This morning I read Matthew 9:1-9.
(Remember there is a Bible app on the sidebar if your Bible isn't handy)
Jesus goes into his own town and heals a paralytic man - after proclaiming to the paralytic,
"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
Verse 8 says that when the crowd saw this miracle, "they were filled
with awe and praised God, who had given such authority to men."
I'm not a Greek scholar and haven't attended seminary, so I might be wrong;
but it appears to me that the crowd did not recognize
Jesus for Jesus-the-Son-of-God.
The crowd praised GOD for giving their neighbor man Jesus
the power to heal the paralytic.
Hmm - I think I do that.
I tend to think of Jesus as more of a tool than part of the Trinity.
Someone I use when I am paralyzed by fear and need healing.
Yesterday's Sunday School lesson spoke to my heart concerning this.
Psalms chapter 8:
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!.....
what is man that You are mindful of him?...."
I forget the Lordship and awesomeness of Jesus Christ.
I forget to praise Him ........ just for being GOD,
and not only when He answers "yes" to a cry for help.
Interestingly, in Matthew 9:9, right after Jesus healed the paralytic,
Jesus walks past Matthew the tax collector's booth and says, "Follow Me."
Matthew gets up, leaves his booth, and follows Jesus.
I think Matthew recognized Jesus to be more than a man.
I'm not sure I would have.