Armistice Day/Remembrance Day/Veteran’s Day/Independence Day
9When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” 10And when the (Roman) officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed. (Luke 7:9-10, The Life Application Bible)
Happy (select one of the above)! November 11 is an important day on the calendar for many countries in the world. For us Americans, it is a day we give thanks to all those who have served in our nation’s military ranks. Then there are a handful of countries that celebrate this day as “Remembrance Day”. And finally, many European countries that participated in World War I (where the holiday originated from) know this day as “Armistice Day”. And then there is Poland, who regained her independence after 123-years of German/Austrian-Hungary/Russian control and hold November 11 sacred as their “Independence Day.” Click on any of these hyperlinks to read more about each holiday.
I hope you were able to send some “Thank you’s” to anyone you know that has served. Service for every generation is different. Those who fought in Vietnam faced horrors in a jungle far away; while those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan fought through urban landscapes and became experts of close-quarters battles.
I included the verse above because it comes from the story of the Roman Centurion who asks Jesus to heal his sick slave. Jesus’ exclamation to the crowd has strong meaning to the Jewish people. Here was a military leader, who had authority over a hundred men, the reigning world power of the entire planet at this time. The Romans ruled this small Jewish sect. The Romans worshipped their own gods. Yet despite all these factors that should have made this Roman Officer not approach Jesus, he had faith in the power of this controversial Rabbi. The Roman Officer had obviously heard of the healing power of Jesus, and he put aside any arrogance of the power he personally possessed to plead for Jesus’ help. And because of that faith, Jesus healed the Officer’s slave.
Jesus still heals and saves those lost and hurting today. Who can you approach Him about in this moment? Perhaps you know a Veteran who needs to know Jesus, or just be prayed over. Let us lift up all those who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms, for our independence, for our ability to thrive in this world. Pray that they feel the awestruck power of Jesus Christ in their hearts today. Pray that they know how much we appreciate their service. Pray that they are loved and cared for throughout their entire lifetime.
Common Sense Reborn 