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When Truth Is Inconvenient Proclaim Christ With Courage (2 Timothy 4:1–5)

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: 2 proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers 4 and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. 5 But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. At the close of his earthly mission, St. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:1-2 one of the most solemn charges in all of Scripture. This is not a casual encouragement. It is an apostolic summons handed down with the weight of eternity. Paul, writing from prison and aware that his own martyrdom is near (cf. 2 Tim 4:6–8), entrusts Timothy—and by extension, all who would...
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Divine Grace Reveals and Purifies Our Sin and Unworthiness (Isaiah 6:1-10)

In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. 2 Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they hovered. 3 One cried out to the other: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” 4 At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with it. “See,” he said, “now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send ...
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Faith, Blindness, and the Harvest of Souls: The Mission of the Messiah (Matthew 9:27-38)

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed [him], crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 30 And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread word of him through all that land. 32 As they were going out, a demoniac who could not speak was brought to him, 33 and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.” 35 Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. 36 At the sight of the crowds, hi...
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Healing Begins with Trust (Matthew 9:18-26)

While he was saying these things to them, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. 20 A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” 22 Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. 23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. 25 When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. 26 And news of this spread throughout all that land. In this powerful episode, two desperate individuals—an official whose daughter has died, and a woman suff...
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Sent with Power, Returned with Joy (Luke 10:1-12, 17-20)

After this the Lord appointed seventy[-two] others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. 2 He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. 3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ 6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. 8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ 10 Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 11 ‘The dust of yo...
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New Wine, New Life: The Transformation Christ Offers (Matthew 9:14-17)

Then the disciples of John approached him and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast [much], but your disciples do not fast?” 15 Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. 17 People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” When the disciples of John the Baptist come to Jesus and ask, “ Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast? ” (v. 14), they are raising a question not only about religious practice but about identity and spiritual timing.  Fasting in ancient Judaism was a sign of repentance, mourning, and preparation for God’s intervention....
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Follow Me: The Power of a Divine Invitation (Matthew 9:9-13)

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10 While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. 11 The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. 13 Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” When Jesus passes by the tax collector’s booth and says, “ Follow me ,” Matthew rises immediately and follows Him (Mt 9:9). This single verse conveys a profound truth: when Christ speaks, it is not merely an external invitation—it is a summons that pierces the heart and draws the soul: “ the word of God is living and effective… piercing even between soul and spirit ” (Heb 4:12).  Tax collectors were de...
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The Authority to Forgive: Healing the Body and Soul (Matthew 9:1-8)

He entered a boat, made the crossing, and came into his own town. 2 And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” 3 At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? 5 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” 7 He rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings. Matthew 9:1–8 recounts the dramatic moment when Jesus heals a paralytic, but not in the way the crowd—or even the man himself—expected.  Jesus begins not by saying “Rise,” but by declaring, “ Courage, child, your sins are f...
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The Demons Obeyed Christ, but the Town Rejected Him (Matthew 8:28-34)

When he came to the other side, to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. 29 They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” 30 Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. 31 The demons pleaded with him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.” 32 And he said to them, “Go then!” They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. 33 The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district. When Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee and arrives in the region of the Gadarenes (or Gerasenes, depending on manuscript tradition), He enters Gentile territor...
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Trust in Christ: He is with You in all Situations (Matthew 8:23-27)

He got into a boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. 25 They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. 27 The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?” As Jesus boards the boat, His disciples follow.  What seems like a peaceful crossing quickly becomes a scene of terror: “ Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep ” (Mt 8:24).  The Sea of Galilee is notorious for sudden squalls due to its position below sea level and the surrounding hills, but this storm is more than a weather report—it is a spiritual revelation. The disciples, some of them seasoned fishermen, are overwhelmed and cry out, “ Lord, ...
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True Discipleship Demands Total Surrender to Christ (Matthew 8:18-22)

When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side. 19 A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” 21 Another of [his] disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” As the crowds continue to grow around Jesus, He gives an unexpected command: “ He gave orders to cross to the other side ” (Mt 8:18).  Though brief, this moment marks a turning point. Jesus does not stay where the crowd is largest or where admiration is easiest.  Instead, He withdraws, reminding us that the true path of discipleship is not about popularity but obedience to the Father’s will—even when it means leaving comfort behind. At this moment, a scribe approaches and says, “ Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go ” (v. 19)....
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He Took Away Our Infirmities: Jesus the Healer (Matthew 8:14-17)

Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him. 16 When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, 17 to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet: “He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.” After healing a leper and a Gentile centurion’s servant, Jesus enters the house of Simon Peter in Capernaum.  There, He finds Peter’s mother-in-law sick with a fever.  With a simple gesture—He touches her hand—the fever leaves her, and she rises and begins to serve Him (v. 15).  The immediacy of her healing, and her instinctive response of service, highlight not only the completeness of her restoration but also the appropriate response to Christ’s grace: discipleship expressed through gratitude and action. That evening, crowds bring many who are ill or possessed by de...
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Christ and the Centurion: A Soldier’s Faith and the Word That Heals (Matthew 8:5-13)

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” 7 He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8 The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, 12 but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may ...
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