Matthew 14:13-33
In this passage, Jesus has just heard of John the Baptist's death by beheading. He gets into a boat intending to go off into an unpopulated place by Himself to pray, but when He comes ashore, the crowds had followed Him on foot. He had compassion on them and healed their sick. When evening came, His disciples implored Him to send the crowds away to buy food in the nearby villages, for they were in a desolate place. Jesus replied simply that they did not need to leave, but told His disciples to give them something to eat.
They replied, bewildered, "Lord, we only have five loaves and two fish," to which Jesus commanded them to bring them to Him. He told the crowds to sit down on the grass, then He took the loaves and fish, looking up to heaven and blessing them. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples to distribute among the crowd. When everyone had eaten their fill, twelve baskets of broken bits were picked up by the disciples. This occurred in a crowd of around 5000 men plus women and children--a tremendous number of people.
Afterwards, the Lord told His disciples to go out in the boat before Him, and He dismissed the crowds after which He was able to go to the mountaintop alone to pray. By the time evening fell, He was there alone. Meanwhile, His disciples were having a tough go of it out on the sea, for the wind was strong. Late in the night, probably sometime between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m., Jesus came to them, walking on the water. The men were terrified, sure He was a ghost. Jesus told them they didn't need to be afraid, for it was Him. Peter declared, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waves," and Jesus did so. Peter then began walking to Him on the water, but when he saw the wind, he became frightened and began to sink, crying out to Jesus for help.
Jesus took hold of him and inquired, "You of little faith; why did you doubt?" When they climbed into the boat, the wind stopped and the men in the boat worshiped Him, declaring that certainly He was the Son of God.
Well, I have missed a week due to illness. I had originally intended to try to squeeze in both, but the time has been against me and so I reconcile myself to getting in just this one. Perhaps later in the week I will backtrack. Perhaps.
At any rate, today's passage is very meaningful to me. I am challenged and convicted by the actions of my Lord. He sought some time alone to pray, but when He was followed by the crowds, He did not resent the intrusion but rather had compassion on them, healing their sick and providing food for them. This is an area of Christlikeness into which I have a great deal of personal growth to do. I am not so compassionate,
resenting the interruptions when I am trying to spend some time alone in prayer.
We can also see that Jesus did not forsake that much-needed time, however, due to His compassion. He spent some time with the people, and after having provided for their needs, sent them home and still made room for His time in prayer. According to this passage, He took several hours, making a sacrifice of sleep to seek the presence of His Father, since He began "when evening came," and then walked out to the disciples at the fourth watch of the night (which, by Roman standards, is the last quarter of the night just before dawn). Am I this dedicated? I fear not. Here, too, I have much room for growth. When things do not happen in the time frame I have decided they ought, I am afraid I am much less diligent in prayer than I should be. I have a lot to learn about dedication and priority.
Toward the end of the passage, I can identify with Peter. He saw the Lord feed several thousand people with five loaves and two fish--overwhelming evidence of His power to make a little into an abundance. Mere hours later, however, Peter had faith enough to request that he could walk out across the water to the Lord and faith enough to take the first few steps. However, in moments he took his eyes off of Jesus and allowed his surroundings to stir up fear and anxiety and he began to sink beneath the waves.
I must admit I am just as prone to this tendency as Peter. I have seen the Lord do amazing things in my life, and even had the boldness to step out into something vast and wild alongside Him. I, too, have also found my pitiful little faith flagging shortly afterward as I focus, not on the Lord who is my Guide and my Salvation, but on my situation or the ferocity of the winds around me. Times of doubt in the face of my Lord's power make me feel ashamed and bring to me the futility of my own weak and insufficient means. I also, however, take great heart at the ability of my Lord and King to use my puny faith as a backdrop to display the indescribable and endless majesty of His strength. I see His might take my flimsy love and turn it into enough to cover a multitude of sins, both for those who have hurt me as well as for those whom I have hurt. In times like these, I see the truth of His words, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing..."
resenting the interruptions when I am trying to spend some time alone in prayer.
We can also see that Jesus did not forsake that much-needed time, however, due to His compassion. He spent some time with the people, and after having provided for their needs, sent them home and still made room for His time in prayer. According to this passage, He took several hours, making a sacrifice of sleep to seek the presence of His Father, since He began "when evening came," and then walked out to the disciples at the fourth watch of the night (which, by Roman standards, is the last quarter of the night just before dawn). Am I this dedicated? I fear not. Here, too, I have much room for growth. When things do not happen in the time frame I have decided they ought, I am afraid I am much less diligent in prayer than I should be. I have a lot to learn about dedication and priority.
Toward the end of the passage, I can identify with Peter. He saw the Lord feed several thousand people with five loaves and two fish--overwhelming evidence of His power to make a little into an abundance. Mere hours later, however, Peter had faith enough to request that he could walk out across the water to the Lord and faith enough to take the first few steps. However, in moments he took his eyes off of Jesus and allowed his surroundings to stir up fear and anxiety and he began to sink beneath the waves.
I must admit I am just as prone to this tendency as Peter. I have seen the Lord do amazing things in my life, and even had the boldness to step out into something vast and wild alongside Him. I, too, have also found my pitiful little faith flagging shortly afterward as I focus, not on the Lord who is my Guide and my Salvation, but on my situation or the ferocity of the winds around me. Times of doubt in the face of my Lord's power make me feel ashamed and bring to me the futility of my own weak and insufficient means. I also, however, take great heart at the ability of my Lord and King to use my puny faith as a backdrop to display the indescribable and endless majesty of His strength. I see His might take my flimsy love and turn it into enough to cover a multitude of sins, both for those who have hurt me as well as for those whom I have hurt. In times like these, I see the truth of His words, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing..."
Father and Provider of all things good, I thank You for the wonder of Your love, for the sufficiency of Your grace, and for the endless reach of Your hand. Nothing is impossible for You. Knowing this, I ask that You will increase my faith and make it into an abundance. I also ask that You increase my capacity for love, so that my love for You can no longer be contained but will spill out from me onto my family, my friends, and my world in a limitless torrent capable of providing refreshment to all who take without running out. May I ever be a conduit for Your love and grace, with You increasing all the while I decrease. Amen.
Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
Psalms 105:1-5
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