What And Who Do You Believe In?

Why would people think that a tzitzit could heal them? People in Jesus’s day were superstitious. Amulets and unique clothes were considered to have divine powers. Jesus was like the prophets of centuries earlier. These men and women could perform such things. Messianic tradition says that the Messiah would be able to perform the same healings as the prophets of the past.

Jesus wanted to have a following of people who were ready to rid themselves of the corruption of their own government and Temple leadership. Healing was considered a sign from the LORD. Every time that Jesus cured a person, they would bolster His claim to be the Messiah.

A question for us today is, “what do you believe in?” The people in this Gospel narrative believed that Jesus was a great prophet, perhaps even the Messiah. They followed Him, tried to live His way, and openly sought out his help and cures for disease and illness. These people believed in Jesus. They did not need some great sign. A simple sign, a healing, was good enough for them. The people believed and had faith in their God, the LORD, who always promised to be with His people.

Today many people do not have genuine faith in the LORD, nor Jesus. This can be seen by the low attendance and membership in churches across the United States. So, where do they place their faith? Many people set their faith and trust in their financial investments. These people watch the stock markets and other financial institutions betting their retirement on it. There is nothing wrong with having financial investments and trusting that those financial institutions will help you take care of yourself when you retire. That is why people save money and invest in the financial markets. It is when this trust becomes faith and becomes more vital than faith in the LORD.

What good is it to have a lot of money and be wealthy if you are not right with the LORD? You know that you cannot take it with you when you die. We come into this world naked, and we will leave this world the same way. Therefore, you cannot take your wealth with you. To be reliant on only your money for your future is actually short-sighted.

Everyone needs the LORD. Jesus’s message was to repent from sin and place your faith and trust in the LORD. Rabbis have taught through the centuries that it is essential to prepare for the “world to come.” At times it is more important to prepare for the world to come than to be ready for this world. Our time in this world is limited. Our time in the world to come is eternal.

Our overall life actions on Earth determines what our “world to come” will be. For many, that world is in the Heavens with the LORD and Jesus. For many people, that world will be Hell and Satan. When a person dies, the LORD will determine which world they will go to. Believers in Jesus who try as hard as possible to live by His instructions will discover that even though they slip and sin, they will be pardoned for all their grievances and will spend an eternity in Heaven.

So I ask you again, what (and who) do you believe in?

May the LORD bless you in your learning and studying of His Word.