king of hearts
"He expelled the spirits by a simple command." —Matthew 8:16
Jesus, because He is Lord, works by giving commands. He just gives an order and the sick are healed (Mt 8:8). He commands a fever to leave Peter's mother-in-law; it leaves (Lk 4:39). He expels demons by a simple command (Mt 8:16). Jesus even commands the stormy winds and sea to become calm, and they obey Him (Mt 8:26). Diseases, demons, and nature obey Jesus' commands. Only human beings can choose to disobey the Lord.
The Lord loves us with a crucified, infinite love. He has the power to do all things, even rise from the dead. He knows exactly what to do under any circumstances. The only thing holding Him back is us.
We must obey Him to give Him the opportunity to manifest His wondrous love and power. We should ask the Lord for obedient hearts instead of our rebellious ones. We must stop doing our own thing and let it be done unto us according to God's will (Lk 1:38). We should bring our hearts to the Lord, repent of our sins, and receive new, spiritual hearts from Him (Ez 36:26).
Prayer: Jesus, at Your name every knee must bend and every tongue proclaim that You are Lord (Phil 2:10-11).
Promise: "Rise up, shrill in the night, at the beginning of every watch; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord." —Lam 2:19
Praise: Lisa teaches her students that we must ask the Lord even for the grace to want to turn from our old ways.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape Jesus, the Redeemer on audio AV 50-3 or video V-50.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 29, 2009
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.