“SAY BUT THE WORD, and thy servant will be healed.”
(Matthew 8:8)
Dear Friends –
The profound statement above was made by a Roman Centurion to Jesus, because he didn’t think he was worthy to have Jesus make the trip to his home, but he desperately wanted Jesus to cure his servant, and more importantly, he believed that Jesus could do just that. Jesus was so amazed by the Centurion’s belief, 
He said to those around Him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Can you imagine Jesus saying that about your own personal faith? Do you have that kind of unconditional trust in God, that asks Him to do whatever you so desperately need? And do you know that He can do it, by simply saying a Word?
We read in the opening lines of Genesis how in the beginning our earth was a formless wasteland, “Then God said, Let there be light, and there was light…" and so on to the entirety of creation… “God said” the words, let there be, and there it was. The Psalmist sums it all up so beautifully with these poetic lines: “By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made. And by the breath His mouth all their hosts. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” (Psalm 33:6, 8,-9) To just utter a command and have it be, is so far beyond our capability to imagine, but that is exactly the power of Almighty God, the eternal Supreme Being. Our curiosity wants answers on the reality of God, but there are just some things that will never enter the comprehension of human reasoning and will remain a spiritual mystery. Scientists know in all of creation’s beginnings, matter has a start and end, but not so with Almighty God for He is eternal… a spiritual concept not decipherable… and so we believe with blind faith, like the Centurion, that He is who He says He is, by His Word.
Being the Son of God, Jesus Christ demonstrated the same capacity as His Father by simply saying a word or command, and having it be so. On one occasion, Jesus was with His disciples in a boat when a “furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped.” Scared to death disciples woke Jesus from His nap and said: “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He arose, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”… and it was completely calm." (Mark 4:37-39) Another time, Jesus brought back to life a little twelve-year-old girl by taking hold of her hand and 
saying, “Little girl, I say to you arise!” The girl immediately arose. (Mark 5:39-42) Similarly, when the young son of a widow died, Jesus registered concern for the widow, touched the coffin and said, “Young man, I tell you, get up! And the dead man sat up and began to speak!” (Luke 7:12-15) Likewise, when Jesus was implored to save the brother of Martha and Mary, He arrived to find that Lazarus had been dead in the tomb for four days. Nonetheless, “He cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go." (John 11:43-44) By His words, Christ did these miraculous things and so much more as attested to in The Bible.
The Words of God gives voice to His Will, which is to desire only the best for us His children, since He is God The Father of goodness and love. When we ask for those things that fall within the boundaries of His goodness and love, we are hoping He will say the word that will make it all happen… 
of course, not normally instantaneous miracle as in those Biblical accountings… but in the due course of natural existence we know He can and will make all things come together for our betterment. He is our all powerful, all knowing, all generous and devoted Heavenly Father… how He does what He does will always stay a spiritual mystery to our inadequate reasoning… but, with faith the size of a mustard seed, He will move mountains for us, for nothing is impossible for God.
"I have been all things unholy; if God can work through me,
He can work through anyone." St. Francis of Assisi
Many of the saints could have uttered these exact words, for countless souls who have been the worst of sinners knew, that only by the grace of Almighty God and His truths, was their life completely turned around from debauchery to sainthood. To any individual who thinks their life beyond salvation, realize through His sent admonishment to conversion, a shocking time of repentance will bring ones being into a juxtaposition of the former lifestyle with a possible new holiness. When a clear understanding of the need for positive change occurs, a life burnt out by devilish ways can only proclaim the desire to be a spiritual child of God’s, and no longer one of the material world.
THE NATURAL TO THE SUPERNATURAL
Sometimes the moral message to Christ’s parables is very apparent, but other times not so, and even the disciples had to ask Him to explain them further. The parable of The Sower is one such example where Christ detailed item by item what each element was, starting
with the seed that was being sown was actually the word of God. The seed on the path is a person that allows the word to get trampled on by the cares of life and particularly by the devil’s efforts “so they may not believe and be saved.” The seed that fell on rocky soil was the word that never got a chance for a variety of reasons, one being a closed-mind and cold heart, and it couldn’t take firm root in such a nonbeliever; while the seed that fell among thorns let the word get choked out with worries and pleasures of life and consequently the seed doesn’t get an opportunity to mature and bear fruit. “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” (Luke 8:11-15) Overtly and covertly, Christ used the natural to explain the supernatural, something that nonbelievers never take into account when they read The Bible, so, they never comprehend the figurative for the literal. Christ’s words and actions almost always have an immediate response of clarity, while at the same time a depth of understanding can unfurl beneath that surface reaction, if one makes a more concentrated effort to study and meditate on every savory word. In time, you will discover the symbolism of Christ’s repeated efforts, which will take on consistent definitions far beyond the natural. Walking on the sea was something Christ 
did on several occasions and once when He was approaching the disciple’s boat who were terrified by the sight of Him, “Peter said to Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. And He said, “Come! And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Which Jesus did and said to Peter, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:25-32) It was not in Christ’s job description to teach people how to walk on water, but it was His obligation to educate individuals how to survive the storms of life with the belief in God’s help always being near… to have complete faith and trust in God, no matter how hard it is to keep from drowning when the turmoil’s of life overtake us. But like Peter, it is so easy to initially go to God but the minute things go berserk, as they will, we give up on God and flounder to stay afloat. Don’t look away or get distracted like Peter, but keep yourself unwaveringly centered on God with absolute trust in His magnificent powers over everything. In horrific tempest times to those periods of completely calm waters, keep God at hands length, always ready to grab hold for squalls give little notice, or in peaceful times, squeeze His hand in joyful praise for the beauty He affords you… stay on intimate terms with your Savior. Insight into the character and judgmental actions of Almighty God can be found in the incident of Jesus and the fig tree. On one particular morning in Christ’s travels He was hungry and, 
“Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went over to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again." And immediately the fig tree withered.” (Matthew 21:18-20) Some theologians ascribe this occurrence to God’s judgment on barren Israel who will receive His wrath for their failure to receive His Son and His teachings. Let’s go beneath the surface and take a deeper look into the elements of that moment; first, Jesus was aggravated by not finding fruit to satiate His hunger and that disappointment incited Him to render fatal consequences… impatient, demanding, abrupt action all make Christ sound unreasonable… but absolutely not! We are being told here by Christ, be it Israel or any individual, that God has every right to expect spiritual fruit from the life He gave us; and when He finds it naught, He will not look the other way or go elsewhere, He will punish! Popular secular culture, and even wishy-washy Christians proclaim erroneously that Almighty God is infinitely merciful and forgiving, BUT, that is only for His children… Christians who 
repeatedly come to Him asking for forgiveness with repentance will be granted absolution as in the Prodigal Son who returned to his father, symbolic of Almighty God receiving us back home. God does not forgive the unbeliever who continually rejects His truths… continually refuses to bear spiritual fruit… He definitely has limits… He will certainly condemn to death. The natural talents of any individual may well bring them success or notoriety in the material world… but that is not the deeds or fruit Christ is looking to find. When a person hones their skills to be a great doctor, lawyer or merchant chief, that is all well and good, but that alone doesn’t open the gates to heaven… the spiritual deeds or fruit that unlocks the pearly gates are faith, virtue, righteous living with humility, love, kindness, generosity, etc. all being spiritual talents inherited from a Heavenly Father… that’s what God is looking for when He looks to you to satiate His hunger. Some may naturally be a child of the world’s, while others choose to be a spiritual child of God’s… but even better yet, combine ones natural abilities with supernatural gifts and live the best life possible, eternally!
