Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8 / Matthew 12:1-8
We may wonder what it is like to have a close shave with death. From the little that we might have read, it is like one's whole life would flash before one's eyes or something like that.
Whatever it may be, a close shave with death would certainly jolt us and make us think about life and not to take it for granted, besides the fact that it will also make us think about death.
For king Hezekiah, he did not have a close shave with death. He fell ill and was at the point of death. And the prophet Isaiah came to confirm for him that his time was running out and to put his affairs in order.
King Hezekiah was not ready for death and he pleaded to the Lord God for his life and he shed many tears. Maybe he also had not put his affairs in order yet.
But the Lord God heard his prayer and cured his illness and even gave him another fifteen years of life. It was not just to give him time to put his affairs in order, but the Lord God also had things for him to do.
We do not know when our time on earth will be up or when the Lord will call us home. But we don't need close shaves with death to remind us that we need to always put our affairs in order.
More importantly, while we still have life with us, let us know what the Lord God wants of us.
Our affairs must the affairs of the Lord and our life must be at the service of the Lord.
Jesus is not just the Master of the Sabbath; He is the Master of our life and we must do what He wants of us. Otherwise we will live in fear and become slaves of death.