between what was going on outside Simon’s house to what is going on inside.
Outside, the religious leaders were plotting how they might put Jesus to death in some kind of stealthy manner. They wanted to kill Him in such a way as to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. If trickery could be employed in order to bring this result, good. If they could kill Jesus without appearing to be directly involved, so much the better.
The religious environment at this time was one of death and destruction.
Meanwhile, inside the house of Simon the leper, there was an environment of worship.
We don’t know much about Simon except he is referred to as ‘the leper.’ That would have been a very detrimental nickname to carry in their day. Leprosy was a seriously debilitating disease for which there was no cure. No one would dare be in the presence in the presence of a leper who was not also a leper, since leprosy was so contagious. Lepers were required by law to keep themselves away from the general population.
Yet here we find Jesus in this one’s house whose very name is ‘Simon the leper.’ Why?
Simon has been healed. We don’t know for sure, but Simon may have been the leper Jesus healed in Matthew 8:1-5. Since leprosy in the Bible is a type of sin, and leprosy was incurable, for Jesus to heal Simon was incredible. It was certain proof of Jesus’ power not only to heal physically, but also to heal us from our sin.
Have you been healed from your sin?
The most notable thing about Simon in this case is Jesus is present in his house. But more than that Simon’s home is an environment where true worship can take place.
Of all things a father who has been healed of sin should foster in his home is to make certain it is a place Jesus is welcome at all times and that it is an environment where Jesus is worshiped in Spirit and in truth.
With everything going on outside our homes these days, it is up to us as fathers to make certain the environment inside our homes is as unlike as possible from all that is presently going on outside.
Pastor Bill