Continual Burnt Offering: Daily Meditations, September 2 (10:38)
“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him. —Acts 10:38.
THE miracles wrought by our Lord differ greatly from the wonders generally ascribed to the founders and holy men of the great pagan religious systems. He never performed a sign simply to astonish credulous people, or to thwart the will of His enemies. Behind all the works of power was human need and His own gracious compassion for suffering and troubled humanity. The cursing of the fig-tree is the only seeming exception that proves the rule. It was an acted parable designed to illustrate Israel’s sad condition and her deep need. Jesus never stooped to anything approaching legerdemain or magical incantation. He did not desire to be known as a wonder-worker, He “went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil” (Acts 10:38), and in this way manifesting His Messianic mission. It had been predicted of old that in His days the dumb would sing, the blind see, the lame leap as an hart, and the poor be satisfied with bread (Isa. 35:5, 6; Psa. 132:15).
―Henry Twells.